2011 Summer Movie Preview

Whether it's a certain seafaring pirate, a chop socky animal, or a superhuman comic book hero, this summer's full of colorful characters...and lots of starry predictions for potential box office. What are the must-sees and likely sleeper hits? Take a look at the 36 movies we think will be making headlines over the next four heated months at the cineplex!

Thor

Release Date: 5/6/11
Genre: Action
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With the power of Asgard in his hammer, Marvel Comics' latest movie star will likely crush the competition on opening weekend of summer 2011. And with Natalie Portman on hand to coax out his humanity, we're sure it will be a spectacle worth watching.

Something Borrowed

Release Date: 5/6/11
Genre: Romance, Comedy
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Something Borrowed...as in, your best friend's guy? Ginnifer Goodwin is the good girl lawyer whose glamorous best pal (Kate Hudson) stole a potential love interest from her years ago...which makes it even more interesting when she sleeps with him now.

Jumping the Broom

Release Date: 5/6/11
Genre: Romance, Comedy
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In case Thor's sold out, the other romantic comedy opening on May 6th tells the story of the families of beauties Angela Bassett and Paula Patton, who head for a showdown during one eventful wedding at Martha's Vineyard.

Bridesmaids

Release Date: 5/13/11
Genre: Comedy
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Kristen Wiig, Mya Rudolph, Jon Hamm and Rose Byrne star in Bridesmaids, a comedy centered around two friends battling to plan their best friend's wedding party. As long as the underrated, ultra-funny Wiig's still leading the way down the aisle at the end, we're there.

Priest

Release Date: 5/13/11
Genre: Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
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Religion, the apocalypse, and lots of bloodsuckers. What's not to love? In this supernatural thriller, a priest, a sheriff, and a priestess band together to track down some nefarious vampires who've kidnapped the clergyman's niece.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Release Date: 5/20/11
Genre: Adventure, Comedy
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Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is back with his swagger, this time in search of the Fountain of Youth. The seas are adventurous and a little crowded with a former love (Penelope Cruz), formidable pirate Captain Blackbeard (Ian McShane), and Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) all on board for the fun.

The Hangover Part 2

Release Date: 5/26/11
Genre: Comedy
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The lovable foursome of Phil, Stu, Alan and Doug (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha) are back and this time they're headed to Thailand for Stu's wedding. What possibly could go wrong?! Right?

Kung Fu Panda 2

Release Date: 5/26/11
Genre: Family, Animation, Comedy
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Jack Black, fresh off the ill-fated Gulliver's Travels, will skadoosh back into audiences' favor with the latest animated hijinx of everyone's favorite panda bear, Po, and his awesomely Furious Five.

X-Men: First Class

Release Date: 6/3/11
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
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Once upon a time, Professor X and Magneto were allies who combined forces to create the Mutant School for Gifted Youngsters. That tale is writ large in this installment, which covers their early friendship, and the tensions that would lead to their eventual rivalry.

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer

Release Date: 6/10/11
Genre: Family, Comedy
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Judy Moody is in for more than she bargained for this summer after her best friends ditch her, she's left with her wacky brother, and one crazy aunt.

Super 8

Release Date: 6/10/11
Genre: Sci-Fi
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The plot of this sci-fi feature is also under wraps, but given the talent involved, we're extremely intrigued. J.J. Abrams directs, and Steven Spielberg is on board as producer. The story is said to harken back to Spielberg's early films, which combined science fiction and childlike wonder.

Green Lantern

Release Date: 6/17/11
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure
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Ryan Reynolds suits up as Hal Jordan aka The Green Lantern in DC Comics' latest big screen adaptation. Blake Lively and Peter Sarsgaard co-star in this CGI-heavy effects actioner. Where will it fall in this summer's pantheon of comic book movies? Only a superhero can tell.

Bad Teacher

Release Date: 6/24/11
Genre: Comedy
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The plot follows a foul-mouthed educator who vies for the attention of a colleague and ends up in a competition with a much-beloved teacher. But really, we're mainly interested to see if real-life ex-loves Cameron Diaz and Jason Timberlake can rekindle their former spark up on the big screen.

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Release Date: 6/17/11
Genre: Comedy
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Jim Carrey returns to the comedy genre as a wealthy New York businessman who finds his life changes for the better - or at least sort of - when he inherits six penguins.

Cars 2

Release Date: 6/24/11
Genre: Family, Animation
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Kaa-chow! Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy are back as Speed McQueen and Tow-Mater in Pixar's sequel to their 2006 animated hit. This time, the duo travel to the World Grand Prix and end up in the middle of an international espionage plot.

Larry Crowne

Release Date: 7/1/11
Genre: Comedy, Drama
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Starring Hollywood royalty Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, Larry Crowne tells the story of a middle-aged man who reinvents himself after losing his job by going back to college.

Monte Carlo

Release Date: 7/1/11
Genre: Comedy
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Disney sensation Selena Gomez stars with Leighton Meester in Monte Carlo. The two play best friends who travel to Paris, but a case of mistaken identity leads them into a lavish world and a private jet headed to Monte Carlo, where romance, warm weather, and the "fantasy of a lifetime" await.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Release Date: 7/1/11
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
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Michael Bay returns with the third installment of the uber-lucrative franchise. This time, the Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the Moon, and race against the Decepticons to reach it and learn its secrets, which could turn the tide in the Transformers' final battle.

Horrible Bosses

Release Date: 7/1/11
Genre: Comedy
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Funnyman Jason Bateman along with his buddies Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis become workers who are willing to go through desperate measures in order to get rid of their horrible bosses. Fueled by alcohol and advice from an ex-con (Jamie Foxx), they come up with a "foolproof" plan to kill their bosses.

The Zookeeper

Release Date: 7/8/11
Genre: Comedy
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Kevin James gets some help from zoo animals who decide to break their code of silence to help him win the heart of a woman. That woman would be the ultra-lovely Rosario Dawson.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Release Date: 7/15/11
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure
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After a decade-long magical franchise, the war in the wizarding world reaches its epic climax. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) must find and destroy Horcruxes to make the Dark Lord mortal before the final showdown at Hogwarts.

Winnie the Pooh

Release Date: 7/15/11
Genre: Family, Animtation
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Disney's 51st full-length film takes on some more chapters in the classic A.A. Milne children's books. The stories, "In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One," "In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day," and "We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings" will be featured in the family flick.

Captain America: The First Avenger

Release Date: 7/22/11
Genre: Action
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Chris Evans takes on the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America in the latest superhero adaptation from Marvel Comics. Hugo Weaving plays villain Red Skull while Hayley Atwell plays love interest Peggy Carter in the buzzed-about, WW II-era action adventure.

Friends with Benefits

Release Date: 7/22/11
Genre: Romance, Comedy
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Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake star as two hot friends turned lovers, who try to keep their relationship strictly physical (good luck with that). Patricia Clarkson and Woody Harrelson co-star.

Cowboys and Aliens

Release Date: 7/29/11
Genre: Sci-fi, Western, Action, Adventure
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Daniel Craig plays a stranger with no memory who stumbles into the desert town of Absolution, policed by a hardened Harrison Ford. And then Jon Favreau's western adventure takes a turn for the sci-fi as an alien force attacks! Olivia Wilde co-stars.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Release Date: 7/29/11
Genre: Comedy
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Julianne Moore wants a divorce. And so, Steve Carell's perfect life quickly unravels. Carell's wingman Ryan Gosling helps him try to pull things together.

The Smurfs

Release Date: 8/3/11
Genre: Family
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The upcoming live-action and CGI-animated feature finds everyone's favorite blue small people lost in New York City. Are we almost there, Poppa Smurf? Maybe not.

The Change-Up

Release Date: 8/5/11
Genre: Comedy
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Double the trouble. Ryan Reynolds teams up with Jason Bateman in this comedy about two envious best friends who, after one crazy night of binge drinking, wake up only to realize they have switched bodies. Whose idea for those tequila shots?

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Release Date: 8/5/11
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action
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The Planet of the Apes franchise gets a reboot with A-list cast members James Franco, Freida Pinto and John Lithgow signing up for an origin story about a team of American genetic scientists, and the breakthrough that leads them to a new race of intelligent simian life.

30 Minutes or Less

Release Date: 8/12/11
Genre: Comedy
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Dwayne and Travis (Jesse Eisenberg and Danny McBride) develop a plan to kidnap a pizza delivery man, and force him to rob a bank with a bomb vest attached to his chest with a 30-minute timer.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark

Release Date: 8/5/11
Genre: Horror
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Produced and written by Guillermo del Toro, Dont be Afraid of the Dark tells the story of haunted estate with a hidden gateway. The horror remake is directed by newcomer Troy Nixey and stars Guy Pearce and Katie Holmes.

The Help

Release Date: 8/12/11
Genre: Drama
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Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, it's a provocative and inspiring look at what happens when a southern town's unspoken code of rules and behavior is shattered by three courageous women who strike up an unlikely friendship.

Conan the Barbarian

Release Date: 8/19/11
Genre: Action
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Jason Momoa, inheriting the role made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger,stars in the tale of Conan the Cimmerian, whose quest for revenge turns into an all-out battle against evil.

Fright Night

Release Date: 8/19/11
Genre: Horror
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Colin Farrell and Star Trek's Anton Yelchin co-star in Fright Night, a remake of the infamous '80s comedy-horror that documents the close encounters between a teenager and his vampire neighbor.

Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World

Release Date: 8/19/11
Genre: Family, Action, Fantasy
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The latest entry in Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids franchise adds Jessica Alba as a retired spy for the OSS (Organization of Super Spies) which has since become the world's top spy agency and former headquarters of the now-defunct Spy Kids division.

Final Destination 5

Release Date: 8/26/11
Genre: Horror
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Sam Lawton (Nicholas D'Agosto) has a premonition about the bridge he is on collapsing, killing him and those around him. As the vision becomes reality, Sam manages to save himself and a few others...but for how long? Presented (of course) in spectacular and explicit 3D.