Coming to movie theaters this summer

And so it begins – another summer of popcorn movies and potential blockbusters, with a pinch of more serious counterprogramming. Opening dates are subject to change, but here’s an early breakdown of some 50 films slated for release over the next four months.

May 7

Pick of the weekend: "Iron Man 2." Read all about it in Friday's newspaper.

Also: The foreign documentary "Babies."

May 14

Pick of the weekend: "Robin Hood." In his fifth teaming with director Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe plays the heroic Sherwood Forest outlaw. The action epic co-stars Cate Blanchett as Maid Marion.

Also: The romantic comedies "Just Wright" (Queen Latifah) and "Letters to Juliet" (Amanda Seyfried).

May 21

Pick of the weekend: "Shrek Forever After." In this fourth installment of the animated franchise, nothing is what it seems when the lovable ogre (Mike Myers) finds himself in an alternate "reality" of Far Far Away. Presented in 3D.

Also: Will Forte's "SNL"-based comedy "MacGruber"; Michael Caine's revenge drama "Harry Brown"; the Oscar-winning Argentinean drama "The Secret in Their Eyes."

May 28

Pick of the weekend: "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time." Jake Gyllenhaal battles dark forces (Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina) to protect a gift from the gods and rule the world. Based on the popular video game.

Also: The sequels "Sex and the City 2" and "George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead"; Ken Loach's British drama "Looking for Eric."

June 4

Take your own pick: The Ashton Kutcher-Katherine Heigl comedy "Killers"; a live-action version of the comic strip "Marmaduke"; the horror thriller "Splice"; the Judd Apatow-produced comedy "Get Him to the Greek."

June 11

Pick of the weekend: "Holy Rollers." Jesse Eisenberg stars in the true story of a young Hasidic Jew lured into the underworld of international drug trafficking.

Also: Remakes of the movie "The Karate Kid" (Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan) and the TV series "The A-Team" (Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper and Jessica Biel); the indie character drama "Please Give" (Catherine Keener).

June 18

Pick of the weekend: A tie!

“Toy Story 3.” Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen) and the gang plan their escape from a daycare center in this computer-generated Pixar sequel, presented in digital and IMAX 3D.

“Jonah Hex.” Josh Brolin portrays the title role of a disfigured Western bounty hunter in an apocalyptic thriller based on the DC Comics series. Megan Fox is the femme fatale.

Also: The French espionage spoof "OSS 117: Lost in Rio."

June 25

Pick of the weekend: "Knight and Day." In this globe-trotting action comedy, Tom Cruise is an enigmatic secret agent and Cameron Diaz is his hapless love interest.

Also: The ensemble comedy "Grown Ups" (Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, et al.); Neil Jordan's Irish drama "Ondine" (Colin Farrell); the documentary "Stonewall Uprising."

June 30

Pick of the day: "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse." Having brooded in "Twilight" and "New Moon," star-crossed lovers Robert Pattinson (as the vampire Edward) and Kristen Stewart (as the mortal Bella) brood some more.

July 2

Pick of the weekend: "The Last Airbender." M. Night Shyamalan directs Dev Patel ("Slumdog Millionaire") in this live-action (post-3D) version of the animated Nickelodeon TV show.

Also: Casey Affleck in the psychological thriller "The Killer Inside Me"; Jean-Pierre Jeunet's French comedy "Micmacs."

July 7

Pick of the day: "The Kids Are All Right." Annette Bening and Julianne Moore portray a lesbian couple whose artificially inseminated teens want to meet their father (Mark Ruffalo).

July 9

Pick of the weekend: "The City of Your Final Destination." A literary student interviews the loved ones of a famous novelist in a drama directed by James Ivory. Anthony Hopkins and Laura Linney star.

Also: "Despicable Me," a computer-generated 3D family comedy; "Predators," a sci-fi horror sequel.

July 16

Pick of the weekend: "Inception." Illusion and reality blur in Christopher Nolan's futuristic psychological drama. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Also: Nicolas Cage as a modern-day magician in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."

July 23

Pick of the weekend: "Salt." Angelina Jolie plays a covert CIA operative whose skills are tested after she's accused of being a Russian spy. While on the run, she attempts to prove her innocence.

Also: The mismatched buddy comedy "Dinner for Schmucks" (Steve Carell, Paul Rudd); "Ramona and Beezus," family fare based on the bestselling children's book.

July 30

Pick of the weekend: "Charlie St. Cloud." Zac Efron works through the grief of his younger brother's death by taking a job in the cemetery where he's buried. The drama co-stars Kim Basinger.

Also: "Beastly," a contemporary twist on "Beauty and the Beast" (featuring Vanessa Hudgens); the animatronic sequel "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore."

Aug. 6

Take your own pick: The mismatched buddy comedy "The Other Guys" (Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg); the hip-hop street-dancing sequel "Step Up 3D"; Luke Wilson in "Middle Men," a true story about Internet business pioneer Jack Harris; Alain Resnais' French drama "Wild Grass."

Aug. 13

Pick of the weekend: "Eat Pray Love." A romantic drama starring Julia Roberts, who embarks on a soul-searching trip around the world. James Franco, Billy Crudup and Javier Bardem are the men in her life.

Also: The Michael Cera comic fantasy "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," based on a graphic novel; the action-packed "The Expendables," with a self-explanatory cast (Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke).

Aug. 20

Pick of the weekend: "Nanny McPhee Returns." Emma Thompson reprises her role as a magical governess in this sequel, with a new set of precocious and mischievous charges to teach.