This weekend’s opening of the action-packed comic-book superhero sequel “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is a sure sign that another summer movie season is officially kicking off in full force.
Then again, the Victorian-era romantic drama “Far From the Madding Crowd” opens next week — a sign that more discriminating audiences won’t be totally out of luck for the next few months.
Play dates are subject to change, as always, but here’s a look at more than 50 films scheduled to open between early May and late August:
MAY
"Before I Wake" (May 8). A supernatural thriller with Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane as a married couple dealing with the nightmares of their new 8-year-old foster son.
"The D Train" (May 8). Lifelong nerd Jack Black gets more than he bargains for when he reconnects with popular former high school classmate James Marsden. Laughs ensue.
"Far From the Madding Crowd" (May 8). Three men (Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge) vie for Carey Mulligan's affections in a version of Thomas Hardy's classic novel.
"Hot Pursuit" (May 8). In this mismatched-buddy comedy, Reese Witherspoon plays an uptight cop opposite Sofia Vergara as the spitfire witness she's assigned to protect.
"Mad Max: Fury Road" (May 15). Director George Miller's follow-up to his post-apocalyptic 1980s trilogy casts Tom Hardy in the role originally played by Mel Gibson. Charlize Theron co-stars. In 3-D.
"Pitch Perfect 2" (May 15). The college singing group from the 2012 hit enters an international competition. With Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Elizabeth Banks (who also directs).
"Slow West" (May 15). Michael Fassbender is a mysterious stranger who joins young Kodi Smit-McPhee on an arduous journey across the American frontier in this period western.
"Good Kill" (May 22). Ethan Hawke portrays a drone pilot grappling with the ethics of advanced war technology in a drama also featuring January Jones.
"Poltergeist" (May 22). Otherworldly spirits haunt the house of a suburban family in this remake of the 1982 blockbuster. Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt co-star. In 3-D.
"Tomorrowland" (May 22). George Clooney plays a jaded scientist who joins forces with an idealistic teen (Britt Robertson) to uncover "an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space."
"Aloha" (May 29). Set in Hawaii, director Cameron Crowe's romantic comedy features Bradley Cooper as a military contractor torn between Rachel McAdams and Emma Stone.
"San Andreas" (May 29). Dwayne Johnson is a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot trying to reach and save his daughter after a massive California earthquake. In 3-D.
JUNE
"Entourage" (June 3). Adrian Grenier, Jeremy Piven and Kevin Dillon (among others) reprise their characters from the popular HBO series in this show-biz satire.
"Insidious: Chapter 3" (June 5). A prequel to the two earlier horror movies, in which a psychic (Lin Shaye) channels an evil entity in order to help a teenage girl (Stefanie Scott).
"Love & Mercy" (June 5). Paul Dano and John Cusack portray younger and older versions of Brian Wilson, the mercurial leader of the Beach Boys, in an unconventional biopic.
"Saint Laurent" (June 5). Spanning the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, this French drama chronicles the life and career of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent (Gaspard Ulliel).
"Spy" (June 5). It's Melissa McCarthy to the rescue as a bumbling CIA analyst who goes undercover to save secret agents Jude Law and Jason Statham — if not also the world itself.
"Jurassic World" (June 12). Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard co-star in the fourth episode of the high-tech action-packed dinosaur series, produced by Steven Spielberg.
"Dope" (June 19). A young man (Shameik Moore) balances life on the mean streets of L.A. with his college ambitions in an audience favorite from this year's Sundance Film Festival.
"Inside Out" (June 19). In Pixar's new animated feature, a little girl is guided by her emotions — including Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Mindy Kaling).
"Big Game" (June 26). After Air Force One crashes in the rugged countryside of Finland, President Samuel L. Jackson battles the elements — and a gang of kidnappers in hot pursuit.
"Max" (June 26). A precision-trained military dog (whose handler is killed in Afghanistan) adjusts to life back home in the States in this family-friendly film.
"The Overnight" (June 26). A drama about two married couples dealing with parental challenges and sexual frustration. Taylor Schilling and Jason Schwartzman head the cast.
"Ted 2" (June 26). Mark Wahlberg and his titular foul-mouthed teddy bear reunite in writer-director Seth McFarlane's part live-action/part animated comedy sequel.
June TBD: Al Pacino and Holly Hunter in "Manglehorn"; the coming-of-age comedy-drama "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl"; the British romance "Testament of Youth."
JULY
"Magic Mike XXL" (July 1). Male strippers Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello return for "one last blow-out performance" in this sequel to the 2012 box-office hit.
"Terminator Genisys" (July 1). Arnold Schwarzenegger is back for this fifth installment in the sci-fi action series. John Connor (Jason Clarke) travels into the past to safeguard the future.
"Aloft" (July 7). In alternating storylines, Jennifer Connelly and Cillian Murphy portray a mother and son torn apart by tragedy, but brought back together by a journalist (Melanie Laurent).
"The Gallows" (July 10). Years after an accident caused the death of the lead actor in a high-school production, students at the same school remount the show — with ominous results.
"Minions" (July 10). Sandra Bullock, Michael Keaton and Jon Hamm lend their voices to a third entry in the "Despicable Me" animated series. In 3-D.
"Self/Less" (July 10). A psychological thriller with Ben Kingsley as a dying millionaire who undergoes a procedure that transfers his consciousness into the healthy body of Ryan Reynolds.
"10,000 Km" (July 10). A Spanish comedy-drama about a long-distance romance between two lovers (David Verdaguer, Natalia Tena) – one in Barcelona, the other in L.A.
"Ant-Man" (July 17). Paul Rudd plays the latest Marvel comic-book superhero, an ex-con with the power to shrink himself. Michael Douglas heads the supporting cast.
"Mr. Holmes" (July 17). Ian McKellen portrays an aging Sherlock Holmes, coming to terms with the end of his life. Laura Linney also appears, under the direction of Bill Condon.
"Paper Towns" (July 24). This romantic coming-of-age story, based on John Green's best-selling novel, follows a teen (Nat Wolff) as he searches for the missing girl next door (Cara Delevingne).
"Pixels" (July 24). Aliens mistake the video-feeds of a classic arcade game as a declaration of war in director Chris Columbus' action comedy, co-starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James.
"Southpaw" (July 24). A buff Jake Gyllenhaal is a down-on-his luck boxer with a shot at redemption in this drama, also featuring Forest Whitaker and Rachel McAdams.
"Trainwreck" (July 24). A romantic comedy from director Judd Apatow, with Amy Schumer as a free-spirited magazine writer who falls for sports doctor Bill Hader.
"The Gift" (July 31). Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall play a married couple whose life unravels after a chance encounter with an old acquaintance (Joel Edgerton, who also directs).
"Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" (July 31). Based on the 1960s TV show, Part 5 of this espionage franchise once again boasts Tom Cruise and a lot of stunts and special effects.
"Vacation" (July 31). A new generation of the Griswold family, led by Ed Helms and Christina Applegate, hit the road again in a reboot of the Chevy Chase "National Lampoon" comedies.
July TBD: The Amy Winehouse documentary "Amy"; Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana in "Infinitely Polar Bear"; the Irish historical drama "Jimmy's Hall."
AUGUST
"Dark Places" (Aug. 7). Charlize Theron stars as a woman forced to revisit a tragedy from her childhood in this drama adapted from the novel by Gillian Flynn. With Chloe Grace Moretz.
"Fantastic Four" (Aug. 7). Another version of the Marvel comic-book story about a band of superheroes, now played by Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell and Michael B. Jordan. In 3-D.
"Masterminds" (Aug. 7). Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis headline this action comedy about a multimillion-dollar heist gone wrong.
"Ricki and the Flash" (Aug. 7). Rock 'n' roll guitarist Meryl Streep reconciles with her estranged family in a comedy-drama written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jonathan Demme.
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." (Aug. 14). Guy Ritchie directs Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer in an action-packed espionage adventure inspired by the 1960s TV show. In Imax.
"Straight Outta Compton" (Aug. 14). A true story based on the meteoric rise and fall of the rap group N.W.A., produced by two of the group's original members, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.
"Underdogs" (Aug. 14). The toy figures from a foosball game table come to life to help save a village from a bully in this animated family film.
"Learning to Drive" (Aug. 21). Opposites attract in the form of Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson in a comedy about two strangers who meet at a crossroads in their lives.
"Criminal" (Aug. 21). The memories of a dead CIA operative are implanted into a death-row inmate in an action thriller co-starring Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman and Tommy Lee Jones.
"Sinister 2" (Aug. 21). A mother (Shannon Sossamon) and her twin sons (Robert and Dartanian Sloan) find themselves living in a rural haunted house.
"Hitman: Agent 47" (Aug. 21). A genetically engineered assassin (Rupert Friend) takes aim at an evil corporation with plans to unleash its own killing machines.
August TBD: "The Diary of a Teenage Girl," with Kristen Wiig; Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel in "End of the Tour"; Woody Allen's "Irrational Man," co-starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone; Jason Sudeikis in "Sleeping With Other People."
