“Harry Potter” 8, “Transformers” 3, “Pirates of the Caribbean” 4, “X-Men” 5,”Cars 2,” a handful of comic book flicks — this summer looks a lot like the last few summers. How Hollywood can keep some of these franchises going is anyone’s guess — they can’t make J.K. Rowling write a new Harry Potter book, after all. Yet even those moviegoers not particularly interested in explosions and computer-generated images (and, yes, there are a few) have some films to look forward to during the dog days of summer. Woody Allen isn’t the only director providing some food for thought amid the popcorn this season … A laugh a minute
‘The Hangover Part II’
Opens: May 26
The names: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms
The story: The unlikely trio of friends get together for Stu’s (Helms) wedding, and again wake up with amnesia, a strange animal and a missing member of the wedding party.
The prediction: Even former President Clinton is interested — he stopped by the set while he was in Thailand to deliver a speech.
The bottom line: How do you top the top-grossing R-rated comedy of all time? The trailer didn’t look nearly as funny as the first film — but Warner Bros. has a lot riding on the film’s success.
‘Bad Teacher’
Opens: June 24
The names: Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake, Jason Segel
The story: The beautiful blonde is one naughty educator, enjoying booze and pot in the classroom.
The prediction: Audiences are eager to see Diaz in another comedy like her 1998 hit “There’s Something About Mary.”
The bottom line: Real-life exes Diaz and Timberlake play a couple of teachers, with the guy who brought sexy back putting on a pair of specs to get geeky.
‘Friends With Benefits’
Opens: July 22
The names: Justin Timberlake, Mila Kunis
The story: The same as “No Strings Attached” — except they’re co-workers, not friends.
The prediction: Nothing new to see here. Except perhaps some of Timberlake’s body parts.
The bottom line: This R-rated film is apparently so steamy, it was blamed for the breakup of Timberlake’s relationship with Jessica Biel.
‘The Change-Up’
Opens: Aug. 5
The names: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds
The story: An R-rated “Freaky Friday.”
The prediction: The conceit — married Bateman changes bodies with philanderer Reynolds — is old, but with the scribes of “The Hangover” and David Dobkin, the director of “Wedding Crashers,” this could actually be funny.
The bottom line: Bateman is a sorely underused comic actor, while Reynolds keeps getting bigger and bigger — recall he also plays the Green Lantern this summer.
Family-friendly
‘Kung Fu Panda 2’
Opens: May 26
The names: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Gary Oldman
The story: Panda Po (the voice of Black) and the Furious Five (Jolie and others) must protect kung fu — and the world — when a peacock voiced by Oldman develops a weapon that could destroy the martial art.
The prediction: The original 2008 animated film was a box office smash — and this one’s in 3-D.
The bottom line: Just in case Black, Jolie, Jackie Chan and Seth Rogen in the cast don’t bring the kids and their parents back, producers have added new names, including Jean-Claude Van Damme and Danny McBride.
‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins’
Opens: June 17
The names: Jim Carrey, Carla Gugino, Angela Lansbury
The story: Based on the 1938 children’s classic, this adaptation stars Jim Carrey as a real estate developer who’s — surprise, surprise — lost his soul. The penguins are a gift meant to help him get it back.
The prediction: Carrey isn’t the big draw he once was — but audiences are always willing to give him a second (and third and fourth …) chance.
The bottom line: Probably another retread of “Ace Ventura,” but more family-friendly.
‘Cars 2’
Opens: June 24
The names: Owen Wilson, Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, Larry the Cable Guy
The story: Lighting McQueen (voiced by Wilson) travels the globe as he competes in the World Grand Prix, while best bud Mater, a tow truck, is mistaken for a spy by two Brits.
The prediction: Has there every been a Disney-Pixar film that wasn’t a megahit?
The bottom line: Michael Caine in an animated film about anthropomorphic vehicles? He sounds great, but shouldn’t the legend be a bit more choosy?
‘The Smurfs’
Opens: July 29
The names: Neil Patrick Harris, Hank Azaria, Jayma Mays
The story: The animated favorites come to life — sort of — in this mix of live action and CGI. Gargamel (Azaria) and the Smurfs get sucked into a portal that leads them straight to present-day New York City.
The prediction: Who doesn’t love the Smurfs? The problem is, this time, the blue creatures seem less innocent in a more sophisticated animated form.
The bottom line: Television stars Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Mays (“Glee”) take a chance on a film that could be fun — or truly awful.
‘Our Idiot Brother’
Opens: Aug. 26
The names: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer, Zooey Deschanel
The story: Slacker Rudd camps out on the couches of his sisters after being arrested buying marijuana.
The prediction: Rudd is rarely in anything that’s not funny.
The bottom line: Director Jesse Peretz — surprisingly — compares his film with those of Woody Allen and Alexander Payne. Those are big shoes to fill.
Action-packed
‘X-Men: First Class’
Opens: June 3
The names: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon, January Jones
The story: How Charles Xavier became Professor X.
The prediction: Fans of the X-Men series should flock to this prequel, in which McAvoy plays a younger, more excitable version of the character created by Patrick Stewart.
The bottom line: McAvoy has even more charisma and class than Stewart. Though how many young fans have even heard of the Cuban Missile Crisis that his character helps resolve?
‘Super 8’
Opens: June 10
The names: The only one you need to know is director J.J. Abrams.
The story: The co-creator of “Lost” and director of the “Star Trek” reboot combines his love of film and his love of the otherworldly in this genre film about youngsters in a Midwestern town who witness creatures from Area 51 break free one night while they film a movie.
The prediction: J.J. Abrams’ name on anything is enough to make it sell.
The bottom line: With the mix of aliens and a childhood of another time, it sounds like “Close Encounters” meets “Stand By Me.”
‘Green Lantern’
Opens: June 17
The names: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Tim Robbins
The story: The DC Comics superhero was created in 1940 — and just gets his first live-action feature now.
The prediction: With “Thor” already a smash and “Captain America” to come, will audiences tire of yet another comic book movie? Doubtful. And this one has Canadian hunk Reynolds in the skin-tight costume.
The bottom line: Think comic meets sci-fi meets James Bond: “Casino Royale” director Martin Campbell is at the helm.
‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’
Opens: July 1
The names: Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
The story: Autobots vs. Decepticons. In 3-D.
The prediction: Box office gold.
The bottom line: Fans will miss the incomparable Megan Fox. But the trailer indicates huge explosions, and new robots will keep them happy in this third installment of the series based on the toys.
‘Captain America: The First Avenger’
Opens: July 22
The names: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones
The story: Another period superhero movie, this time based on the Marvel property about a World War II all-American.
The prediction: Every comic book fan I know is eagerly awaiting this one.
The bottom line: This film didn’t even need the real-life American action triumph of killing Osama bin Laden to make piles of dollars. But it shouldn’t hurt.
‘Cowboys & Aliens’
Opens: July 29
The names: Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde
The story: A sci-fi Western? This is why director Jon Favreau turned down “Iron Man 3”?
The prediction: Audiences will go in expecting a hybrid comedy, but Favreau plays it straight, playing with the purest elements of both genres.
The bottom line: A sci-fi Western? Yeah, but it’s a sci-fi Western with James Bond and Indiana Jones — not to mention the brainy, beautiful actress from “House.”
‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’
Opens: Aug. 5
The names: James Franco, Freida Pinto, Andy Serkis
The story: How did those apes get so damned intelligent?
The prediction: Andy Serkis, who plays the leader of the ape uprising, has already portrayed an ape before: He was King Kong in the 2005 film. Expect much more believable apes than Charlton Heston faced 40 years ago.
The bottom line: This prequel to “The Planet of the Apes” — which already had sequels and a reboot — is like a “Spartacus” for the animal kingdom.
The best of the rest
‘Midnight in Paris’
Opens: May 20
The names: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen
The story: Woody Allen visits the City of Light in darkness, as Wilson walks the streets at night, torn between his love for fiancee McAdams and the artists she doesn’t care about, who once made Paris their home.
The prediction: The youngish cast might draw a wider audience than just the film-a-year Allen’s devoted fans.
The bottom line: This is Allen’s funniest film in years — and a love letter to the country whose people are some of his biggest fans.
‘Tree of Life’
Opens: May 27
The names: Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, Sean Penn
The story: Penn plays a man who reflects on his 1950s childhood under a domineering father (Pitt) and selfless mother (Chastain).
The prediction: Pitt and Penn might bring a box office boost. But audiences unfamiliar with filmmaker Terrence Malick will be taken aback by long stretches of wordless images in between the coming-of-age story.
The bottom line: When the film opened at Cannes, audiences booed. Never mind the French — this is a beautiful film, albeit one that requires a fair amount of patience to watch.
‘Larry Crowne’
Opens: July 1
The names: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts
The story: Hanks directs himself in this feel-good film about a middle-age guy who goes to college after he’s laid off. Roberts is the pessimistic professor who mentors him.
The prediction: “Charlie Wilson’s War” showed that these two America’s sweethearts know how to have fun together on-screen.
The bottom line: Hanks co-wrote the script (with “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” star Nia Vardalos) based on his own experience attending junior college with an eclectic assortment of students.
‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’
Opens: July 15
The names: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint
The story: The boy wizard becomes a man in the last installment of the insanely popular franchise.
The prediction: Did we mention this was the final film in the insanely popular franchise?
The bottom line: The end of the saga will be a roller-coaster ride. And not just emotionally — except more action than in the previous Potter films.
‘Fright Night’
Opens: Aug. 19
The names: Colin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Toni Collette
The story: A remake of the 1985 horror film about a vampire who moves next door.
The prediction: Written with tongue in cheek by Marti Noxon, who worked on”Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” expect just as many laughs as thrills.
The bottom line: Remember when Colin Farrell was the next big thing?
‘The Debt’
Opens: Aug. 31
The names: Helen Mirren, Ciaran Hinds, Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, Tom Wilkinson
The story: Chastain is a younger version of Mirren’s character — and Worthington of Hinds’s — in this remake of an Israeli thriller about a Mossad operation to find a Nazi doctor in 1966 East Berlin, and the mission’s repercussions 30 years later.
The prediction: “Shakespeare in Love” director John Madden knows his mysteries — and his Brits. He previously worked with Mirren on the “Prime Suspect” series.
The bottom line: With its pedigreed cast — including “Tree of Life” actress Chastain — and a heart-pounding story, “The Debt” is one of the few thinking flicks of the summer.
