Showbits

May is behind us, and though the year's fifth month often marks the commencement of the summer blockbuster season, this year it may have also been the industry's apex. I say this not to disregard what's still to come — for example, fans of the TV series see great promise in a new trailer for The Incredible Hulk — but more to highlight the succession of big-name, big-budget films that have already graced the silver screen: Iron Man, Speed Racer, Prince Caspian, and Indiana Jones.

It's a trend that looks likely to continue, as the schedules for future Mays are already filling with release dates. Here's what we can look forward to in 2009:

• 5/1: Wolverine (prequel to X-Men)
  
• 5/8: Star Trek XI
  
• 5/15: Angels and Demons (prequel to The Da Vinci Code)
  
• 5/22: Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins (aka T4)
  

Those are four powerful franchises in quick succession, giving geeks galore something to salivate over. (Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, originally slated for May 2009, has been pushed back to 26-Jun-09.)

And according to ComingSoon.net, two of last month's films already have their sequels pencilled in: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is still scheduled for May 7, 2010, only a week after Iron Man 2."

Note that the movies listed for May 2008, 2009, and 2010 are all based on existing properties — the same comment I previously made on almost the entire summer 2008 lineup. Not that that's a bad thing, but is there nothing new under the sun?

Tags: Iron Man, Iron Man 2, May, Narnia, Price Caspian, sequels, summer, Voyage of the Dawn Treader

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