15 Summer Blockbusters for 2009

Summer is right around the corner, but Hollywood no longer waits for the official start of the season to start rolling out the hit movies. Cinematic treats like Watchmen have already begun playing in theaters around the country, and they’ll soon be followed by a whole host of others. This list of 15 summer blockbusters for 2009 should have you covered all the way through August.

1. X-Men Origins: Wolverine – Hugh Jackman stars as everyone’s favorite indestructible mutant. In this solo project, we learn all about Wolverine’s past, especially his history with Sabretooth and his time with the ultra-secret Team X. Liev Schreiber is Sabretooth, Taylor Kitsch is Gambit, and Ryan Reynolds is Deadpool. You’ll also be treated to mutants like The Blob, plus a very young Cyclops. Scheduled for a May 1st, 2009 release in the United States.

2. Inglourious Basterds – After the financially disastrous Grindhouse, director Quentin Tarantino goes back to the drawing board with this World War II film. In German-occupied France, Shoshanna Dreyfus witnesses the death of her family and seeks revenge on the Nazi officer responsible. Meanwhile, Lt. Aldo Raine, an American soldier, puts together an elite all-Jewish group of Nazi fighters. Opens on August 21st, 2009 and stars Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, B. J. Novak, Diane Kruger, Mike Myers and Eli Roth.

3. G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra – The comic book and animated series finally gets a big screen adaptation. In this 2009 summer blockbuster, we’ll see the rise of Cobra, plus witness the G.I. Joe organization through the eyes of new recruits Duke (Channing Tatum) and Ripcord (Marlon Wayans). Opening on August 7th, 2009, the film boasts an excellent cast consisting of:

• Dennis Quaid as Hawk
• Rachel Nichols as Scarlett
• Ray Park as Snake Eyes
• Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Heavy Duty
• Saïd Taghmaoui as Breaker
• Karolína Kurková as Cover Girl
• Christopher Eccleston as James McCullen Destro XXIV / Destro
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Cobra Commander
• Sienna Miller as Baroness Anastasia DeCobray / The Baroness
• Lee Byung-hun as Storm Shadow
• Arnold Vosloo as Zartan

4. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – In the third film of the animated Ice Age series, all your favorite characters return to deal with dinosaurs who escaped extinction by living in a tropical region beneath the ice. Voice talents include Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah and John Leguizamo. Opens on July 1st, 2009.

5. Monsters vs. Aliens – The first animated film ever produced in true 3D, it stars the voice talents of Seth Rogen, Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Kiefer Sutherland and Stephen Colbert. When Susan Murphy is hit by a meteor, she grows to 49 feet and 11 inches tall. Soon after, she’s captured and studied by the U.S. military. With other bizarre monsters and freaks around her, things don’t look too promising for the former housewife. But when an alien overlord demands that Earth surrender to him, Susan and her new friends are called upon to save the world. Opens on March 27th, 2009.

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Harry and pals are back once again to battle the evil Lord Voldemort. As things build towards a climax, Harry is prepared for the final battle by Dumbledore, and the students of Hogwarts must also deal with their raging hormones. Opens on July 17th, 2009 and stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton and Helen McCrory.

7. Public Enemies – Opening on July 1st, 2009, Public Enemies tells the story of bank robber John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) and FBI agent Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale). Michael Mann will direct, and the film also stars Marion Cotillard and Channing Tatum.

8. Star Trek – J.J. Abrams, the man behind such hits as Lost and Cloverfield, attempts to resurrect the Star Trek franchise for a whole new generation. We meet the crew of the USS Enterprise during their days in Starfleet Academy, and we’ll also follow them into space to battle the evil Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan who has traveled from the future. The cast includes Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), Simon Pegg (Scotty), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), and Leonard Nimoy (older Spock). Opening on May 8th, it should be among the top 15 summer blockbusters for 2009.

9. Angels & Demons – In the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is called upon by the Vatican to solve a murder involving the symbol of the Illuminati. Of course, this leads to an even larger plot, and Langdon must try to save four cardinals and St. Peter’s Basilica. Ron Howard is back to direct. Also starring Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer and Stellan Skarsgard. Opens in the U.S. on May 15th, 2009.

10. Terminator Salvation – When is comes to the 15 summer blockbusters for 2009, Terminator Salvation may be the one film which rises above all the rest. Opening on May 21st, 2009, Christian Bale will take over the role of John Conner, a man destined to lead humanity back from the brink of annihilation. Acting as both a sequel and prequel, it also stars Sam Worthington, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard, Moon Bloodgood, Common, Helena Bonham Carter, Roland Kickinger, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

11. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – Museum guard Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) must spring into action when his favorite talking exhibits are accidentally shipped off to the Smithsonian. The cast includes Dick Van Dyke, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, Ricky Gervais. Brad Garrett, Bill Hader and Steve Coogan. Opens on May 22nd, 2009.

12. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – In this sequel, Sam Witwicky learns about the history of the Transformers on Earth (including visits before the pyramids were built), and the Decepticons attempt to capture him for information. And, yes, Megan Fox will be returning. Opening on June 26th, 2009, the film will star Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, and the voices of Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving and Mark Ryan.

13. Fast & Furious – The 4th film in the Fast and the Furious franchise, this one takes place between the second and third movies. Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster are all returning to reprise their roles from the first film. When Dom Toretto (Diesel) returns to L.A., he once again comes into conflict with his old nemesis, agent Brian O’Connor (Walker). But soon, the pair are forced to work together against a common foe. Opens on April 3rd, 2009.

14. Land of the Lost – In this remake of the television show from the 1970s, Will Farrell plays an archeologist who becomes stranded in an ancient world filled with dinosaurs and sinister reptilian creatures. Also stars Danny McBride, Anna Friel and Jorma Taccone. Opens on June 5th, 2009. While I expect this one to be pretty silly, I also imagine it’ll be one of the top 15 summer blockbusters for 2009.

15. Up – This animated film from Pixar follows the adventures of a cranky old man and his floating house. Features the voices of Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai and John Ratzenberger. Opens on May 29th, 2009.

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