'Dark Knight Rises' to 'Battleship': 35 summer movies

Is that faint buzzing sound coming from the first mosquitoes of summer? Or from the upcoming swarm of heavily promoted blockbusters?

Either way, the noise will only get louder over the next few weeks as the summer movie season heats up. Last summer was Hollywood's hottest in five years, with May through Labor Day ticket sales totaling $4.3 billion, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. The main driver was the final "Harry Potter" installment, which accounted for almost 9 percent of the total, though hits like "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," "The Hangover Part II" and "Thor" also helped.

Already, a few movies look ready to dominate this summer. The top contender is "Marvel's The Avengers," which kick-starts the season May 4 and arrives with a fan base that Marvel has been building for years. Christopher Nolan's final Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises" (July 20), is another contender: The previous film crushed the competition in 2008, with a whopping 12.8 percent of all summer ticket sales. And don't forget "The Amazing Spider-Man" (July 3), which reboots the hugely popular franchise with Andrew Garfield in the title role.

If you're tiring of men in tights, take heart: There are several sci-fi films, from Ridley Scott's serious-looking "Prometheus" (June 8) to the lighthearted "Men in Black 3" (May 25); comedies like Sacha Baron Cohen's "The Dictator" (May 16) and the maternally minded "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (May 18); and even a handful of music movies, including the hair-band tribute "Rock of Ages" (June 15) and Whitney Houston's final film, "Sparkle" (Aug. 17).

Here are 35 movies making the biggest buzz this summer:

The last four years of superhero movies were just prequels to Joss Whedon's 3-D extravaganza, which teams up Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). (Also in IMAX.)

Director Tim Burton turns the 1960s supernatural soap opera into a Gothic comedy, with Johnny Depp as an antique vampire who awakes in 1972. With Chloë Grace Moretz and Helena Bonham Carter. (Also in IMAX)

An ensemble comedy inspired by the bestselling maternity-advice book. With Cameron Diaz, Chris Rock, Chace Crawford and Brooklyn Decker.

After a 10-year absence, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return as the sleek-suited secret agents J and K, this time dabbling in time travel. Josh Brolin plays the younger K. (Also in IMAX)

A serious twist on the fairy tale, starring Kristen Stewart in the sword-swinging title role, Chris Hemsworth as the huntsman and Charlize Theron as the evil queen.

The animated franchise edges toward spy-spoof territory, a tactic that sank Pixar's "Cars 2." But there's also a traveling circus in the plot. With the voices of Chris Rock and David Schwimmer.

Director Ridley Scott's return to "Alien" territory, already one of the year's most anticipated films, sends Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron screaming into space. Michael Fassbender plays the android. (Also in IMAX)

The film version of the hit play about the 1980s hair-band craze, starring Diego Boneta, Julianne Hough and Tom Cruise as Arsenal singer Stacee Jaxx. With music by Joan Jett, Twisted Sister and other favorites.

This action-horror film "explores the secret life of our greatest president, and the untold story that shaped our nation," according to 20th Century Fox. With Benjamin Walker as the 16th president.

Little is known about Woody Allen's latest, but the cast includes Alec Baldwin, Penélope Cruz, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig and Allen himself.

A doubleheader weekend for Tatum, who also stars in this comedy-drama inspired by his former life as a male stripper. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Perry returns as the grating granny Madea, this time giving shelter to a mob target (Eugene Levy). With Denise Richards.

So long, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. Andrew Garfield dons the stretchy suit and Emma Stone plays the love interest, Gwen Stacy, with villain duties going to Rhys Ifans as The Lizard. (Also in IMAX)

A concert film and biopic about the pop singer, reportedly inspired by Madonna's 1991 self-produced documentary "Truth or Dare." In 3-D.

Pangaea starts cracking in the fourth installment of this animated franchise about Mesozoic-era animals. With the voices of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and the usual gang. In 3-D.

The third and final chapter in Christopher Nolan's acclaimed superhero series pits Batman (Christian Bale) against Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) and the gas-masked Bane (Tom Hardy). With Marion Cotillard. (Also in IMAX)

A struggling young novelist (Paul Dano) is stunned when his newest female character comes to life. Zoe Kazan, granddaughter of Elia, wrote the script and plays the title role.

A clever title, since Matt Damon's Jason Bourne isn't in this one. Now our hero is Jeremy Renner as agent Aaron Cross. With Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton.

Zachary Gordon returns as Greg Heffley, this time livening up his summer by pretending to get a job at a swanky country club. With Devon Bostick and Steve Zahn.

A potentially topical comedy about a Southern congressman (Will Ferrell) running for re-election against a naive civil servant (Zach Galifianakis). Directed by Jay Roach ("Meet the Parents").

Married couple Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton ("Warrior") make a wish for their ideal child. Magically, he appears. Written by Ahmet Zappa (son of Frank).

In this 3-D stop-motion comedy-thriller, a haunted town seeks help from a young medium (voice of Kodi Smit-McPhee, of "The Road"). With John Goodman, Anna Kendrick and Casey Affleck.

A remake of the 1976 drama about singing sisters in the Motown era. Jordin Sparks plays the title role; Whitney Houston plays her mother. With Derek Luke, Mike Epps and Cee Lo Green.

And 10 more to keep in mind