Some of the biggest blockbusters of the season will look very familiar to moviegoers.For a complete list of the summer films, click here for a preview from our friends at TheMovieWaffler.com
X-Men: Apocalypse
Release date: May 27
Another of the year's big comic book adaptations sees Bryan Singer return to the world of the X-Men once again for this '80s set movie. Oscar Isaac plays the titular villain, a God-like mutant awakened from his slumber with the destruction of the planet on his mind. James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender and Jennifer Lawrence return to the roles of Professor X, Magneto and Mystique.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Release date: June 3
Megan Fox returns with her half-shell hero friends for this sequel to a movie we honestly forgot ever happened. The turtles must save New York from invaders from another dimension, while cult characters Bebop and Rocksteady make their first appearances.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Release date: May 27
Despite mixed reviews, Tim Burton's 2010 Alice in Wonderland raked in over a billion dollars at the global box office, so it's no surprise to see an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's sequel. Mia Wasikowska is back as Alice, as are Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter. A voice acting contribution makes this the late Alan Rickman's final movie.
The Conjuring 2
Release date: June 10
British TV fans will be familiar with the case of the Enfield haunting, subject of a recent ITV drama starring Timothy Spall, and it provides the basis of this sequel. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, taking on the English case in the '70s.
Warcraft
Release date: June 10
The cult game that's stolen countless hours from its many players' lives hits the big screen with Moon's Duncan Jones at the helm. When the first footage was released, the general reaction was one of shock at how much CG is on display - it appears to be for all intent and purpose, an animated feature. Paula Patton and Ben Foster star, though you wouldn't know it from what we've seen so far. Stock up on Mountain Dew.
Now You See Me 2
Release date: June 10
The 2013 magician caper was a surprise hit, and so here's a sequel. This time, Woody Harrelson's gang of magic misfits are forced to pull off a heist by a tech magnate, and must use their skills of illusion to clear their name. Daniel Radcliffe and Lizzy Kaplan join the cast.
Finding Dory
Release date: June 17
13 years after Pixar's hit Finding Nemo, Ellen DeGeneres returns to voice Dory, who sets off on a quest to find her family at the Monterey Marine life institute.
Independence Day: Resurgence
Release date: June 24
The nostalgia continues with a 20 years after sequel to Roland Emmerich's 1996 sci-fi blockbuster. Emmerich is back in the director's chair, as are stars Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, though Will Smith sits this one out in favour of Suicide Squad. The aliens are back, and in greater numbers, but will audiences make a similar return?
The Legend of Tarzan
Release date: July 1
Every few years we get another rendition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' tree-hugging hero, and they rarely make much of an impact at the box office. Starring Alexander Skarsgard in the title role, with Margot Robbie, Samuel L Jackson and Christoph Waltz also on board, this is the biggest budgeted version we've had yet, but are audiences really interested in a Tarzan movie in 2016?
Ghostbusters
Release date: July 15
No other mainstream summer release has stirred up as much of a backlash as Paul Feig's Ghostbusters reboot. Some fans are annoyed at the idea of their beloved movie being remade, while others are angry that it's been reworked for a female cast. Meanwhile, some have expressed outrage at the portrayal of Leslie Jones' character. The most important question is “Will it be funny?”, which remains to be seen.
Star Trek Beyond
Release date: July 22
Director Justin Lin takes over from JJ Abrams for this third episode in the newly rebooted Trek franchise. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew find themselves trapped on a hostile planet, battling a race of aliens led by a heavily made up Idris Elba.
Ice Age: Collision Course
Release date: July 22
The Ice Age franchise shows no sign of halting with this fifth installment, in which Scrat finds himself pursuing acorns in outer space. Ray Romano, John Leguizamo and Denis Leary all return.
Ben-Hur
Release date: August 19
Professional headache inducer Timur Bekmambetov directs this latest version of the tale of the Christ. Jack Huston steps into Charlton Heston's sandals.
Jason Bourne
Release date: July 29
Another belated sequel, arriving nine years after we last saw Matt Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum (though we did get the 2012 spinoff, The Bourne Legacy). Plot details have been kept under wraps, though Damon has hinted the film explores the “post Snowden world”. The ubiquitous Alicia Vikander co-stars, along with Tommy Lee Jones and Vincent Cassel.
