The summer is a time for beaches, long nights outdoors and summer blockbuster films. Here is a rundown of what you can expect to see this summer and what you may want to miss.

In May, things get to a good start with the much anticipated superhero film “The Avengers” starring Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Scarlet Johanssen, Samuel Jackson and Chris Evans.  This film isalready  having  positive openings overseas, and will most likely do the same here.

Johnny Depp and director Tim Burton return to the big screen along with Michelle Pfieffer and Helena Bonham Carter in a remake of a popular and cultish 1970s television show “Dark Shadows.”

Bad boy Sasha Baron Cohen (“Borat”) is joined by Anna Faris and John C. Reilly in “The Dictator,” and Will Smith will try to breathe life back into the “Men in Black” franchise with a third installment. Joining him is Tommy Lee Jones, Emma Thompson and Josh Brolin.

June gets started off with “Mirror, Mirror’s” rival “Snow White and the Huntsman” starring Charlize Theron and Kristen Stewart. This film will be more on the dramatic side.

Summer wouldn’t be complete without some kind of beach terror making us wonder just what may be out there. For those willing to waste their money, “Piranha 3DD” comes to theatres starring mainly unknowns and one actor, David Hasselhoff, that you wish was unknown.

“Prometheus,” a Ridley Scott film starring Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson and Michael Fassbender seems to be a prequel of sorts to the popular Alien films. The lid on this one has been closed pretty tight which can mean only one of two things; it’s either really bad, or really good.

“Rock of Ages,” based on the Broadway hit, has an all-star cast including Alec Baldwin, Julianne Hough, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand and yes, Tom Cruise, — and he sings. With other musicals making big news on the big screen, such as “Dreamgirls” and “Chicago,” director Adam Shankman is hoping for the same success with his film.

Rounding out the month is Pixar’s “Brave,” with the vocal talents of Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Julie Walters, as well as Steven Soderbergh’s “Magic Mike” starring Channing Tatum.

July looks pretty sparse, and that could be due to “The Amazing Spider-man” with Andrew Garfield and “The Dark Knight” with Christian Bale both opening this month. Who would want to open against those films? Whether they are good or not isn’t the issue, they both have established a following and will surely do quite well since both openings are anticipated.

August will give us a few tasty morsels with the Bourne franchise being “reborn” in “The Bourne Legacy” starring Jeremy Renner in the lead role instead of Matt Damon. Also releasing is the remake of Arnold Shwarzenegger’s “Total Recall,” starring Colin Farrell, and “The Expendables 2,” starring Sylvester Stallone, Claude Van Damme, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Bruce Willis and Arnold himself.

The last film that Whitney Houston made will hit the big screen in August as well. It’s called “Sparkle,” and is a remake of the 1970s musical of the same name. Touted as being her big comeback film, most will want to see it now due to her untimely demise.

Whatever you chose to see this summer, there is plenty out there to take you out of the heat and away from life, even if for only a few hours.