With summer blockbuster season off to a promising start here are some of 2023’s biggest releases

But there’s plenty more to come, with superheroes, action stars, a real-life Barbie and even Indiana Jones making a return to the big screen.

Here are some of the big releases coming to cinemas this summer.

Fast X(May 19)

Expect lots of action, glamour and — of course — death-defying car chases in the second last movie in the Fast and Furious series. Against massive odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his fast ‘family’ have driven off many a foe. But this movie sees them come up against their most lethal enemy yet. Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster are among the returning cast.

The Little Mermaid(May 26)

Director Rob Marshall (Chicago) is the high-profile charge for Disney’s latest live-action adaptation of its own animated classic. It tells the story of the spirited Ariel, who ventures out to see what exists beyond her world and in doing so falls for the handsome Prince Eric. Pop star Halle Bailey has been given the coveted role of Ariel, while supporting cast includes Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June 2)

Sony’s sequel to its well-received 2018 hit returns in animation form and is set in a shared multiverse of alternate universes. The sassy Miles Morales returns to join forces with Gwen Stacey and a whole new team of spider-people as introduced in the previous film. The voice cast includes Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld and Oscar Isaac.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts(June 9)

If you thought the Autobots and Decepticons were colourful enough in battle, wait until you meet the Maximals. Set in the 1990s, the Transformers are set to clash again in a blockbuster set across several global locations. Pete Davidson, Anthony Ramos and Michelle Yeoh are among the cast.

The Flash (June 16)

Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck head the cast of this upcoming superhero movie based around the DC comic-book character of the same name.

The story revolves around Barry Allen, whose superpowers enable him to change the events of the past. But when he accidentally alters the future, he finds himself trapped in a world where dark forces rule and there are no superheroes to turn to.

No Hard Feelings (June 23)

The trailer promises lots of raunchy comedy from Jennifer Lawrence in her latest leading role. The comedy sees her play the straight-talking Maddie, who is not shy in the bedroom department. Faced with bankruptcy, she takes on an unusual job — to ‘date’ the intensely shy and introverted son of a wealthy couple.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny(June 30)

Harrison Ford is joined by a starry cast including Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Antonio Banderas in the latest movie in the iconic action series. It centres on the daredevil archaeologist as he joins forces with his goddaughter to retrieve a valuable dial — only to have to square off against a former Nazi, now working for NASA.

Elemental(July 7)

The magic-makers at Pixar bring audiences a new animated story set in a place called Element City. There, fire, water, land and air residents co-exist peacefully. But when two very different characters click, it challenges their beliefs about their community.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, Part 1(July 14)

The Mission: Impossible films have always combined brilliant action and stuntwork with a sense of mischief and fun. Tom Cruise again joins forces with action director Christopher McQuarrie for the latest in the series, one of two MI movies shot back-to-back. The Cruiser’s gravity defying Ethan Hunt will be up to all sorts of mayhem, joined by sidekicks Simon Pegg and Rebecca Ferguson.

Barbie(July 21)

Following its trailer that went viral, anticipation is huge for this movie from director Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women) that brings the iconic doll to the big screen. The casting of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken only adds to the intrigue about this movie and the approach it will take. The premise so far? Barbie is expelled from Barbieland for being a less-than-perfect doll, and sets off to navigate the human world.

Oppenheimer(July 21)

Our own Cillian Murphy plays the title character in Christopher Nolan’s eagerly anticipated historical drama, his first since Dunkirk. The Irish actor — who is a dead ringer for the scientist — will play the man known as “the father of the atomic bomb”. Two atomic bombs were dropped by US forces on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, killing hundreds of thousands of people and effectively bringing the six-year conflict to an end. J Robert Oppenheimer was the leader of a core group who developed the bombs.

Gran Turismo (August 11)

The hugely successful gaming series comes to the big screen in a movie directed by Neill Blomkamp (District 9). The film is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills led him to take on a series of Nissan competitions to become a professional racecar driver.