1. The Dark Knight - Opens July. 18.
Heath Ledger's Joker, a frightening, twisted nightmare version of Jack Nicholson's villain in 1988, already made Chris Nolan's sequel to "Batman Begins" gotta-seematerial. Following Ledger's apparent accidental drug overdose in January, this is the most anxiously awaitedmovie of the summer. Reportedly, Warner Bros. executives thought about editing a few of Ledger's scenes but wisely begged off.

2. Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull - May 22.
After a 19-year hiatus, can Harrison Ford, now 65, avoid "Raiders of the Lost AARP" jokes? Sure he can, if he's directed by Steven Spielberg and his movie is produced by George Lucas. The intrepid archaeologist returns in his fourth adventure, which premieres May 18 at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Cate Blanchett and Shia LaBeouf star.

3. The X-Files: I Want to Believe - Opens July 25.
The plot to this sequel to the 1998 "X-Files" movie (10 years have passed? Did we lose time?) is being kept secret. Good.Who wants the surprises spoiled anyway? FBI agentsMulder and Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson) return to investigate more weirdness under the direction of TV series guru Chris Carter. Series regular Mitch Pileggi returns.

4. Mamma Mia! - Opens July 18.
Can a Broadwaymusical based on songs by ABBA translate to the silver screen? CanMeryl Streep warble a tune worthy of a Broadway show, even if it is based on songs by ABBA? Hey, Streep can do anything! She plays the mother of a bride-tobe (Amanda Seyfriend), who invites three men (Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgard) to her wedding, hoping to find out which one is her father.

5. Pineapple Express - Opens Aug. 8.
Producer/ writer Judd ("Knocked Up") Apatow teams with director David Gordon Green, a quirky and critically acclaimed indie filmmaker. I can't wait to see what this talent combination produces. The title refers to a new, potent brand ofmarijuana that a stoner (Seth Rogen) drops at the scene of amurder he witnesses. Pandemonium ensues.

6. Iron Man - Opens May 2.
Marvel Comics' heavy-metal superhero suits up in his cinematic debut. Robert Downey Jr. stars as zillionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who fights villains despite his potentially fatal heart condition. What? Can't this guy afford a new ticker?

7. Sex and the City: The Movie - Opens May 30.
Those four sexually bold HBO pioneers (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall) jump to the silver screen. It will be interesting to see how these women have fared since their racy exploits on the small screen.What's next for the quartet? Menopause?

8. The Happening - Opens Aug. 8.
Will M. Night Shyamalan redeem himself for the creatively pillaged "TheVillage" and soggy "Lady in theWater"? He writes and directs a creepy tale of a family dealingwith amysterious threat. Let's hope it's not another rewarmed "Twilight Zone" plot.

9. Dark Matter - Opens May 16.
I'm interested in seeing this Chicago premiere of a controversial movie based on a 1991 shooting spree that killed five people at the University of Iowa. Meryl Streep and Aidan Quinn star in Chen Shi-Zheng's look at how the American dream goes sour for a foreign student. At Facets Multimedia.

10. Hellboy II: The Golden Army - Opens July 11.
This could be one of those rare sequels that puts its original to shame. When nastymythical creatures try to take over the world, Hellboy (Ron Perlman) and his crack teamof crack-ups go into action. Directed by "Pan's Labyrinth" creator Guillermodel Toro, sowe know it's going to be visually stunning and imaginative.