Summer is almost here, and that means planning to spend at least one Saturday every weekend in a nice air-conditioned movie theater from now until September.

This weekend, it’s Speed Racer. This live-action take on the classic cartoon will have you saying, wow! All done with digital backgrounds and green screen work, there’s nothing Speed and his pals can’t do. Colorful, action packed and loads of fun — it’s the definitive “popcorn” flick.

Come May 16, it’s The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. The Prince (Ben Barnes) sets out on a quest to defeat the king and claim his rightful place on the throne, but you can bet it won’t be an easy task. Great storytelling, a strong fantasy tie-in, and gorgeous visuals will makes this one worth seeing (and ficcing about afterward!)

The last week of May goes to that adventurer for all-time, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Okay, so it’s been awhile since Indy donned his hat and went off in search of. . . but he hasn’t lost any of his charm. I predict a flurry of fics exploring the relationship between Indy and Mutt (Shia La Beouf), and then there’s the charming but deadly Agent Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett). I can see the romantic entanglements now. Indy, my boy, we’ve missed you.

In June, it’s yet another Incredible Hulk film. Edward Norton takes on Bruce Banner, and he’s close to finding a cure for his Hulkamania — but wait! There’s an even more dangerous creature on the horizon, The Abomination, and he may be more than even The Hulk can handle. Liv Tyler co-stars, and watch out for some fun cameos from other familiar faces. But will this Hulk capture the hearts of fan ficcers when the last incarnation left them cold? We shall see.

In July, the third superhero movie of the summer hits the big screen with Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman have created a movie that’s a little to the left of mainstream comic flicks, but it might just end up being the big winner of the summer. It’s truly “Hell on Earth” when an army of creatures is unleashed by a ruthless leader from the underworld. Great visuals, more emotion than most, and a deep-sense of character — that’s what sets Hellboy apart. Just ask ePalladino.

On July 18, Batman: The Dark Knight picks up some months after Batman Begins left off. Christian Bale returns as Bruce Wayne, and he’s even darker and moodier than ever before. If that isn’t heavy enough for you, add on the fact that this is Heath Ledger’s last big screen performance and that he was inspired by A Clockwork Orange and Sid Vicious. Yeah, this isn’t your father’s Batman, that’s for sure. Ledger’s involvement will likely bring an audience that might not have seen the film otherwise, and that’s going to translate into huge box office dollars. Will it translate on to the page? Fan ficcers have generally been enamored with films that have larger-than-life characters drawn into dark themes — sounds like The Dark Knight fits the bill.

In a summer just loaded with franchises that haven’t seen the light of day in awhile, you have The X-Files returning to the big screen on July 25. A bit rusty on your Mulder/Scully lore? Don’t worry about. Word is this movie will stand alone, though I imagine you’ll enjoy it more if you were a fan the first time around. And about that kissing sequence caught on film by movie stalkers. . . Chris Carter claims it was staged as a way of faking out the fans. Or, it could be the old double fake-out, and it really is true? Either way, you know this is going to cause a revival in The X-Files fandom, so dust off those UFOlogy books and finish that story you started back in 1994.

And speaking of the franchise that wouldn’t die, Brendan Fraser and (some of the) gang return in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, coming to theaters this August. This time, it’s off to China so they can make good use of co-star Jet Li. Joining Rick on his quest will be his son Alex, who’s a lot more grown-up since we last saw him. Jonathan is back, and Evy is too, but granted she’ll look a bit different. (Word is Rachel Weisz balked at being the mother of a grown son.) Full of action, comedy and excitement, the new father / son dynamic of this film should give fanficcers plenty to write about. And kudos to the first person who writes a story explaining why Evy doesn’t look like Evy anymore.

So there you have it, plenty of action, drama, laughs, and suspense — and that’s just the ride to the movie theater! Tell us, which summer flick are you most looking forward to and which ones will inspire you to write, vid, or draw?

Have fun at the movies. We look forward to seeing what you come up with.