Well, summer is almost upon us and it’s that time of year where pundits and idiots like myself start looking at the studios’ summer release schedules, trying to figure out which blockbuster will out bust the other blockbusters.

Last year was a rather bland summer with the films from the strike-era greenlight frenzy stinking up the megaplexes. This year, Hollywood has poured a ton of money (and somewhat less thought) into this summer’s big films and they are expecting some good returns. May looks like a promising start with Sony’s “Spiderman” and Fox’s “Star Wars 2” expected to be huge summer films. The race for the highest gross of the summer starts here.

Likewise, the tentpole weekend of July 4th looks to be huge with the second film in Sony’s “Men in Black” franchise to be unleashed on an eager crowd. Meanwhile, the WB looks to scrape up some of the money on the table with the feature film featuring The Cartoon Network’s hunnies, “The Powerpuff Girls.” Hmm… The Men vs. The Girls. Interesting.

There’s as many good films coming out as bad but the calendar is jammed with those that look like really big breadwinners. New Line’s “Austin Powers 3” could outgross Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” Fox’s “Minority Report,” Warner’s “Scooby Doo” or Dreamworks’ Jackie Chan vehicle “The Tuxedo.” Then again, audiences could be fed-up with Myers’ gap-toothed antics and flock to something newer and more different. Of course, with no less than 7 sequels coming out this summer, the chance of finding something new and unique is pretty slim.

Meanwhile, looking good to pick up a nice chunk of change is Universal’s Matt Damon property “The Bourne Identity,” Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan in “The Sum of All Fears,” and Adam Sandler’s “Mr. Deeds.” Then again, these are remakes and sequels that could just as easily belly-flop in the summer heat.

And finally, there are those smaller films that could turn out to be surprises like Dreamworks’ animated “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron;” MGM’s long delayed “Windtalkers;” Lil Bow Wow emulating b-baller Jordan in “Like Mike;” Harrison Ford’s nuclear “K-19;” the not-so-small sequel “Stuart Little 2;” The creepy, crawly “8 Legged Freaks;” M. Night Shyamalan’s “Signs” (with Mel Gibson in the Bruce Willis mode); Vin Diesel’s “XXX;” Robert Rodriguez’s crafty “Spy Kids 2;” Eddie Murphy’s out-of-this-world “Pluto Nash” or the Andrew Niccol in-joke on the industry, “S1mone” with Al Pacino and a CGI lead actress.

So, here’s a more detailed look, on a month-by-month basis, at some of these films we will probably see trotted out this summer:

May:

Sure bets: Spiderman, Star Wars 2

Sure losers: The New Guy, Undercover Brother, Deuces Wild

Alternatives:

Woody Allen’s “Hollywood Ending”

Merchant/Ivory’s “Mystic Masseur”

Roman Coppola’s “CQ”

Rupert Everett doing Oscar Wilde (again) in “The Importance of Being Earnest”

Cute blonde Ryan Gosling stars as a Jew who becomes a Neo-Nazi (presumably filled with self-hate) in “The Believers”

Austin’s favorite son Matthew Maconaughey in the NYC set “13 Conversations about One Thing”

And what’s left?

Unfaithful – Stars Richard Gere in a dark thriller directed by Adrian Lyne. Its early release in May could help it get a head start on other summer films. Then again, it kinda looks like “Mothman Prophecies 2.”

Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron – The animation in this film looks awesome but Dreamworks nearly dropped the ball with an early trailer that featured way too much narration. The most recent trailer is a lot better. This is one of those films that should attract as many adults as kids for its beauty. Sure, it’s aimed at young ladies but it comes out 2 months before “Powerpuff Girls.”

About a Boy – Hugh Grant in a comedy about a ladies man who dates single mom’s because they are easy prey. His plans change when he gets charmed by one of the mom’s young son. From the producers of “Brigit Jones’s Diary.” Grant is not capable of pulling off a revenue-generating lead role in my book.

Insomnia – Remake of the European thriller with Deniro as a cop and Robin Williams cast against type as the bad guy. Did anyone see “Death to Smoochy?” We want Williams all warm and snuggly. The lack of success of this film (which will continue with his eerie turn in “One Hour Photo”) should make Williams give up the Jim Carrey ideal and return to comedies.

Enough – J-Lo in a film by Michael Apted.

The Sum of All Fears – Ben Affleck takes over for Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan in this series of films based on Tom Clancey’s books.

June:

Sure bets: Scooby Doo, Lilo and Stitch, Minority Report

Sure losers: (tough call) Bad Company, Pumpkin, Slap Her She’s French, Crocodile Hunter, Juwanna Man

Alternatives:

“Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood”

“Cinema Paradiso” (director’s cut rerelease)

“Dangerous Life of Altar Boys”

John Sayle’s “Sunshine State”

And what’s left?

Mr. Deed’s – Adam Sandler is in a real slump. This one is iffy at best.

The Boune Identity – Matt Damon in a remake directed by “Go” helmer Doug Liman. Looks sleek and promising, but Damon is not a guaranteed grosser. Look for a big promotional push.

The Tuxedo – Jackie Chan turns into a super-hero when he puts on evening wear. This one seems like a sure thing except for the fact that Dreamworks has moved it around their schedule for a year now. I wouldn’t put it past them to move it again.

Windtalkers – WWII is so over.

Hey Arnold – The Nickelodeon toon gets feature treatment. Lilo and Stitch will kick it’s big football-shaped ass. Still, a big favorite with the tykes.

Love and a Bullet – Action film with Trech of Naughty by Nature.

July:

Sure bets: Men in Black 2, Stewart Little 2, Austin Powers 3, Powerpuff Girls, Like Mike

Sure losers: Blue Crush, The Country Bears, Jackass: The Movie

Alternatives:

Jill Clayburgh and Jeffrey Tambor in the mature romantic comedy “Never Again”

The Manchester music scene biopic “24 Hour Party People” with actors portraying bands like Joy Division and The Smiths.

Sigourney Weaver with a (really) younger guy in “Tadpole”

Neil LeBute’s “Posession”

And what’s left?

8 Legged Freaks – Anyone remember “Mars Attacks?” This one is about giant spiders but the campy comedy is still intact. It stars David Arquette and Kari Wuhrer. Enuff said?

Reign of Fire – Christian Bale and Austinite Matthew Maconaughey team up to fight dragons in the post-war future in this film directed by “X-Files” alum Rob Bowman.

Road to Perdition – Tom Hanks is cast against type in this look at a 1930’s hitman out for revenge. Directed by “American Beauty” helmer Sam Mendes. Dreamworks has held this back for quite a while. Will audiences accept Hanks as a flawed man? I can’t wait to see this film.

Barber Shop – Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer as barbers in Chicago whose shop is the hub of the community. When a reward is offered for information on a recent robbery, the barbers use their skills of deduction as well as local gossip from customers to try and figure it all out.

Halloween 8 – For the sake of all that is holy, Wasn’t seven enough?

K-19 – Based on a real incident, a Russian nuclear sub captain must figure out how to keep his machine’s core from having a meltdown without, you know, having a meltdown. Surely cooler heads prevail. Unfortunately this title reminds me of “K2,” not a good thing.

August:

(Look for many of these films to move out of August)

Sure bets: Signs, XXX, Spy Kids 2

Sure losers: Pluto Nash, Master of Disguise, A Guy Thing, Madison

Alternatives:

Steven Soderberg’s free-form “Full Frontal” (a supposed sequel to “Sex, Lies and Videotape”)

“Skins” from the director of “Smoke Signals”

“Igby Goes Down” with Keiran Culkin

The rape documentary “Raw Deal: A Question of Consent.”

And what’s left?

Drumline – College band (like the kind that plays at half-time) culture-clash comedy with urbanite drummer Nick Cannon (of Snick-TV fame) recruited by a Southern school.

The Good Girl – Jennifer Aniston sleeps with young Jake Gyllenhaal, who thinks he’s Holden Caufield of “Catcher in the Rye.” Donnie Darko goes to college.

Swimfan – This name may change. Then again, it may not. Fox can’t make up it’s mind. A teenage “Fatal Attraction.”

S1mone – Andrew Niccol (“Gattaca”) film where down-and-out producer Robert Deniro tries to use a CGI actress. She, of course, becomes a huge star. The title may just be the simpler “Simone.” Get it? Simone… Sim-One. Okay, the computer geeks get it.

Serving Sara – Process server Matthew Perry goes on a road trip with Elizabeth Hurley. He doesn’t really need a reason to does he? In this plot, however, he is going to Texas with her to serve her husband divorce papers. From the director of “House Party” and “Ladies Man!”

They – Horror film about a girl’s childhood demons actually coming to life. Hey, “Jeepers Creepers” did okay in August.

Blood Work – Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this mystery about an ex-FBI agent looking for the killer of the girl whose heart was transplanted in his body. Sort of “Return to Me” meets “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” And if you got those references, you’re in the minority.

With this in mind, here’s my guesses for the 11 biggest films of the summer (which I guesstimate will gross over 100 big ones) and what they’ll gross in millions:

1. Star Wars – 321. 2 OFFICIAL SITE

Spiderman – 276 .3 OFFICIAL SITE

Men in Black 2 – 237. 4 OFFICIAL SITE

Austin Powers 3 – 208. 5 OFFICIAL SITE

Scooby Doo – 149. 6 OFFICIAL SITE

The Sum of All Fears - 138. 7 OFFICIAL SITE

XXX – 125. 8 OFFICIAL SITE

Lilo and Stitch – 118. 9 OFFICIAL SITE

Spy Kids 2 – 111.10 OFFICIAL SITE

Minority Report – 108.11 OFFICIAL SITE

Powerpuff Girls – 107 OFFICIAL SITE

Bubbling under:

Signs – 98

Stewart Little 2 – 92

Like Mike - 91

The 80’s Show (80 million gross range):

Mr. Deeds

The Bourne Identity

The Tuxedo

Halloween 8

K-19

Of course, a couple years ago, I thought that “Me Myself and Irene” would gross over 300 million, so what do I know. It ended up in the 80’s club.

Getting ready for the summer heat;

Lodger2002

Note: Thanks to upcomingmovies.com and imdb.com and “Box Office” magazine for helpful info in writing this preview.

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