Okay, I know summer hasn’t actually arrived yet, but the summer movie season began officially on the first weekend in May. Van Helsing kicked things off and will be followed by Troy, Shrek 2 and The Day after Tomorrow later this month. If all goes well, summer 2004 should offer viewers a variety of entertaining films representing such popular genres as fantasy, adventure, drama, comedy and romance. After checking the line-up the season’s numerous releases, my expectations are highest for the films listed below.   

TROY. With a buffed-up Brad Pitt playing Achilles and a shameful budget of over 200 million dollars, I’m betting this film version of The Iliad will bring the Trojan War to life with all the cinematic pizzazz  filmmaker Wolfgang Peterson can muster. (May 14)    

SHREK 2.  Just thinking about Antonio Banderas voicing the Puss-in-Boots character makes me eager to watch this sequel. But that’s no surprise -- I’m always up for any Banderas flick. Sigh. (May 19)

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW.  Every summer needs its big disaster movie. If this one is half as scary as its preview, we’re in for a thrilling film experience a la Independence Day. (May 28)      

HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. In this third outing for our young wizard, Harry re-joins friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley for further magical adventures at Hogwarts -- but this time of a more serious nature. Michael Gambon replaces the late Richard Harris in Dumbledore’s role (I wanted Ian McKellen), and Gary Oldman casts his own spell as a new villain. (June 4)

THE STEPFORD WIVES. Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Christopher Walken, Bette Midler, Glenn Close – wow, what a cast! With such outstanding actors, Frank Oz’s remake of a dreadful 1975 film could be a winner. However, although turning successful, ambitious wives into docile homemakers may be an interesting concept, don’t try this at home. (June 11)

GARFIELD: THE MOVIE. Yes, Garfield finally comes to the big screen! And, by the looks of the early previews, he’s hilarious. (June 11)

THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. What’s this – Dame Judi Dench and Vin Diesel in the same movie? Filmmakers think people will pay good money to see that combination. They’re right, at least about me. (June 11)

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. Jackie Chan takes over the role Cantinflas played in Mike Todd’s movie of the same name. Look for plenty of action and lots of cameos. Guess who’s portraying Queen Victoria? No, not Judi Dench. Kathy Bates wears the crown here. (June 18)

THE TERMINAL. Tom Hanks liked his accent in The Ladykillers so much, he tries another one in this Steven Spielberg film about an immigrant living in a New York airport.  Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars as a flight attendant who falls for Hanks’ man without a country. (June 18) 

THE NOTEBOOK. Nicholas Sparks certainly knows how to write romantic novels that become poignant movies. Remember Message in a Bottle? In this latest film based on one of Sparks’ books, James Garner and Gena Rowlands should offer a touch of class to this sweeping love story. ‘Nuff said. (June 25)

DE-LOVELY. Hooray! It’s a musical with Kevin Kline as Cole Porter and Ashley Judd as his wife. I can hardly wait to hear all those wonderful Porter songs like “Begin the Beguine” and “Night and Day.” (June 25)

SPIDER-MAN 2. Spidey captured my heart and imagination in his first outing, and I’m hoping he won’t disappoint me here. However, without the evil Green Goblin, I realize things won’t be quite the same. (June 30)

THE CLEARING. Helen Mirren, Willem DaFoe and Robert Redford team up for a kidnapping drama that looks extremely suspenseful in the previews. (July 2)

KING ARTHUR. I’m glad Clive Owen isn’t spending all his time waiting around for that James Bond role offer. Instead, he’s starring as the legendary King Arthur in what could be one of this summer’s most popular releases. Ioan Gruffudd (TV’s hunky Horatio Hornblower) plays Lancelot, and Keira Knightley is Guinevere. No way I’ll miss this one! (July 7)

THE VILLAGE. So far, all of M. Night Shyamalan’s films have frightened me like no others since those great Alfred Hitchcock classics – and I predict this one will do the same. (July 30)

COLLATERAL. Although I’m not one of Tom Cruise’s biggest fans, I look forward to seeing him play a bad guy in this Michael Mann flick about a killer and a cabbie (Jamie Foxx) on a wild ride in Los Angeles. (August 8)

Reminder: release dates are subject to change.