Summer Blockbusters 2012: 'The Amazing Spider-Man', 'The Dark Knight Rises' & More

PREVIEW: This Summer's 6 Biggest Blockbusters

Still recovering from Prometheus? The Avengers pass you by in a blur? We're already in the thick of what is traditionally the summer season of blockbusters and it's only the beginning of June.

Here are a few more that you can expect to see on the sides of buses in the coming months...

The Amazing Spider-Man - 3 July

The Amazing Spider-Man sees Andrew Garfield's move to the A-list, replacing Tobey Maguire in the title role of the superhero. This sees Spider-man goes on a journey to find out why his father (Campbell Scott) abandoned him at a young age, while simultaneously combating the NYPD and the villainous Lizard (Rhys Ifans). Thankfully, his girlfriend Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is there to mend his many wounds.

The Dark Knight Rises - 20 July

Christopher Nolan's third and final take on the caped crusader is ready for public consumption. The film sees the return of Christian Bale as Batman, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon, Michael Caine as Alfred and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox, and adds Joseph Gordon-Levitt as police officer John Blake, Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate.

The Dark Knight Rises takes place eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, and that time lapse has allowed Christopher Nolan to deal with the one very delicate situation: the death of Heath Ledger, who played The Joker in the previous film. Nolan has confirmed The Joker will not be referenced in this new film.

The Bourne Legacy - 13 August

In this spin-off to the Bourne series directed by Tony Gilroy, who wrote the first three Bourne films, Jeremy Renner replaces star Matt Damon, but does not play the title agent.

The Bourne Legacy focuses on Aaron Cross (Renner), a genetically-altered agent on the run from the people who made him into a heartless killer. Along the way he picks up a scientist (Rachel Weisz), who may or may not hold the key to his salvation.

The Expendables 2 - 17 August

The musclebound cast of The Expendables, including Jason Statham, Jet Li, Liam Hemsworth, Jean Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger, are back for an action packed sequel.

The team are reunited when Mr Church (Bruce Willis) enlists the Expendables to take on a seemingly simple job, but when things go wrong and one of their own is viciously killed, the Expendables are compelled to seek revenge.

Total Recall -29 August

This reboot of the 1990 action hit starring Arnold Schwarzenegger sees Colin Farrell take over the lead role of Douglas Quaid, a worker whose nightmares have led him to believe he was once a spy whose memory has since been erased.

The role of Quaid's wife, Lori - originally played by Sharon Stone - is now played by Kate Beckinsale, and Rachel Ticotin's Melina has gone to Jessica Biel, as the question is posed - what is real, and what is recall?

Skyfall - 26 October

Although technically the next James Bond outing isn't realised in the summertime, it deserves an honourable mention in case you haven't had enough of blockbusters by October.

Daniel Craig reprises his role as 007 for Skyfall, which promises the usual action, exotic locations, scheming villains and beautiful women, but for fans of the original novels by Ian Fleming, there's more: a journey into the troubled psyche of the iconic spy.

Having previously introduced a darker side to Bond in his earlier roles in 2006's Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace in 2008, Craig will explore the quandarys behind his character's professional mission - to kill with licence.

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