Comic book heroes to make jump to big screen
By Alisha Davis
CNN Headline News
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Ang Lee's "The Hulk" is one of several movies based on comic books coming soon to theaters.
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(CNN) -- In these uncertain times, U.S. filmgoers might be looking to escape reality. As the movie studios gear up for the big summer season, they will be serving up plenty of fantasy heroes.
From familiar names such as "The Hulk" to cult favorites such as "Bulletproof Monk," comic book heroes will be leaping into theaters soon.
Here's a rundown on some upcoming movies with superheroes:
• April 16: "Bulletproof Monk" stars Chow Yun-Fat as a monk who, along with a sidekick played by Seann William Scott, is fighting to save an ancient scroll.
• May 2: The X-Men return in "X-Men 2." Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Halle Berry's Storm are back in black leather, and they're joined by new mutants such as Alan Cumming's Nightcrawler.
• May 15: "The Matrix" was conceived as a comic book by the Wachowski brothers, but it wound up on the big screen first. Now Keanu Reeves and crew get set to save the world again in "The Matrix Reloaded," a sequel to the 1999 movie. A third installment, "The Matrix Revolutions," hits theaters in November.
• June 20: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" director Ang Lee gets back in action with "The Hulk." Eric Bana plays the good doctor and alter ego of the computer-generated, not-so-jolly green giant.
• July 11: An adaptation of the quirky comic miniseries "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" will bring together Sean Connery as Allan Quartermain, Shane West as Tom Sawyer and Jason Flemyng as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde.
• And one final film: Based on the life of comic book hero (and real-life comic book author) Harvey Pekar, "American Splendor" made a splash at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. This indie film, which mixes documentary and dramatization, won the festival's grand jury prize. Let's hope audiences across the country get to see it and cast their votes soon.
It's been a slow year so far at the box office. But Hollywood is hoping this slate of superhero movies will turn things around and bring a blockbuster summer.
