Feeling the summer heat

The 2007 summer movie season may have just come to an end, but Hollywood already is intensely focused on the holiday seasons looming far in the distance.

The third “Narnia” film, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” has been set for May 7, 2010 -- although not a foot of film has been shot. DreamWorks and Paramount, meanwhile, announced that they have penciled in June 26, 2009, for their “Transformers 2” -- even though there’s no finished script or production start date.

As other movies stake out future release dates, some films are running for safer ground.

DreamWorks Animation initially had scheduled its 3-D animated movie “Monsters vs. Aliens” to open opposite, and then a week before, James Cameron’s hotly anticipated 3-D drama “Avatar” in May 2009. But DreamWorks recently said it would get out of Cameron’s way by moving “Monster vs. Aliens” to March 2009.

Next summer, meanwhile, looks to be as competitive as this summer, and some key showdowns are shaping up even now.

Here’s a look ahead to some of those duels.

May 22

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” vs. “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”

The fourth Indiana Jones movie comes out a week after the second “Narnia” film (May 16), but will that cushion be enough to win the battle? “Indy” has the high-powered combination of star Harrison Ford and director Steven Spielberg and the addition of “Transformers” lead Shia LaBeouf. But the first “Narnia” movie, also directed by “Prince Caspian’s” Andrew Adamson, grossed nearly $750 million worldwide. Is the 65-year-old Ford a little long in the tooth? Aslan’s Army is hoping so.

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May 30

“Starship Dave” vs. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” vs. “Sex and the City”

Is there room for so many comedies in one weekend? Probably not. In “Starship Dave,” Eddie Murphy plays not just an alien but an alien spaceship -- whose inhabitants are smitten with Earth girl Elizabeth Banks. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” doesn’t have the A-list cast (Kristen Bell and Jason Segel top its ensemble), but it comes from producer Judd Apatow’s (“Superbad,” “Knocked Up”) hit factory. Despite poor reviews, Murphy’s “Norbit” grossed almost $100 million. But Apatow’s touch as a producer is nearly as good as his touch as a director -- “Superbad” topped $110 million. The wild card is New Line’s movie version of “Sex and the City,” which reunites all of the main cast from the hit HBO series, led by Sarah Jessica Parker.

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June 20

“Get Smart” vs. “The Love Guru”

It has taken forever for the “Get Smart” movie to come together, but the wait seems worth it: Steve Carell plays Maxwell Smart, while “The Devil Wears Prada’s” Anne Hathaway costars as Agent 99. “The Love Guru” marks the return of Mike Myers to a broad, live-action comedy; his last non-animated movie was 2003’s “The Cat in the Hat.” It’s been ages since “Get Smart” was on TV, but the distance will likely work in its favor. So even though they’re not far apart in age -- Carell is 45, while Myers is 44 -- this is ultimately a showdown between the upstart “40-Year-Old Virgin” star and the “Shrek” veteran.

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July 2

“Hancock” vs. anything else?

Sometimes the best strategy is simply to get out of the way. The Fourth of July weekend has been fruitful for Will Smith -- remember 1996’s “Independence Day?” In “Hancock,” Smith plays a troubled superhero in a match of more than just wits with Charlize Theron. While no other big movies are scheduled to open opposite director Pete Berg’s “Hancock,” Ben Stiller’s comedy “Tropic Thunder” (with Matthew McConaughey replacing Owen Wilson) and writer-director Guillermo del Toro’s sequel “Hellboy 2: The Golden Army” both open July 11. Also opening that date: Brendan Fraser in the fantasy film “Journey 3-D.” Even by then, though, “Hancock” may be going so strong that it will be hard to beat.

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July 18

“Mamma Mia!” vs. “The Dark Knight”

The adaptation of the smash ABBA musical boasts a surprisingly good cast: Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Christine Baranski. But the Batman sequel “The Dark Knight” has a better box-office pedigree: director Chris Nolan and stars Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader and Heath Ledger as the Joker. With another “Superman” movie on hold, we’re taking superheroes over Sweden.

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john.horn@latimes.com