The lazy days of summer are almost here, bringing with them big blockbusters and sold-out crowds. There are adventures on the high seas, sequels galore, and a few singing sensations. All your favorite stars are back, including Reese Witherspoon, Orlando Bloom, Shane West, and Beyoncé Knowles, so read our list of the must-see movies of the summer of 2003 so you'll know which flicks you can't miss!
Finding Nemo
May 30
From the creators of hits such as
Monster's Inc. and
A Bug's Life, we're pretty sure that audiences won't have a hard time finding this Nemo. Set under the sea, a fish father, Marlin, must travel the oceans to find his son, Nemo (voiced by 9-year-old Alexander Gould), when he goes missing in the Great Barrier Reef.
From Justin to Kelly
June 13
They're idols on the small-screen and stars on the pop charts, but do Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini have what it takes to make a box-office smash? We'll find out when the duo hit the beach for spring-break romance in this
Grease-like musical comedy.
Rugrats Go Wild 
June 13
Two cartoon worlds will collide—literally!—when Nickelodeon's Rugrats meet the Thornberries on a cruise ship that crashes on a mysterious island. Now, the two families must work together to survive the wild adventures in the rain forest. Bruce Willis provides the voice of Rugrat dog, Spike.
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
July 2
Elle Woods is back and ready to take on Washington, D.C. Not to worry, however, Elle isn't turning into a boring D.C. politician. Now that she has a law degree from Harvard, Elle and her Chihuahua, Bruiser, are on a mission to stop makeup testing on dogs.
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas
July 2
Arabian Nights gets a 21st-century update in this animated tale blending hand-drawn characters and computer-generated background animation. Unlike the story in
Nights, which was set in Baghdad, the action takes place on the Mediterranean Sea, and Sinbad comes from Missouri, not the Middle East. Brad Pitt voices Sinbad, and Catherine Zeta-Jones voices his fellow sailor/love interest.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
July 9
Ahoy mates! Orlando Bloom (Will Turner) hangs up Legolas' bow and arrow for some swashbuckling fun on the Caribbean Sea with Johnny Depp (Captain Sparrow). Together, they must fight to reverse an ancient curse and stop the evil pirates led by Captain Blackheart. We have a feeling that the movie will be even more exciting than the Disney theme-park ride of the same name.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
July 11
OK, this may seem confusing at first, but follow along: Loosely based on Alan Moore's comic novel,
LXG follows fictional characters from 19th-century literature (including the Invisible Man, Captain Nemo, and Dr. Jekyll) who are secretly hired by Queen Victoria to join forces and save the world from a madman. Oh yeah, did we mention Shane West plays Tom Sawyer?
How to Deal
July 18
Halley Martin (Mandy Moore) has had it with romance. After her parents split, her best friend has relationship problems, and her sister is set to marry Mr. Wrong, Halley gives up her hopes for true love. That is, until Macon (Trent Ford) comes to town.
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over
July 25
Things are drastically different in the third eye-popping installment of the junior spy series. Carmen (Alexa Vega) is trapped in a virtual reality game designed by the latest bad guy—whose code name is The Toymaker (Sylvester Stallone)—and only Juni (Daryl Sabara) can save her. Matthew O'Leary and Emily Osment also return as Gary and Gerti Giggles. Ryan Pinkston of MTV's
Punk'd joins the cast.
Freaky Friday
August 6
In this remake of the 1976 Disney classic, Dr. Tess Coleman (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her 15-year-old daughter, Anna (Lindsay Lohan), argue about clothes, hair, career aspirations, and, of course, boys. One Thursday evening, they have a huge fight, and come Friday morning, Tess and Anna wake up to find they've swapped bodies thanks to a little magic from two identical Chinese fortune cookies. They've got just 24 hours to figure things out before Tess gets married on Saturday.
The Fighting Temptations
August 8
Cuba Gooding Jr. plays Darren, a New York City businessman who inherits money from his aunt. The catch? He has to go to Georgia to lead a gospel choir in order to collect the money. This MTV-produced film also stars Beyoncé Knowles as the choir's standout singer. With the big blockbusters dominating the summer season, we think this flick might have what it takes to get people singing and dancing in the theater.
Shaolin Soccer
August 8
A down-and-out soccer player meets up with a shaolin kung-fu student trying to spread about the martial art. The student trains the soccer player (along with his five brothers) and they form a team, incorporating turbo kicks and high-flying chops. It isn't long before they are competing in a prestigious tournament for $1 million.
Uptown Girls
August 15
Brittany Murphy stars as Molly Gunn, a big-city socialite who is forced to get a job. Molly thinks she'll take the easy way out and take the no-sweat job of becoming a nanny. She certainly doesn't get what she expects taking care of 8-year-old Ray Schleine (played by Dakota Fanning). When temperatures are at their hottest, this movie promises some much needed relief with feel-good laughs.
Grind
August 22
Four skater guys (including Mike Vogel from
Grounded For Life) hit the road to follow a skateboarding legend on his summer tour. The guys plan to get noticed, get sponsored, and become stars themselves, but of course, things don't always go as planned.
