WITH a potpourri of sequels, super heroes and animated flicks, 2007 is shaping up to be a blockbuster year. BARRY McDONALD previews the best APOCALYPTO

Starring: Rudy Youngblood, Jonathan Brewer and Morris Birdyellowhead. Released: January.

Following his two-hour Biblical epic, The Passion Of The Christ, Braveheart Mel Gibson turns his attentions to the ancient Mayans of Mexico. While The Passion Of The Christ was entirely in the Aramaic language, Apocalypto is in Mayan. The big budget high action-drama recounts the kingdom's final days. ROCKY BALBOA

Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young. Released: January.

Round six of the Italian Stallion's boxing saga sees the ageing Rocky come out of retirement (again) to contend the world Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Another chance for Rocky to shout "Yo Adrienne!" one more time. HOT FUZZ

Starring: Simon Pegg, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan. Released: February.

Simon "Shaun Of The Dead" Pegg continues his rise with what promises to be the funniest thing to come out of a British studio all year. A high-flying London cop moves to a sleepy village for a quiet life. Or is it? PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END

Starring: Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush. Released: May.

Securing its place as one of the most successful film franchises, Johnny Depp and friends play at pirates for the final, and third, time. This swashbuckling adventure will do exactly as it says on the tin. OCEAN'S 13

Starring: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Al Pacino, Andy Garcia. Released: June.

Steven Soderbergh completes his heist trilogy with another slick, polished showing from the Hollywood boys' club. This time Danny Ocean and partners attempt to get their money- grabbing paws on the coffers from Casino boss Al Pacino's vaults. HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith. Released: July.

Now in his fifth year at Hogwart's, Harry faces being discredited. THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM

Starring: Matt Damon, Paddy Considine, Joan Allen. Released: August.

The third action-packed adventure for Matt Damon as Jason Bourne (America's attempt at James Bond). This time around, Bourne races to find the final mysteries of his past while a government agent tries to track him down. THE SIMPSONS MOVIE

Starring: Voices of Dan Castellaneta, Harry Shearer, Nancy Cartwright and Julie Kavner. Released: expected July.

After 18 series, the dysfunctional yellow-hued cartoon family make their long-awaited big screen debut. The plot has been a closely guarded secret but insiders say the film will see Homer cause an accident at the nuclear power plant, causing Springfield's inhabitants to flee the town. THE GOLDEN COMPASS

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green. Released: November.

The first of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, this features newcomer Dakota Blue Richards in the role of orphan Lyra Belacqua who is left in the care of Mrs Coulter (Kidman). The film follows Lyra into a fantasy world to save her best friend and other children kidnapped by evil scientists. AMERICAN GANGSTER

Starring: Russell Crowe, Denzel Washington. Released: November.

Expect plenty of winged collars, dodgy sideburns and disco music in Ridley Scott's long-awaited 70s gangster flick. Russell Crowe is Richie Roberts, a New York cop hot on the trail of Harlem heroin dealer Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) who is smuggling drugs in the coffins of dead soldiers returning from Vietnam. THE NUMBER 23

Starring: Jim Carrey, Danny Houston, Virginia Madsen.

Released: To be confirmed.

It's been two years since the rubber-faced Jim Carrey last appeared in our cinemas, in Fun With Dick And Jane.

This time around, Carrey reveals his darker side in Joel Schumacher's The Number 23. Carrey plays Walter Sparrow, a man who becomes obsessed with a book he believes is based on his own life. The only problem is, the book ends with a grisly murder. BEOWULF

Starring: Ray Winstone, John Malkovich, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins.

Released: TBC.

Robert Zemeckis directs this Scandinavian action adventure epic. Ancient warrior Beowulf must defeat the monster Grendel who is terrorising towns, and Grendel's mother, who kills for revenge.

Based on Neil Gaiman's novel, and almost as scary as Ikea the last weekend before Xmas.