Oblivion Movie Premiere

Summer blockbuster season kicked off this week with the release of the new Tom Cruise action-adventure Oblivion, which is also the first in a seemingly endless series of post-apocalyptic movies headed our way over the next couple of years. Tom is currently travelling around the world with costars Olga Kurylenko and Andrea Riseborough for Oblivion premieres in various countries.

Another recent release in the UK and US is The Place Beyond the Pines, a dark drama that reunites Ryan Gosling with Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance. The film also stars Bradley Cooper, who has been in the news this week after stepping in for Jude Law in the troubled Western thriller Jane Got a Gun. Director Gavin O'Connor (Warrior) has also come on board after the sudden departure of Lynne Ramsay (We Need to Talk About Kevin). It's now filming in New Mexico with costars Natalie Portman and Joel Edgerton.

Also making news this week was the annual Women in the World Summit held in New York to honour both charitable celebrities and unsung heroes. Angelina Jolie and Meryl Streep both spoke at the event, and were caught on film by the paparazzi. Jolie introduced 15-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Youstafzai, while Streep made headlines by dropping the f-bomb while recounting a story about her friend, the late Northern Irish activist Inez McCormack.

Elysium Trailer

The hottest new trailer this week is for Elysium, the new sci-fi thriller from District 9 writer-director Neill Blomkamp. Starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, who look like they're on top form, the film looks like a sleek, big-budget blockbuster that still retains the earthy realism and original storytelling of District 9. It opens worldwide in September.

Also out in September, Rush is a true-life action film centring on the 1970s rivalry between Formula One drivers James Hunt and Nicky Lauda, played by Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Bruhl. The film also reunites director Ron Howard with Frost/Nixon screenwriter Peter Morgan. It looks pretty thrilling, with lots of fiery racetrack action and a bit of steamy romance with female leads Olivia Wilde and Alexandra Maria Lara.

Carrie Poster

And we have a little longer to wait for Kimberly Peirce's new film of the classic Stephen King horror novel Carrie, starring Chloe Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore in the daughter-mother roles that were made iconic by Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, both Oscar-nominated for Brian DePalma's unforgettable 1976 film version. Yes, this new version has a lot to live up to, but the trailer promises an intriguing approach to the material. It opens in November.

Rich Cline