Thor and Transformers trailers come with the hammer and Alpha Trion

Some long-awaited glimpses of blockbusters for 2011, including Thor, Transformers Dark of the Moon, and Real Steel, debuted this week.

The biggest news in trailers this week: a sneak peak at "Thor." The big-budget, big-name movie itself won't be out until May 6, 2011. But the trailer gives a pretty good idea of what's coming.

The adaptation of the Marvel comic (there‘s a whole slew of Marvel heroes coming) stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (as Thor), Natalie Portman (as Jane Foster), Tom Hiddleston (as Loki), and Anthony Hopkins (as Odin).

Kenneth Branagh directed the film which will be available in – surprise-surprise – 3D. Check out the 2:30 second trailer below.

Also out is the teaser trailer for Michael Bay’s third Transformers movie "Dark of the Moon."’ The trailer (below) doesn't reveal much other than a Transformer connection to the space race of the 1960s and a Transformer who is speculated to being Alpha Trion, one of the original thirteen Transformers (from the old cartoon show). We’ll see the whole movie on July 1, 2011 in 2D, 3D, and IMAX.

Real Steel and Rio, too

The first trailer is out Walt Disney Pictures’ "Real Steel," starring Hugh Jackman and Evangeline Lilly (from ‘Lost’). Jackman plays a has-been boxer who now must train an eight-foot robot to be a contender. If you remember Marx toys Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots, you'll get the idea. It opens in regular and IMAX theaters on October 7, 2011.

The new trailer 20th Century Fox’s animated film "Rio" debuted too. Voice actors include Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jamie Foxx, Tracy Morgan, and will.i.am. It opens in 2D and 3D on April 8.

Hobbit casting continues

Peter Jackson’s "The Hobbit" movies have added a couple of familiar faces from the original ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. Cate Blanchett as Galadriel and Orlando Bloom as Legolas will return to Middle Earth even though both characters were not in the original book. Ian McKellen (as Gandalf), Hugo Weaving (as Elrond), Andy Serkis (as Gollum) are expected to return although nothing official has been announced.

Chris Tucker, who has been MIA since 2007‘s Rush Hour 3, is set to star in the action comedy ‘The Rabbit’ which is in development at Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. is also developing the comedy ‘Rentaghost’ starring Russell Brand. Based on a BBC series which ran from 1979-84 it’s the story of a recently deceased man (Brand) and his dead partners who rent out ghosts and ghouls to the living.

Garry Marshall's ‘New Year's Eve,’ the follow-up to his romantic comedy ’Valentine's Day’, has added two more cast members to it’s ensemble. Sofia Vergara (from ’Modern Family’) and Jessica Biel are close to joining Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hilary Swank, Lea Michele (from ’Glee’) and Ashton Kutcher.

James Cameron will join director Andrew Adamson (Shrek) in a partnership with Cirque du Soleil to produce 3D films that will be “an art form beyond the imagination.”

Liam Neeson will return as the god Zeus in the sequel Clash of the Titans, aptly named ‘Wrath of the Titans.’ He‘ll join Sam Worthington (as Perseus) and Ralph Fiennes (as Hades) in the film which starts shooting in March for a 2012 release.