Summer Movie Preview

Here comes May… and here come the summer movies!

Back to Black
Opening on: May 10
— This biopic of jazz singer-turned pop star Amy Winehouse traces her life and rise to fame leading up to the release of her studio album, Back to Black. Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) directs the film, which stars Marisa Abela of HBO’s Industry as the troubled singer.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Opening on: May 10
— Caesar, the chimpanzee who led the apes to world domination, died at the end of 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes, the third film in the reboot trilogy of the classic sci-fi franchise. However, there’s more monkey business to be had. Wes Ball, who helmed the Maze Runner films, directs the fourth film in the series, which takes place many years after the events of War.

IF
Opening on: May 17
— John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds — both of whom also star in this film — developed this fantasy comedy also written by Krasinski about a young girl who learns she has the ability to see Imaginary Friends (hence the title IF) that have been abandoned. Reynolds and Krasinski are joined by massive voice cast that includes Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Awkwafina, and more.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
Opening on: May 24
— Anya Taylor-Joy will play a younger version of the war rig-driving badass Imperator Furiosa in this prequel to Mad Max: Fury Road. George Miller will, naturally, direct once more, and Chris Hemsworth will co-star in the movie, which tells the tale of Furiosa’s kidnapping and her rise through Immortan Joe’s ranks.

The Garfield Movie
Opening on: May 24
— After Chris Pratt voiced Mario there were no more animated characters to conquer. Just kidding! He’ll be voicing everybody’s favorite lasagna-loving, Monday-hating cat, Garfield, in a new movie adaptation of the long-running comic strip. Samuel L. Jackson will voice Vic, Garfield’s father.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Opening on: June 14, 2024
— Detectives Mike Lowery (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) reunite for another explosive action-adventure.

Inside Out 2
Opening on: June 14
— Inside Out 2 will revisit Riley now that she’s in college, and it will fittingly introduce a host of new emotions. Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, and Lewis Black return to reprise their roles, though Bill Hader’s Fear and Mindy Kaling’s Disgust have now been replaced by Tony Hale and Liza Lapira, respectively.

A Quiet Place: Day One
Opening on: June 28
— As the title here implies, the third film in the series will show the first days of the alien attack, well before anybody knows what’s going on or what to expect from these monsters.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel
Opening on: July 3
— It’s been almost 30 years since 1994’s Beverly Hills Cop III, but Eddie Murphy doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat as the Detroit cop who returns to Los Angeles to investigate corruption after the death of an old friend. Franchise stalwarts like Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, and Bronson Pinchot also return.

Despicable Me 4
Opening on: July 3
— Don’t forget which master the Minions serve. Coming two years after the last installment in the franchise, the spin-off Minions: The Rise of Gru, Despicable Me returns to the mainline series, with Gru and his family — including a baby Gru Jr. — squaring off against an enemy out for revenge voiced by Will Ferrell.

Twisters
Opening on: July 19
— Originally planned as a remake of the 1996 disaster movie Twister, Twisters eventually took form as a sequel. Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos star.

Deadpool & Wolverine
Opening on: July 26
— The Merc With a Mouth is back — and so is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. The first Deadpool movie since Disney bought Fox will certainly be a sight to behold, as the Ryan Reynolds-led franchise is beloved for its R-rated humor.

Borderlands
Opening on: August 9
— Get ready for some outer space shenanigans as Eli Roth takes the helm for this adaptation of the popular and wacky video game series. The cast includes big names like Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black.

Alien: Romulus
Opening in: August 16
— This will follow “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”

Kraven the Hunter
Opening on: August 30
— Originally set to appear sometime in the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man franchise before it was discontinued by Sony, the classic Spidey villain finally makes the jump to the big screen.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Opening on: September 6
Tim Burton reteams with Michael Keaton to return to one of his early iconic characters in this sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice. Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara are also both on board.

Transformers One
Opening on: September 20,
The Transformers franchise returns to its roots with an animated prequel that explores the origins of the robots’ home world of Cybertron and the rivalry between Optimus Prime and Megatron. Chris Hemsworth is the voice of Optimus Prime and Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron.

Joker: Folie à Deux
Opening on: October 4
— Director Todd Phillips helms this follow-up to the wildly successful R-rated take on the iconic Batman villain that earned Joaquin Phoenix the Oscar for Best Actor. Phoenix will be joined by Lady Gaga, who is playing his love interest Harley Quinn, and the film will reportedly be a musical.