Summer is here, and along with it comes an exciting schedule of films, ending this year’s slump of spring options. Over the next four months, theaters will provide a number of great reasons for audiences to enjoy the refreshingly cool auditoriums with the release of new book-to-film adaptations, documentaries, music stories and many more exciting new films. Here are some of this summer’s most exciting flicks worth a trip to a nearby movie theater.

Chef

In theaters May 9

Jon Fravreau has recently drawn much acclaim from directing and producing the “Iron Man” series. Now, in his latest film “Chef,” Favreau takes on a lead role as Carl Casper, a chef looking to find new meaning in his cooking career by opening up his own Mexican food van with the support of his friends and family, including Sofia Vergara (“Modern Family”). During the film’s production, Favreau received Marvel support with actors Scarlett Johansson and Robert Downey Jr. taking roles in the film as well. After a successful premiere at South by Southwest, this comedy is sure to serve many laughs and a great story.

Million Dollar Arm

In theaters May 16

Disney sports-related movies are sometimes a little over-the-top, but every once in awhile a gem like “Miracle,” “Remember the Titans” or “Secretariat” comes along and offers a nice treat to audiences. Now from Disney comes “Million Dollar Arm.” In the film, Jon Hamm (“Friends with Kids”) plays a sports agent looking to support the next “big thing” in Major League Baseball. He decides to take a risk by looking for baseball pitchers in India, using a reality show called “Million Dollar Arm.” When he brings back the winners, he struggles to find ways to help them succeed while developing a familial relationship with them. The film stars Madhur Mittal (“Slumdog Millionaire”) and Suraj Sharma (“Life of Pi”) as baseball pitchers Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh. “Million Dollar Arm,” based on a true story, may be another one of those Disney movie gems.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiC8o7i_ZqE

The Fault in Our Stars

In theaters June 6

Based on the renowned novel of the same name by John Green, “The Fault in Our Stars” tells the story of two young individuals exploring a new romantic relationship, but not in the most conventional way, considering the couple met in a cancer support group. The film stars new cinema darling Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, both of whom just appeared together in the recent action series “Divergent” earlier this year. In “The Fault in Our Stars,” they’re offered much more calm and raw performances as two characters trying to appreciate every moment they have together despite the obstacles in their lives. The movie postulates that, despite feeling predestined for death, maybe they can both start to find a little life with a blossoming relationship.

They Came Together

In theaters June 27

An indie romantic comedy spoof starring Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”) and Paul Rudd (“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”). Not enough to sell you? Okay, here’s a little more. Imagine every cliché moment from every romantic comedy ever made; that sums up the relationship between these two characters as they share their story that they agree is “just like the movies.” The film also stars a number of popular comedians, including Cobie Smulders (“How I Met Your Mother”), “The Office” stars Ellie Kemper and Ed Helms and even “Saturday Night Live” castmates Bill Hader and Kenan Thompson. A popular film at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, it’s the ideal summer comedy.

Begin Again

In theaters July 4

“Begin Again” stars two acting favorites, Mark Ruffalo (“The Avengers”) and Keira Knightly (“Anna Karenina”), who come together to create a delectable romantic chemistry. Ruffalo plays an ex-music producer, and Knightly plays a young musician making her start in Manhattan. Together, the two of them might have what it takes to help move both of their careers forward. A story centered around music, the film stars popular musicians Adam Levine and Cee-Lo Green. The film also stars Hailee Steinfeld, who rose to prominence after the Coen Brothers’ critically-acclaimed “True Grit.” A low-key romantic story perfect for the Fourth of July weekend, “Begin Again” is one of the films that could go by quickly, but audiences will not want to miss.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

In theaters July 11

He said “No!” and chaos erupted. Three years ago, new audiences started to learn the story behind the Planet of the Apes with the release of “Rise of the Planet of the Apes.” Now that Caesar, an intelligent chimp has completed his uprising, the few human survivors try to create a compromise between the human race and Caesar’s growing forces. The film stars Gary Oldman (“The Dark Knight Rises”), Keri Russell (“Austenland”) and Andy Serkis (“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”) back in the motion-capture acting role as Caesar. This story looks even darker than the first, as the fight continues to determine which species will be the one to dominate Earth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0wP5ZkaUGg

Get On Up

In theaters August 1

A story about one of the most influential musicians in history, “Get On Up” shares the stories of James Brown and his life from extreme poverty to one of great fame. In conjunction to sharing the story of Brown’s personal life, the film includes his music hits and presents the developing culture of the 1950s to 1960s. Brown is played by Chadwick Boseman who played baseball icon Jackie Robinson in “42” last year. From the producers of “The Help,” the film also stars that film’s co-stars Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. While audiences are sure to know many of the songs throughout the film, they will be learning an important story never told before.

The Giver

In theaters August 15

Based upon the book by Lois Lowry assigned in thousands of elementary school classes, “The Giver” looks at a dystopian world with no war, pain or suffering. It’s an ideal community in which all members have their decisions made for them. However, when one young character, Jonas, played by newcomer Brenton Thwaites, is entrusted with receiving the knowledge of the real world, he must make moral decisions of how he wants to handle the responsibility of knowing this information. The film also stars Katie Holmes (“Batman Begins”), Jeff Bridges (“True Grit”) and Meryl Streep (“August: Osage County”). A memorable story in novel form, it should do well on the screen too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJNNugNe0Wo