As the sun begins to create unbearably hot afternoons, it’s time to start heading to cool theater spaces for a summer of superhero blockbusters, actor reunions and highly-anticipated animated sequels and prequels. Here is a glimpse of the most exciting films debuting in the next four months.
May
This weekend marks the release of “The Great Gatsby,” originally scheduled for release this past December. After filmmakers wanted to avoid competition with award season flicks, audiences can finally enjoy what looks like a visually stunning adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. The film, opening for the Cannes Film Festival this month, stars Leonardo DiCaprio (“Django Unchained”) as the film’s titular character: a war veteran with a longing romantic interest for the unattainable Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan, “Shame”). Directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann, who brought the musical favorite “Moulin Rouge” to life, “The Great Gatsby” offers a beautiful, artistic envisioning of the roaring ’20s.
It’s been four years since J.J. Abrams’ “Stak Trek,” but Chris Pine (“People Like Us”), Zachary Quinto (TV’s “American Horror Story: Asylum”) and Zoe Saldana (“The Words”) reunite for an exciting sequel: “Star Trek: Into Darkness.” The crew of the Enterprise is forced into battle after an attack on Starfleet, leaving Earth in a state of chaos. Critics are already calling “Sherlock” star Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance as the evil Khan the best in the film. While “Star Trek: Into Darkness” may have taken a while to produce, this sequel looks like it will have been worth the wait when it arrives in theaters May 17.
The second time the wolf pack reunited two years ago, audiences felt like they were watching the same film, the only difference being that the gang was in Thailand. With the release of “The Hangover Part III” on May 24, will the script be the same as the previous two films only with Alan getting married? Apparently not. There’s no wedding this time, but as Phil (Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”), Stu (Ed Helms, TV’s “The Office”), Alan (Zach Galifianakis, “The Campaign”) and Doug (Justin Bartha, TV’s “The New Normal”) embark on a road trip together, quite frankly, anything is possible. Although some familiar faces return in the final installment of this comedic trilogy, such as Heather Graham (“About Cherry”) as stripper Jade and the always surprising Ken Jeong (“Pain & Gain”) as gangster Mr. Chow, a couple other popular stars join the cast this time, including John Goodman (“Flight”) and Melissa McCarthy (“Bridesmaids”). To each his own as to whether or not to see this one, but it is the supposed finale, so why not?
Although not part of a series or even an adaptation, “Now You See Me,” in theaters May 31, offers a creative story of the FBI and Interpol working together to bring down a group of illusionists who manage to rob a high security bank and shower audiences with money — and that’s just the trailer. Not only does the story sound exciting, but the film includes an all-star cast, boasting Mark Ruffalo (“The Avengers”), Woody Harrelson (“The Hunger Games”) and Jesse Eisenberg (“To Rome with Love”). Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman, favorites from “The Dark Knight Rises,” top off a stacked actor lineup. Directed by Louis Leterrier (“The Incredible Hulk”), “Now You See Me” should keep audiences on the edge of their seats with a quite different experience from some of the “hero” films coming this summer.
June
Eight years ago, Owen Wilson (“Midnight in Paris”) and Vince Vaughn (“The Watch”) starred in a memorable comedy of party crashing, fake identities and boning in “Wedding Crashers.” Now, the dynamic duo returns on June 7 for “The Internship,” which should be a relatable romp for college kids. Recently laid off from their jobs, Wilson and Vaughn somehow land an internship at Google. The opportunity seems to be quite different from any other, tasking its interns with ping-pong and quidditch matches, but restricting interns from drinking with their bosses. Trying to find their place among recent college graduates, old-timers Vaughn and Wilson should exhibit familiar chemistry as they have in past films. Additionally, Rose Byrne (TV’s “Damages”), Max Minghella (“The Social Network”) and Goodman join in Google’s twisted fun.
During the Wisconsin Film Festival, one of the most sought-out films was Joss Whedon’s (“The Avengers”) modern retelling of William Shakespeare’s classic “Much Ado About Nothing,” set for a wide release June 7. The story’s narrative intertwines two couples: Benedick (Alexis Denisof, “The Avengers”) and Beatrice (Amy Acker, “The Cabin in the Woods”), as Claudio and Hero. This particular Shakespeare play was previously adapted in 1993, but some critics agree Whedon’s Shakespeare adaptation is the best since Luhrmann’s “Romeo and Juliet.” For Whedon, whose previous works–in addition to superhero films–include Pixar’s classic “Toy Story,” “Much Ado About Nothing” will continue to broaden his filmmaking abilities.
While some new films this summer are parts of long-running series or final installments of trilogies, the “Superman” series is getting a reboot with “Man of Steel,” in theaters June 14. Directed by Zack Snyder (“Sucker Punch”), Henry Cavill (“The Cold Light of Day”) takes on the renowned role of Clark Kent and Superman alongside Amy Adams (“The Master”) as Lois Lane. The film depicts the original Superman story: Clark Kent grows up an adopted child feeling isolated due to his super powers. As an adult, he must harness his strength to save Earth when people of his own race seek to destroy it. The film also includes Diane Lane (“Secretariat”) and Kevin Costner (“The Company Men”) as Kent’s adoptive parents and Laurence Fishburne (“Contagion”) as the Kent’s editor, Perry White.
Every summer, it is interesting to see what Disney Pixar will debut to entertain kids of all ages. This year, rather than a sequel, Disney Pixar is offering their first prequel with “Monsters University,” in theaters June 21. Twelve years after the release of “Monster’s Inc.,” the film shares Mike (Billy Crystal, “Parental Guidance”) and Sulley’s (Goodman) story before they worked for the scare factory and back when they were just learning how to scare and not yet friends. Since the original film caught the attention of many now-university students back in the day, “Monsters University” should be exciting for all audiences.
July
Johnny Depp (“Dark Shadows”) returns in “The Lone Ranger” after a brief vacation from acting. Based on the classic TV series, Depp, in Jack Sparrow-esque makeup, stars as Tonto and Armie Hammer (“Mirror Mirror”) as the Lone Ranger. Although the men come from different backgrounds, they learn to work together in order to serve justice. The film is another collaboration between director Gore Verbinski and Depp, who worked on the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series together, as well as the Academy Award-winning animated film “Rango.” Enjoy the American remake on July 3, just in time for Independence Day.
Another exciting animated film for the summer is sequel “Despicable Me 2,” also in theaters July 3. The film brings back Steve Carell (“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”) to voice Gru, who is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to bring down the latest top felon, all the while trying to balance fatherhood with three young girls. The film also brings back Russell Brand (“Rock of Ages”), Kristen Wiig (“Bridesmaids”) and Miranda Cosgrove (TV’s “iCarly”); new voices include Moises Arias (“Noobz”) and Jeong. At first glance, the film series seems pointless. However, the first film won the hearts of audiences, and Gru’s tiny yellow minions remain unforgettable.
After much buzz about the film at Sundance Film Festival in January, “The Way, Way Back” arrives in theaters July 5. The narrative revolves around Duncan (Liam James, TV’s “Psych”), a 14-year-old who is not enthusiastic about spending a summer vacation with his mother (Toni Collette, “Hitchcock”) and her boyfriend (Carell). But as Duncan slowly develops friendships at the local water park, he begins a process of self-discovery. This indie gem also stars AnnaSophia Robb (“Soul Surfer”), Allison Janney (“Liberal Arts”) and Maya Rudolph (“Friends with Kids”). The film is co-written and co-directed by Academy Award winning screenwriters Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (“The Descendants”), whose works continue to achieve nothing but critical acclaim, making this independent film definitely worth a trip to the theater.
Hugh Jackman enjoyed his fame as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” this past winter. Now he’s back as X-Men’s Logan in “The Wolverine” in theaters July 26. Logan, the Wolverine, now faces new and old enemies in Japan. Following the success of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” this Marvel film marks the sixth installment in the film series. “The Wolverine” also includes collaboration between director James Mangold and score composer Marco Beltrami, who also worked on “3:10 to Yuma” together.
The winner of Sundance’s U.S. Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award for dramatic film is “Fruitvale Station,” which will be released July 16. The film shares the true story of Oscar Grant, who was shot to death on New Year’s Day 2009 by a police officer and the events of his final day. Oscar’s story received massive media attention as the incident involving Grant at Oakland’s Fruitvale station was recorded on cellphones. The film, selected to compete at the Cannes and produced by acclaimed actor Forest Whitaker (“The Last King of Scotland”), includes a young, new cast, but also Academy Award winning actress Octavia Spencer (“The Help”). It’s rare for a film to win both a jury prize and audience award at Sundance; “Fruitvale Station” proves itself a very promising summer thought-provoker.
August
The action film genre takes form in “2 Guns,” which is in theaters Aug. 2. Mark Wahlberg is not only stealing money with Dwayne Johnson in “Pain & Gain” this year but also with Denzel Washington (“Flight”) in this crime drama. The two men set out to investigate one another, but they soon realize the mob set them both up. The film, also starring James Marsden (TV’s “30 Rock”) and Bill Paxton (“Shanghai Calling”), is based on the graphic novel of the same name by Steven Grant, who written for other popular comics series, including “The Avengers” and “The Hulk.”
An exciting film that also premiered at Sundance is “The Spectacular Now,” in theaters Aug. 2. The story focuses on Sutter Keely (Miles Teller, “21 & Over”), a party-loving high school student whose world is turned around upon meeting Aimee Finicky (Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants”). Both Teller and Woodley received acting awards for their performances at Sundance and will appear in the film adaptation of “Divergent.” Based on the novel of the same name by Tim Tharp, the screenplay of the “The Spectacular Now” is written by Scott Neustadter, whose previous works include the popular romantic comedy “500 Days of Summer.” This indie film looks promising for students who have ever questioned their philosophy on life.
“Elysium” is just one of this summer’s science fiction films, directed by Neill Blomkamp (“District 9”). The film, set in 2154, explores life on Elysium, a clean, healthy spacecraft not riddled with war or poverty like Earth, where only the wealthy can afford to live. Against the wishes of an Elysium official (Jodie Foster, “Carnage”), Matt Damon (“Contagion”) tries to find a way to bring these two worlds together. In theaters Aug. 9, “Elysium” poses important questions about the future and challenges how the planet is currently treated.
The thriller “Paranoia,” based on the novel of the same name by acclaimed author Joseph Finder, is set to come out Aug. 16. Directed by Robert Luketic, whose varied works include “Legally Blonde” and “21,” the film looks at the film’s main protagonist (Liam Hemsworth, “The Hunger Games”), as a new employee at a major corporation caught in the middle of corporate espionage. The film also stars old-timers Harrison Ford (“42”) as well as Gary Oldman (“The Dark Knight Rises”), who plays the film’s antagonist. Although still a ways away, the film’s initial introduction looks appealing.
Director David Gordon Green (“Pineapple Express”) is also set to release indie gem “Prince Avalanche,” which premiered earlier this year at Sundance. The film is a remake of the Icelandic film “Either Way” staring Paul Rudd (“Admission”) and Emile Hirsch (“Savages”) as two men try to escape city life by spending their summer repainting traffic lines on major county roads. Along the way, they learn more about each other than they could have ever anticipated. The independent flick arrives in theaters Aug. 9.
