Summer approaches, and returning to the theater for the first time in four years seems relatively safe. Of course, the strike by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) may throw everything into a tizzy. That could explain why so many blockbusters are frontloaded into May and June. By midsummer, the movie schedule could look like a baseball version of a ninth-inning scorecard, but so what? We will use our exclusive crystal ball anyway, so please don’t hold our feet to the fire. Be patient. Be optimistic. The movies are coming, even if they might not arrive till Christmas.
Note: We provide MPAA ratings where they are listed. Not all movies have been given a rating as of press time.
ALREADY IN THEATERS
The Little Mermaid
Directed by Rob Marshall
Starring Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina
Rated PG
It’s been 34 years since the animated version was released. Now comes the live-action version, presumably with the same story and songs. Halle Bailey steps into the lead role and costume. We’re guessing Disney will throw all kinds of special effects on the screen. Me, I want to see how they get a live lobster to sing “Under the Sea.”
You Hurt My Feelings
Directed by Nicole Holofcener, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, David Cross
Rated R
Yeah! Something for adults, and anything featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus catches my attention. Add director Nicole Holofcener and the buttered popcorn just got tastier. A writer overhears her husband trash her latest novel, which throws Julia and company into a maelstrom of comedy.
The Machine
Directed by Peter Atencio, starring Mark Hamill, Bert Kreischer, Jess Gabor, Jimmy Tatro
Rated R
How long can a drunken conversation haunt you? Well, if you happen to spew it in Russia, let’s say 23 years later, the Russian mob doesn’t forget. Mark Hamill has rebirthed himself in commercials as a grumpy old man. Here, he gets to do it in film. It was a story launched by Kreischer. Now he gets to do it in film. It’s R-rated, so don’t take your kids thinking it’s another chapter of Star Wars.
About My Father
Directed by Laura Terruso
Starring Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb, Kim Cattrall and Sebastian Maniscalco.
Rated PG-13
A culture-clash comedy centering on an Italian American man and his old-school Italian immigrant father spending the weekend with a wealthy but hilariously eccentric family. A chance for Robert De Niro to lean into his heritage and showcase his comedic chops alongside the always entertaining Kim Cattrall.
OPENING THIS SUMMER
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
(June 2)
Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp
Powers and Justin K. Thompson.
Starring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac
Rated PG (as of May 23)
Now we’re talking summer. The much-anticipated sequel to the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse of 2018 — a sleeper hit — is finally here. Across the multiverse, Miles meets another band of Spider People. You know how this can go. Young people squabbling among themselves as to how to solve a problem. Miles must find a way to intervene in the crisis. Of course, the universe’s fate is at stake, which ups the ante.
Past Lives (June 2)
Directed by Celine Song, starring Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Ji Hye Yoon
Rated PG-13
Ready for romance, Korean style? It’s all here in a nice, neat package. Childhood sweethearts. One of them emigrates. They find each other again 20 years later. It sounds all too American, but I’ve learned never to underestimate a Korean drama. Just watch My Mister on Netflix.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (June 9)
Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Starring Pete Davidson, Michelle Yeoh, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage
Into the Transformers universe we go, with good-guy Autobots (including Optimus Prime and Bumblebee), bad-guy Decepticons and a new group of shapeshifting robots, the Maximals. These take on the shape of animals (gorilla, falcon, cheetah, to name a few) rather than motorized vehicles, and are based loosely on the Beast Wars TV series from the 1990s. Like all Transformers movies, expect the plot to be thin, the CGI to be impressive and the entertainment quotient to be high — particularly with this stacked voice cast. A popcorn movie blockbuster in every sense.
The Blackening (June 16)
Directed by Tim Story
Starring Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg and X Mayo
Taking up the mantle of Jordan Peele, director Tim Story takes an old horror trope and turns it on its ear. To celebrate Juneteenth, a group of Black friends gather at a remote cabin in the woods. They find a dusty board game called The Blackening, and the fun begins.
Elemental (June 16)
Directed by Peter Sohn
Starring Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie,
Ronnie Del Carmen, Shila Ommi
Rated PG
What’s summer without Pixar? In the studio’s latest release, characters made out of “elements” exists in Element City. One rule they have: Elements cannot mix. But what happens if, say, fire bonds with water.? Is there a cultural message here? Yeah, it’s Pixar. They take cute and make it relevant.
The Flash (June 16)
Directed by Andy Muschietti
Starring Ezra Miller, Ben Affleck, Sasha Calle, Michael Keaton and Michael Shannon
Rated PG-13
Ah, DC characters. They’re a staple for summer. This time it’s The Flash messing with time to save his mother. Hmm, that’s not a good idea. Think of all the villains that could use this portal. Then again, who better to team up with than other DC characters like Batman or Supergirl.
Asteroid City (June 23)
Directed by Wes Anderson
Starring Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright
Rated PG-13
Wes is back. Need I say more? In bright pastels, no less, and he’s brought his whole darn family with him, plus Tom Hanks and Jeffrey Wright. They’ve all come to a desert town in 1955 to attend an annual star-gazing convention. Wes loves quirkiness, tongue-in-cheek and just plain weird. He’s got it all cooking in this film.
No Hard Feelings (June 16)
Directed by Gene Stupnitsky
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Ebon
Moss-Cachrach, Natalie Morales and
Matthew Broderick
Rated R
The wealthy parents of an introverted and socially awkward teen place a Craigslist ad in order to find him a girlfriend. He lucks out when it’s answered by the character played by Jennifer Lawrence. Can’t Buy Me Love for a new generation?
God Is a Bullet (June 23)
Directed by Nick Cassavetes
Starring Jamie Foxx, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Maika Monroe and January Jones
When a detective’s daughter is kidnapped by a cult, he goes deep undercover to infiltrate it and save her. Inspired by true events and based on a best-selling novel by Boston Teran.
Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (June 30)
Directed by Kirk DeMicco and Faryn Pearl
Starring Jane Fonda, Lana Condor, Toni
Collette, Annie Murphy and Sam Richardson
Summer animation, Part IV, is introduced by Dreamworks. Yes, they’re competing with The Little Mermaid, Spider-Man and Elemental by offering a strange story of a teenage kraken trying to make it in the human world. High school, no less. Yeah, that could be tough, starting with how to breathe. Still, it offers a glimmer of hope because Ruby is descended from a royal family. But first, she has to learn to accept her kraken self. Wait. Aren’t krakens . . . scary?
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
(June 30)
Directed by James Mangold
Starring Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Antonio Banderas
Rated PG-13
Oh my gosh, he’s back. Indiana Jones is ageless. So, he’s looking back at his career and yet looking forward to . . . what? The man is supposed to be retired. But he has a goddaughter, and I suppose that keeps him hopping. Then there’s Mads Mikkelsen, the great Danish actor, as the villain. We’re hoping Indie doesn’t hurt himself. And for Pete’s sake, stay away from those snakes.
Joy Ride (July 7)
Directed by Adele Lim
Starring Sabrina Wu, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu, and Ashley Park
Rated R
Ready for an Asian sendup of The Hangover? No punches pulled here as four friends go to China to find a long-lost mother. A raunchy road trip comedy from the co-writer of Crazy Rich Asians.
Biosphere (July 7)
Directed by Mel Eslyn
Starring Sterling K. Brown, Mark Duplass
Ah, finally, some good summer sci-fi. From one-half of the Duplass brothers, with Sterling K. Brown, it’s the end of the world with utter destruction outside and two men stuck together in a biosphere for who knows how long. Maybe forever. It could be fun. It might even be funny. Who knows? One thing it won’t be is boring.
Mission: Impossible – Dead
Reckoning Part One (July 12)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Starring Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, and
Simon Pegg
Super-spy Ethan Hunt and friends are at it again, trying to save the world from an evil mastermind. The plot is beside the point: This one is all about action, adventure, secret agent shenanigans and Tom Cruise. Keep an eye out for Part Two in 2024.
The Miracle Club (July 14)
Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan
Starring Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith
Rated PG-13
How can anyone resist Dame Maggie Smith? This comedy set in Ireland features a group of friends on a pilgrimage to Lourdes
who are reluctantly joined by a younger ex-pat. Expect witty dialogue, razor-sharp ripostes and gorgeous scenery.
Barbie (July 21)
Directed by Greta Gerwig
Starring Margot Robbie, Ryan
Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae
Rated PG-13
What could have been written off as marketing mayhem has garnered huge interest thanks to director Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote it with partner Noah Baumbach. Indie cred? Check. Top talent? Check. Over-the-top visuals? Check. Expect a perky parody of American culture that simultaneously pays homage to one of the greatest icons of the toy world.
Oppenheimer (July 21)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr.,
Matt Damon
Director Christopher Nolan jumps into the life and times of atomic bomb guru Robert Oppenheimer via the Manhattan Project and examines his brilliance and fragility. It could be thought-provoking. Maybe even Oscar-worthy.
Haunted Mansion (July 28)
Directed by Justin Simien
Starring Winona Ryder, Rosario Dawson, Jared Leto and Jamie
Lee Curtis
Rated PG-13
It worked for the Pirates of the Caribbean, didn’t it? Disney hopes to scare up more success with this cinematic take on the popular Haunted Mansion ride. No guarantees, but with director Justin Simien (of Dear White People fame) at the helm and an all-star cast, the premise is surprisingly intriguing.
Talk to Me (July 28)
Directed by Danny Philippou and
Michael Philippou
Starring Sophia Wilde, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Marcus Johnson
Rated R
Another great Black horror film in waiting. A group of friends find a ceramic hand and discover that it’s got some power to it. But do they use caution? Nooo. Of course not. Which naturally unleashes some pretty horrific consequences.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:
Mutant Mayhem
Directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears
Starring Rose Byrne, Paul Rudd and John Cena
Those heroes on the half-shell are back in an all-new animated adventure . . . again . . . some more. Seth Rogen is one of the writers, though, so it might have more to recommend it than just the nostalgia factor.
The Meg 2: The Trench (Aug. 4)
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Starring Jason Statham, Jing Wu and
Sienna Guillory
Under the sea . . . and into the jaws of DEATH. An enormous prehistoric shark called a megalodon was the subject of this exuberant creature feature that debuted in 2018, to critical jeers but a surprising amount of audience cheers. Hence the second installment. Action, adventure, sci-fi and horror all rolled into one B-movie extravaganza. If you choose to go — and let’s be honest, this is not everyone’s kettle of fish — keep your expectations low and just enjoy the ride.
Gran Turismo (Aug. 11)
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Starring Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Djimon Hounsou
From South African director Neill
Blomkamp comes a race movie and a coming-of-age biopic. Based on the life of British professional race car driver Jann Mardenborough, it promises video game expertise and lots of genuine racing action. It could be a sleeper in the vein of Fast and Furious.
Last Voyage of the Demeter (Aug. 11)
Directed by André Øvredal
Starring Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian
Rated R
Ready for some vampires? This is another retelling of Brahm Stoker’s Dracula, only it backs up to the actual transporting of the beasts on the Russian ship Demeter. It’s one thing to meet the guy in his castle and quite another to be stuck on a boat with the whole bloody crew in the middle of the ocean.
Strays (Aug. 18)
Directed by Josh Greenbaum
Starring Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Sofia Vergara
Rated R
Don’t be fooled by the cute pups in this talking-dog comedy — Strays is a raunchy romp in the mold of Ted or Sausage Party. When a border terrier gets abandoned on the street, he teams up with a pack of stray dogs to seek revenge on his abusive owner.
Blue Beetle (Aug. 18)
Directed by Angel Manuel Soto
Starring Susan Sarandon, Harvey Guillén and Raoul Max Trujillo
Warner Bros. brings another DC superhero to the theater, this one with a Latinx twist. College grad Jaime Reyes finds a mysterious alien relic called the Scarab, which grants him superpowers and an exoskeleton, turning him into the Blue Beetle.
White Bird (Aug. 25)
Directed by Marc Forster
Starring Helen Mirren, Gillian Anderson and Bryce Gheisar
Based on the book by the same name, this Helen Mirren-led war drama tells the story of a young Jewish woman in occupied France who is hidden from the Nazis by a classmate. A tear-jerker of the first order.
Golda (Aug. 25)
Directed by Guy Nattiv
Starring Helen Mirren, Zed Josef and
Claudette Williams
Rated PG-13
Helen Mirren is having a busy August, with two movies opening the same week in which she stars as a Jewish woman. In this biopic, she portrays Prime Minister Golda Meir, the “Iron Lady of Israel,” during the trials, tribulations and political upheaval of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War.
The Equalizer 3 (Sept. 1)
Directed by Antoine Fuqua
Starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman and Sonia Ammar
Marine-turned-intelligence agent Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) hits the big screen once again in this third installment of the action-packed thriller. He’s trying to enjoy the quiet life in Italy, but comes out of retirement to confront the local mafia.