by Josh Sewell
The film industry hasn’t completely bounced back from the ongoing pandemic, as evidenced by the box office results for almost anything that isn’t animated or doesn’t feature superheroes. However, fans of multiplex fare are on track to experience one of the most “normal” summer movie seasons in a while. Here are a few upcoming titles I’m curious about.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6)
The battle for summer dominance might be over before it even starts. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is fresh off a juggernaut hit with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which introduced Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and audiences to the possibilities of the multiverse. The buzz on the character’s first full-blown sequel might be even more deafening, partly because of Wanda Maximoff’s return after her heartbreaking Disney+ series WandaVision, but also because of all the surprises and big-name cameos rumored to be in store.
Firestarter (May 13)
Stephen King adaptations are notoriously hit-or-miss, but it helps when the first attempt was bad to start with. Drew Barrymore was solid in the 1984 movie, but it squandered pretty much everything else that made King’s heartbreaking sci-fi thriller so interesting. Nowhere to go but up, right? Hopefully, the promising trailer for the latest version isn’t misleading. Zac Efron plays the father (that’s not a typo – the High School Musical actor is 34 now) of a young girl (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) with the mysterious ability to start fires with her mind. When a covert government agency sets out to capture her, they inadvertently unleash her full potential.
Top Gun: Maverick (May 27)
Originally slated to open in July 2019, this long-awaited sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 cheesy classic had its release date changed six times thanks to the pandemic and other shooting delays. I wasn’t a huge fan of the original (although you can’t deny that soundtrack), but I’m cautiously optimistic for the new installment. Cruise, once again playing Maverick, reportedly insisted on all-practical flight sequences instead of CGI. He’s also flanked by a killer list of co-stars including Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris and the great Val Kilmer, reprising his role as Iceman.
Jurassic World Dominion (June 10)
The latest installment of the successful dino-rampaging franchise has a lot of damage to repair. 2015’s Jurassic World was okay (in spite of Chris Pratt’s subpar Indiana Jones impression), but 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was pure trash, trading epic scope for a lame haunted house flick that replaced ghosts with dinosaurs. The filmmakers appear to acknowledge those diminishing returns in bringing back original stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum to prop up the lame characters played by Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Plus, the premise centers on a world where the creatures now thrive outside the park. Whatever happens, director Colin Trevorrow swears this is the finale. I’m not holding my breath.
Lightyear (June 17)
Nope (July 22)
I know almost nothing about writer-director Jordan Peele’s latest horror/sci-fi flick, and I want to keep it that way. I’m trying my best to go into the theater blind for this one, which reunites the Oscar-winning filmmaker with his Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya. Keke Palmer and Steven Yuen also co-star.
Bullet Train (July 29)
Brad Pitt plays one of several assassins (including Zazie Beetz, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Brian Tyree Henry) onboard a train in Japan that reaches speeds of almost 200 mph. They’re all searching for the same mysterious briefcase, so violent chaos ensues. It’s directed by David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) and the trailer looks absolutely bonkers, so I’m excited.
The film industry hasn’t completely bounced back from the ongoing pandemic, as evidenced by the box office results for almost anything that isn’t animated or doesn’t feature superheroes. However, fans of multiplex fare are on track to experience one of the most “normal” summer movie seasons in a while. Here are a few upcoming titles I’m curious about.
The battle for summer dominance might be over before it even starts. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is fresh off a juggernaut hit with Spider-Man: No Way Home, which introduced Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and audiences to the possibilities of the multiverse. The buzz on the character’s first full-blown sequel might be even more deafening, partly because of Wanda Maximoff’s return after her heartbreaking Disney+ series WandaVision, but also because of all the surprises and big-name cameos rumored to be in store.
Stephen King adaptations are notoriously hit-or-miss, but it helps when the first attempt was bad to start with. Drew Barrymore was solid in the 1984 movie, but it squandered pretty much everything else that made King’s heartbreaking sci-fi thriller so interesting. Nowhere to go but up, right? Hopefully, the promising trailer for the latest version isn’t misleading. Zac Efron plays the father (that’s not a typo – the High School Musical actor is 34 now) of a young girl (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) with the mysterious ability to start fires with her mind. When a covert government agency sets out to capture her, they inadvertently unleash her full potential.
Originally slated to open in July 2019, this long-awaited sequel to Tom Cruise’s 1986 cheesy classic had its release date changed six times thanks to the pandemic and other shooting delays. I wasn’t a huge fan of the original (although you can’t deny that soundtrack), but I’m cautiously optimistic for the new installment. Cruise, once again playing Maverick, reportedly insisted on all-practical flight sequences instead of CGI. He’s also flanked by a killer list of co-stars including Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris and the great Val Kilmer, reprising his role as Iceman.
The latest installment of the successful dino-rampaging franchise has a lot of damage to repair. 2015’s Jurassic World was okay (in spite of Chris Pratt’s subpar Indiana Jones impression), but 2018’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was pure trash, trading epic scope for a lame haunted house flick that replaced ghosts with dinosaurs. The filmmakers appear to acknowledge those diminishing returns in bringing back original stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum to prop up the lame characters played by Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. Plus, the premise centers on a world where the creatures now thrive outside the park. Whatever happens, director Colin Trevorrow swears this is the finale. I’m not holding my breath.
Toy Story 4 wrapped up the adventures of Woody and Buzz Lightyear on a poignant note, but Disney can’t leave merchandising dollars on the table. As such, the studio takes the franchise in a different direction, focusing on the actual character of Buzz Lightyear rather than the toy that bears his likeness (which is why he sounds like Chris Evans instead of Tim Allen). Got that? Not unnecessarily confusing whatsoever.
Elvis (June 24)
I can’t say I’ve loved director Baz Luhrmann’s previous work (his over-the-top style seemed like a match for The Great Gatsby, but even that turned out to be a tepid misfire), yet I have to admit I’m curious about his upcoming take on the life of rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley. As always, the flick looks incredible and Austin Butler (last seen as a member of the Manson family in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) looks perfect in the titular role. On the other hand, he’s also got Tom Hanks in a fat suit playing Colonel Tom Parker – not so sure about that choice.
The Black Phone (June 24)
The last time Ethan Hawke and director Scott Derrickson teamed up for a horror movie, 2012’s Sinister, I don’t think I slept for a week. So, I’m both excited and terrified they’re reuniting for this adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story about a young boy (Finney Shaw) who’s abducted by a masked killer (Hawke). Stuck in a soundproof basement, the situation seems hopeless until he starts receiving calls from the kidnapper’s previous victims on a disconnected phone.
Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8)
I’m thrilled to see director Taika Waititi returning to the franchise he revitalized with 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. This time around, the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) takes on the villainous Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) with help from old friends (Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson) and new (what’s left of the Guardians of the Galaxy, including Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel). Plus, viewers will also find out why we saw Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) wielding a familiar hammer in full Thor gear at the end of the recent teaser trailer.
I can’t say I’ve loved director Baz Luhrmann’s previous work (his over-the-top style seemed like a match for The Great Gatsby, but even that turned out to be a tepid misfire), yet I have to admit I’m curious about his upcoming take on the life of rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley. As always, the flick looks incredible and Austin Butler (last seen as a member of the Manson family in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) looks perfect in the titular role. On the other hand, he’s also got Tom Hanks in a fat suit playing Colonel Tom Parker – not so sure about that choice.
The last time Ethan Hawke and director Scott Derrickson teamed up for a horror movie, 2012’s Sinister, I don’t think I slept for a week. So, I’m both excited and terrified they’re reuniting for this adaptation of Joe Hill’s short story about a young boy (Finney Shaw) who’s abducted by a masked killer (Hawke). Stuck in a soundproof basement, the situation seems hopeless until he starts receiving calls from the kidnapper’s previous victims on a disconnected phone.
I’m thrilled to see director Taika Waititi returning to the franchise he revitalized with 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. This time around, the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) takes on the villainous Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) with help from old friends (Valkyrie, played by Tessa Thompson) and new (what’s left of the Guardians of the Galaxy, including Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel). Plus, viewers will also find out why we saw Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) wielding a familiar hammer in full Thor gear at the end of the recent teaser trailer.
I know almost nothing about writer-director Jordan Peele’s latest horror/sci-fi flick, and I want to keep it that way. I’m trying my best to go into the theater blind for this one, which reunites the Oscar-winning filmmaker with his Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya. Keke Palmer and Steven Yuen also co-star.
Brad Pitt plays one of several assassins (including Zazie Beetz, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Brian Tyree Henry) onboard a train in Japan that reaches speeds of almost 200 mph. They’re all searching for the same mysterious briefcase, so violent chaos ensues. It’s directed by David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2) and the trailer looks absolutely bonkers, so I’m excited.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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