While the weather outside likely has many wondering when Spring will actually start, summer season is about to kick-off – in the cinemas at least. Yes, the movies business celebrated summer a little earlier than most of us are used to, and the summer season is usually the busiest time for the movie studios. While the warm weather makes it fun to be outdoors once again, it can be nice to escape the heat to an air-conditioned theatre and enjoy some popcorn fun. From the end of this month all the way to the end of August, the biggest films of the year will be released and we have a breakdown of all the must-sees coming to a theatre near you.
Avengers: Infinity War (April 27)
Directed by Joe and Anthony Russo
Starring Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth
That’s right, April is apparently a summer month – at least according to Hollywood. However, if there is one movie big enough to break such rules, it’s this one. After 10 years, Marvel Studios is launching the most epic superhero team-up and the culmination of their last decade of movies. Heroes including (deep breath) Iron Man, Captain American, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange and the Guardians of the Galaxy join forces to take on the villainous Thanos who is on a quest to balance the universe by wiping out half its population. Sure to be the biggest film of the year.
Deadpool 2 (May 18)
Directed by David Leitch
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Zazie Beetz
It wouldn’t be summer movie season without a bunch of superhero movies, so to follow-up after the Avengers extravaganza, we have the return of the most foul-mouthed superhero. The first Deadpool was a breath of fresh air for many superhero fans as the R-rated, outrageous and self-aware comedy felt very different from the rest of the genre. Here’s hoping the sequel will recapture that magic.
Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 25)
Directed by Ron Howard
Starring Alden Ehrenreich, Donald Glover, Emilia Clarke
If there’s not a superhero movie coming out, then there must be a Star Wars movie instead. This spin-off film looks back on the early days of everyone’s favourite smuggling space scoundrel, Han Solo and his famous friends like Chewbacca and Lando. Looking like a Western set in a galaxy far, far away, it could be a fun departure from the Jedi-heavy films of the series. It will be interesting to see how young Alden Ehrenreich will fare in a role made so iconic by Harrison Ford.
Ocean’s 8 (June 8)
Directed by Gary Ross
Starring Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway
In this sort-of-sequel, sort-of-remake of Ocean’s Eleven, the team of thieves is gender-swapped for a band of female criminals. Bullock plays the sister of George Clooney’s Daniel Ocean from the first film, and she leads a star-studded team of ladies as they look to pull off an elaborate heist at the Met Gala.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (June 8)
Directed by Morgan Neville
In a movie season filled with big blockbuster, it might be nice to quiet down with a documentary. This highly-praised film takes a look at the life and career of Mister Rogers, and while some documentaries of this kind look to unveil the darker aspects of their subjects, this one seems to reaffirm what we all hoped – Mister Rogers was just as nice, tolerate and friendly in real life as he was on television.
Incredibles 2 (June 15)
Directed by Brad Bird
Starring Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson
Pixar seems to always hit a home run with their films and there is a lot of anticipation about this follow-up to one of their most popular film. Revisiting the lives of the family of superheroes, this sequel looks at the dynamic when Mrs. Incredible takes up the crime-fighting duties while Mr. Incredible acts as stay-at-home dad. Expect plenty of laughs, thrills and heart-warming moments.
Tag (June 15)
Directed by Jeff Tomsic
Starring Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, Jeremy Renner
Incredibly based on a true story, this star-studded summer comedy follows a group of childhood friends who have stayed connected over the years by playing a never-ending game of tag. An unusual premise with a lot of potential.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 22)
Directed by J.A. Bayona
Starring Chris Hemsworth, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall
The second film in this new Jurassic Park series promises plenty of thrilling dino action. When a cataclysmic event threatens to wipe out all of the dinosaurs on the isolated island, a team goes in to save the miracle creatures while trying to avoid getting eaten.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (June 29)
Directed by Stefano Sollima
Starring Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin, Catherine Keener
Sicario was tense and captivating thriller set amongst the gray areas of the illegal drug war. The films follow-up promises to delves deeper into that mayhem. As the violence of the drug war spills onto American soil, a covert black ops team is sent in to Mexico to ignite a war between the cartels as a way of bringing them all down.
Ant-Man and the Wasp (July 6)
Directed by Peyton Reed
Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
The smallest Avenger returns and this time he’s not alone. On the run from the law, Ant-Man partners with another microscopic hero, The Wasp to uncover secrets from the past that could have dangerous consequences. The first film has a fun superhero adventure and the sequel looks to continue with the inventive use of the small world action.
Skyscraper (July 13)
Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber
Starring Dwayne Johnson, Neve Campbell, Pablo Schreiber
It wouldn’t be summer with out the world’s biggest star. Dwayne Johnson stars as a former solider turned security contractor working in a luxury skyscraper. When a fire breaks out which threatens to consume the whole building, he must but his life of the line to save the day.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (July 20)
Directed by Ol Parker
Starring Meryl Streep, Lily James, Cher
The sequel to the wildly popular first film, which was itself an adaption of the beloved Broadway musical, which was itself a celebration of the works of 80s supergroup ABBA. This films finds young Sophia facing life-changing events as she looks back on the past of her fun-loving mother.
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (July 27)
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg
Tom Cruise returns as super-spy Ethan Hunt in his latest attempt to save the world. With a mission gone wrong, Hunt finds his whole life coming crashing down around him as his past mistakes come back to haunt him. Cruise is once-again putting himself front and center for the film’s death-defying stunts – include one which left him with a broken ankle, which you can see in the finished film.
Christopher Robin (August 3)
Directed by Marc Forster
Starring Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Mark Gatiss
Who doesn’t love Winnie the Pooh? Even as adults, we can still enjoy the lovable, easy-going teddy bear. In this live action film, an adult Christopher Robin finds himself overwhelmed by his career and drifting away from his family. He is given a chance to reconnect with his childhood and joy for life when he is visited by his old friend, Winnie.
The Meg (August 10)
Directed by Jon Turtletaub
Starring Jason Statham, Bingbing Li, Cliff Curtis
A renowned Naval Commander is tasked with rescuing a group of scientists from a deep-sea research facility. However, in the depths of the ocean, he discovers a much bigger threat than he could have ever imagined – a massive prehistoric shark come back to wreak terror. The trailer for this film dropped just last week and the consensus was clear – this giant shark adventure could only be a whole lot of fun or really bad.
Which summer movie are you looking forward to the most?