As April draws to a close, the month serves as a reminder that the summer movie season is nearly upon us. From the first week of May through the final days of August, audiences both young and old will be flooding theaters worldwide. And while IP is set to dominate as usual this year, there are a handful of original movies poised to break out in a major way. Mark our words: a few actors you may not know yet will be household names by the end of summer, and just in time for the Oscar season. After careful inspection, here are the films audiences will likely gravitate toward this summer.
MICHAEL – April 24th
When a bio hits (as in the case of Elton John, Queen, Bob Marley, et cetera), they really connect with audiences. The best ones usually cover a specific period in an artist’s career rather than their entire life’s work, and with ‘Michael’, audiences will be in for visual overload as he is portrayed by Jafaar Jackson, the King of Pop’s real-life nephew. Navigating a biography so potentially polarizing is what will ultimately decide how well-received this bio-pic is, but early indications are that this depiction hits all the right notes and highlights arguably the world’s most famous individual ever.
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2 – May 2nd
With the real Miranda Priestly, Anna Wintour, officially stepping down from day-to-day operations at Vogue US, it only makes sense that ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2′ incorporates the real person on whom the hit movies are based. The sequel releases almost exactly 20 years after the original film, and this time, the Priestly empire is in turmoil as audiences read less and tweet more. With the help of Emily, Andrea, and of course, the always regal Stanley Tucci, the Fab 4 are back to give audiences what they have been waiting for. Expect a lot of cameos, a lot of fashion, and announcements for a third film if this one follows the trajectory that many believe it will. And with Streep in fine form, does anyone have any doubt?
THE MANDALORIAN & GROGU – May 22nd
Expectations are mixed for this one, and understandably. For those who ascribe to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mantra, the television show was one of the highlights of the Star Wars universe, with Pedro Pascal managing to bring emotion to a role that easily could have remained cold and calculating. Being able to generate chemistry with a puppet (no matter how beloved) is a gift not many actors possess. With the announcement of a full-length film, however, expectations are even higher, and many are hoping for a return to form after an underwhelming third season of the television series. We believe The Force still lives in The Mandalorian, in Grogu, and we cannot wait to see where Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni take audiences this summer!
BACKROOMS – May 29th
A24 is known for producing high-brow horror and is poised to continue its streak with Kane Parsons’ adaptation of his viral YouTube horror concept. This one will lean heavily on unsettling atmosphere rather than conventional plot-driven studio horror, and that may be the best thing going for this upcoming release. It certainly helps that powerful performers Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve headline the cast. The lineup already makes it worthy of at least a watch.
SCARY MOVIE – June 5th
This one makes the list for purely personal reasons, as its success guarantees the green light for another (in) famous Wayans movie, ‘White Chicks’. As much as the world embraced the first ‘Scary Movie’, the sequels lost gas with each successive release in the mid-2000s. But for the first time since ‘Scary Movie 2’ in 2001, the Wayans brothers are back in the driver’s seat. They appear ready to hit the ground running again with spoofs of ‘Scream 6’, ‘M3GAN’, ‘Get Out’, ‘Sinners’, and ‘Weapons’, employing the trademark Wayans approach to comedy. Will this connect with a new generation? Computer says yes!
DISCLOSURE DAY – June 12th
Spielberg and summers have never missed, and we expect more success for the acclaimed director with ‘Disclosure Day’. Is this a sequel of sorts to his classic ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’? No one knows yet. But what we do know: an otherworldly cast including Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo. If you see only a few movies this summer, be sure this is one of them!
TOY STORY 5 – June 19th
Conventional wisdom says the series should have ended with the perfect ‘Toy Story 3’, but industry buzz is that the latest release returns the movies to their OG glory. This time, the toys encounter Lilypad, “a high-tech, frog-shaped smart tablet that turns playtime into chaos for Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the gang.” There is reason to be excited about the fifth installment, with its reported storyline about Bonnie (Scarlett Spears), now eight years old and more interested in her smart tablet than using her imagination. Parents everywhere can relate.
SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW – June 26th
James Gunn’s DC universe continues to expand with Milly Alcock stepping into the shoes of Kara Zor-El. While DC fans have had a television series based on the character, this is the first time we will see Supergirl on the big screen, and the excitement alone is reason to highlight its impact. Since her brief appearance in the well-received ‘Superman’ last year, this film has been highly anticipated because it is about time we got female-led movies featuring characters who do not have everything together. A large part of why ‘Superman’ was so incredible was its exploration of kindness at a time when we needed it most. Here is hoping ‘Supergirl’ adds to the DCU instead of taking away from it.
THE ODYSSEY – July 17th
The big one. Every studio slate eventually bends toward one event film, and this is undeniably the entry this summer. Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of Homer is a rarity this summer: long-form cinematic ambition. The risk is obvious. This big-budget literary epic could either restore faith in serious studio filmmaking or collapse under its own scale. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, intrigue remains high. As you may recall, there was a dustup about the rumored casting of Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy. The cast is impressive, controversial, and uncanny all at once. The world should all take a collective breath and allow Nolan to do what he does best – take our collective breaths away. At the end of the day? Nolan is directing, that cast is amazing, and we are sure to feast on dazzling visuals, given the $250 million budget and location shooting spanning eight countries. The question is not whether ‘The Odyssey’ will receive Oscar nominations, but how many.
SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY – July 31st
Everyone’s favorite arachnoid meta-human is back, and anticipation is higher than normal – even for this franchise. After the massive, mind-bending crossover spectacle of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, it appears that ‘Brand New Day’ will be a deeply personal, streets-of-New-York story set four years after Doctor Strange cast a spell that made the world forget Peter Parker ever existed. Despite the sunny title, this installment looks to be the darkest ‘Spider-Man’ adventure yet.
THE END OF OAK STREET – August 14th
There is something about late summer that brings out sci-fi and supernatural films. ‘An American Werewolf in London’, ‘The Fly’, ‘The Abyss’, ‘The Sixth Sense’, ‘The Others’ — all were August releases. With the talented David Robert Mitchell (‘It Follows’) writing and directing, ‘The End of Oak Street’ leans into the sci-fi mystery genre. Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor headline the cast of this story about a family living in a tranquil 1980s suburban neighborhood until a disturbing cosmic event rips an entire street out of suburbia and into… well. We will have to wait and see!
BOLD PREDICTION: THE STARS YOU WILL KNOW BY SEPTEMBER
Milly Alcock is about to become a household name. Jafaar Jackson will be everywhere this fall. And keep your eyes on Eve Hewson and Renate Reinsve — both are one role away from superstardom, and that role may arrive before Labor Day. Stay tuned!
