Hey everybody and welcome to a brand new post! It’s been a while, but I find myself yearning to get back into the thick of things and start writing up more posts. Plus given that we have the summer movie season approaching soon, what better time than now than to do some special posts to celebrate the occasion. Thus, I will not only be doing this list detailing my most anticipated movies of the summer but also my predictions for the what the top 10 of the summer will potentially be. But for this post we will be diving into what I am personally most excited for. Not gonna lie, despite not being as packed as last year, I found this to be fairly difficult to put together as there is quite a bit that I find myself genuinely hyped for. In fact there are a number of releases that I unfortunately had to leave off the list, but am still very much interested (will go over those at the end of the ranking). But tough decisions have to be made and so without further ado, let’s look into what I am most looking forward to this summer!
15. The Watchers
Release Date: June 14th
While M. Night Shyamalan does have a really cool sounding movie coming out in August (which just barely missed the list), he is not the only one in the family whose got something cooking this season as his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, is taking a stab at a feature length film. Known for directing some music videos as well as directing and writing some episodes of her father’s Apple TV+ show, Servant, this movie is based off of the novel of the same name by A. M. Shine. It concerns an artist who gets stranded in a forest in western Ireland and finds shelter, unknowingly becoming trapped alongside three other strangers who are being watched by mysterious creatures every night. It stars Dakota Fanning and Georgina Campbell among others and I think it looks to be a very creepy and suspenseful horror film with an intriguing premise. The trailer definitely enticed me as I am curious as to where this story will go and how Shyamalan will fare in her feature debut. I have heard very good things about Servant and from the looks of it, she seems to have a knack for crafting an eerie atmosphere and sense of mystery. Am definitely rooting for her to knock it out of the park with this one and it is kind of neat that both her and her father have films coming out within the span of a few months.
14. Fly Me to the Moon
Release Date: July 12th
It seems like rom coms are finally starting to make their way back to the big screen and personally, I’m all for it. Now granted this is technically an Apple production that is going to theaters through Sony because they are now committed to theatrical, but I’ll take the wins where I can. Initially titled Project Artemis, this film takes place during the 1960s space race where a relationship blossoms between the director of the Apollo 11 mission (Channing Tatum) and a marketing specialist (Scarlett Johansson) who is brought in to fix the image of NASA and plan a fake lunar landing as a back up in case the real one backfires. Other notable names involved include Ray Romano and Woody Harrelson, while Greg Berlanti of the CW Arrow verse fame (as well as director of the well received film, Love, Simon) is behind the director’s chair. I think this movie looks like a ton of fun with the trailer providing several laughs and I’m digging the pairing of Tatum and Johansson in a movie like this. The core premise definitely has potential and I really dig the idea of crafting a fictional story like this that takes place during a significant historical event like the moon landing. I’m just happy that Apple is giving their big budget originals a chance to shine in theaters as it means more old fashioned studio programmers like this that look polished made for this level. I myself am eager to see this as well as the Jon Watts directed Wolfs, starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, in September.
13. Alien: Romulus
Release Date: August 16th
It has been 6 years since Alien Covenant, which is where we last saw the Xenomorphs on the big screen. Now they are coming back with Fede Alvarez of Evil Dead (2013) and Don’t Breathe fame at the helm and a cast that includes Cailee Spaeny, Archie Renaux, and Isabela Merced among others. This one looks to be more of a back to basics approach following Ridley Scott’s ambitiously cerebral duology of prequel films (the aforementioned Covenant as well as Prometheus) with a simple story taking place between Alien and Aliens, concerning a group of young space colonists who come face to face with the dreaded life form on an abandoned space station. This was originally intended for Hulu until Disney/20th Century Studios decided to bump it up to theatrical at the last minute as they did not want a repeat of what happened with the Predator prequel, Prey (buzzy franchise extension that likely would have benefitted from theatrical awareness). Always great to see that happen especially with a franchise as iconic as Alien. I’m a huge sci-fi fan so naturally I have liking for this franchise even if I haven’t seen all of them with the Xenomorph being one of my favorite movie monsters of all time. That and as a huge fan of Don’t Breathe, I feel like Fede Alvarez is a great choice given the more horror based approach this move is going for and he has promised that a lot of practical effects will be used to bring the Xenomorphs, face huggers and all of the bloody mayhem that comes with them to life. All of this sounds great and it sounds like just what the franchise needs to perhaps get people back on board this world again after some divisive entries.
12. Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Release Date: June 7th
Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett are back to cause some more mayhem in the 4th installment of the Bad Boys franchise. Directors, Bilall Fallah and Adil El Arbi return to the director’s chair after helming 2020’s Bad Boys for Life while most everyone who survived the last one returns. Joining the cast are Eric Danes, Rhea Sheehorn, and Ioan Grufford among others while the plot concerns Mike and Marcus on the run while trying to uncover a drug smuggling conspiracy and clear the name of their late Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano, who is returning via video recordings) who knew of this plot. While I do enjoy the original Bad Boys and the incredibly flawed but amusingly bonkers, Bad Boys II, it was Bad Boys for Life that made me into a bigger fan of this series due to just being so shockingly good. It had all of the great action and comedy one would expect from the series while also being genuinely emotional and engaging while developing the characters in interesting ways. Plus Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have such great chemistry with one another that them just bickering for a couple of hours would be entertaining in and of itself. So naturally with the same creatives involved I am of course down for another one! The “heroes on the run” plot line is a common one used in action movie sequels, but I can see the potential in that here and the trailer makes this look like just as much as a blast as the last one. So here’s for another fun ride with Miami’s finest!
11. A Quiet Place: Day One
Release Date: June 28th
While we may still have to wait a little longer to see the continuing journey of the Abbott family, that doesn’t mean we don’t have other avenues of the A Quiet Place universe to explore. Director, Michael Sarnoski (known for the acclaimed Nicolas Cage film, Pig), takes over for John Krasinski this time out with Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou making up the cast. The film takes place in New York during the first day of the invasion and how the world became quiet. I am have been very impressed by the A Quiet Place franchise thus far as I think they are phenomenally crafted films that manage to balance both horror and compelling drama with some top notch performances and a great core concept to boot. That concept looks to be pushed even further with this prequel as the scope looks to be bigger with the action taking place in a big noisy city versus a small town. One of the highlights of the second installment was the opening scene detailing the first day of the invasion from the perspective of the Abbott family, so getting to see a variation of that in a completely different setting has me intrigued. The teaser trailer does a great job teasing the chaos that will go down and I am excited to see a new corner of this universe with new characters played by actors I admire (always great to see Lupita Nyong’o in anything). I am also curious to see what Sarnoski has in store since I was a little hesitant about Krasinski not coming back, but from the looks of it, he seems to have understood what makes these movies work while hopefully putting his own spin on things.
10. The Garfield Movie
Release Date: May 24th
Everyone’s favorite Lasagna loving orange Tabby cat is back on the big screen, this time in animated form for the very first time. This particular adventure follows Garfield (Chris Pratt) reuniting with his long lost father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), as the two of them along with Garfield’s canine friend, Odie, must embark on a high stakes heist. The voice cast also includes such names like Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Brett Goldstein, Harvey Guillen, and Snoop Dog (voicing a cat of course). Now I myself am quite fond of the Garfield character as whether it be through comic strips, shows, or specials, I always find myself charmed by the sense of humor displayed. That was something I felt the live action Bill Murray starring films lacked despite some glimmers of potential here and there and I always felt that Garfield (like most cartoon/comic strip characters) was better suited for animation, so I was naturally optimistic about this new film. Everything I’m seeing thus far from the marketing has gotten me more excited as I’m really digging the animation style that looks colorful and faithful to the classic comic strips with some fun designs thrown in and I found myself laughing at a lot of the jokes present in the trailers. One can definitely tell the people behind this have a great understanding of the character’s history with plenty of shots looking nearly identical to certain comic panels. While I can understand people’s hesitancy regarding Chris Pratt, A. I think all of his voice work has been solid, B. I personally think he has done a good job capturing the personality of the character going off of the trailers, and C. even if he would not have been my first choice, his involvement is not a deal breaker whatsoever in my eyes given everything else the movie has going for it. Another thing that has me jazzed is that Mark Dindel is behind the director’s chair and he is the one who has directed such animated classics like Cats Don’t Dance and The Emperor’s New Groove (also Chicken Little, but that was such a tumultuous production, that I don’t think he is to blame for the quality). If he can bring the same zany sense of humor and charm that he brought to the latter especially, then I think we are in for a fun ride.
9. Hit-Man
Release Date: June 7th (Netflix)
Thanks to his prominent supporting turn in Top Gun: Maverick as well as his co lead turn in the recent hit rom com, Anyone But You, Glen Powell’s star has been on the rise for some time and it looks to continue to shine this summer. Not only is he set to be in Twisters (which didn’t make this list, but I still think it has potential) he if going to star in the latest film from Richard Linklater, Hit-Man. This actually premiered last year at both the Venice Film Festival as well as TIFF and it is a romantic action comedy that concerns an undercover police officer who poses as a hitman in order to arrest those who hire him, until one day he tries saving a woman in need. This sounds like a great premise with a lot of potential and Glen Powell sounds like the perfect fit for this kind of role due to his sheer charisma. Plus the buzz from the festival circuit was rapturous with every review/reaction I’ve seen praising it to the moon and back, calling it an absolute blast. It is a real shame that this got picked up by Netflix and will likely not make as much of an impact than if it had gotten a conventional theatrical release as this sounds like it would have played great with a crowd.
8. The Bikeriders
Release Date: June 21st
Here’s a movie that was originally set to be distributed by 20th Century Studios and release in December of last year, but then got pushed back due to the strikes and then switched distributors as well with Focus Features picking it up. It’s a good thing they did too because it looks like they have a winner on their hand. Directed by Jeff Nichols (Midnight Special, Mud, Loving, etc.) the film follows a Midwestern motorcycle club and how it goes from a place of gathering for outsiders to a violent, sinister gang over the course of a decade. It has quite the cast that includes Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Jodie Comer, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, and Michael Shannon as well as solid reviews out of TIFF. All of this alone is enough to get me interested and the trailers have been very good, promising a compelling story with a lot of intensity and great actors in cool outfits giving it their all. It also means I should try to check out Jeff Nichols’s other films as I have heard nothing but great things about them. So yeah, just looks to be a really interesting original studio programmer with great talent about it and it is one I hope is able to break out to some extent this summer.
7. The Fall Guy
Release Date: May 3rd
After his scene stealing role as Ken in last year’s Barbie and his knock out of a performance at this year’s Oscar Ceremony, it seems like Ryan Gosling is on a hot streak that will hopefully continue with this adaptation of the 1980s TV series of the same name. Gosling stars a stunt man who finds himself having to save his director girlfriend’s (Emily Blunt) movie when the lead actor goes missing. Also starring are Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Stephanie Hsu, and Teresa Palmer. This has been a movie I’ve been looking forward to for a while now ever since it was first announced as the premise itself just sounds like one with a lot of potential and I feel like Gosling is the perfect type to play this sort of role. Not only that but I am a fan of the director, David Leitch (Atomic Blonde, Hobbs & Shaw, Bullet Train, etc.), as I feel he has a good eye for stylish action movies that are just a blast to watch in the moment. The trailers seem to be promising a fun time at the movies and it is very clear Universal has immense confidence in this given just how much they have been screening this movie. The early reviews have been really strong thus far and have only increased my anticipation for the movie further, so here’s hoping it will be a solid kick off to the Summer!
6. Deadpool & Wolverine
Release Date: July 26th
It has been a good while since we’ve last seen the Merc with the Mouth embarking on some R-rated antics and not only is he returning this summer, he’s got a familiar friend tagging along to join the mayhem. Directed by Shawn Levy (who was also behind other Ryan Reynolds starring vehicles such as Free Guy and The Adam Project), the plot this time around concerns Deadpool being pulled from his timeline by the Time Variance Authority and he is now on a mission to change the course of the MCU with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine accompanying him on this journey. Much of the surviving cast from the previous two films are coming back while Emma Corin (said to play the villain, Cassandra Nova, twin sister of Charles Xavier) and Matthew MacFayden (as the TVA agent, Paradox) look to be notable new additions. That’s not to mention the plethora of rumored cameos from various corners of the Fox Marvel properties. Now I will admit that I did have (and honestly still have some) hesitations regarding this project as I’ve been conflicted about Hugh Jackman coming back after Logan was such a fantastic send off for him as the character (yes, I know that will remain canon but from a symbolic sense it just felt right to end it off there). That and I am worried as to how much of a cameo fest this could be and whether this could be a movie that gets bogged down by all of that. That being said with solid writing, Deadpool is a fun character to put into a multiversal scenario like this as there are a number of fun jabs to be made at this kind of story. I do love this character quite a bit and have very much enjoyed the prior two films greatly. Plus pitting him together with Wolverine (serving as the straight man in this buddy cop dynamic) is definitely a fun idea that I know plenty of fans have wanted to see for a while. That and as someone who has a great fondness for the Fox X-Men films, as they were some of the first comic book movies I started getting into, and will defend most of them to the very end, I naturally have a lot of curiosity as to what this will entail since it’s essentially selling itself as the No Way Home of this universe. So while I am a tad nervous, I still have a lot of optimism that this will be yet another fun ride with two of my favorite comic book movie characters.
5. Horizon: An American Saga
Chapter 1 Release Date: June 28th
Chapter 2 Release Date: August 16th
Yes, you read that right. This entry right here is going to have two parts come out this summer as Kevin Costner has a lot of story to tell here! Many probably know him as an actor, but he has tried his hand at directing several times. It has been more than 20 years since Costner last directed a movie which was 2003’s (terrific) Open Range, so I was genuinely surprised and thrilled to hear he would be coming back to direct this epic western saga which details the expansion of the American West during the Civil War period. It will star Costner as well as a plethora of other actors such as Sienna Miller, Jamie Campbell, Abbey Lee, Sam Worthington, Luke Wilson, Danny Huston, Isabelle Fuhrman, Michael Rooker, Jena Malone, Will Patton, Giovanni Ribisi, Thomas Hayden Church, and more. I just find it cool that Costner is using that Yellowstone money and just deciding to go and make an incredibly ambitious project like this. I’ve always greatly admired him not only as an actor/director, but also for his genuine love for the cinematic artform which comes through whenever he is talking about it or in his work. This could very well be another winner for him if everything goes according to plan as the trailer does a solid job of selling the scope of the feature as well as showcase the stunning cinematography. Plus, Chapter 1 is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May which is a great sign of confidence from Warner Bros. Fingers crossed as if things go well for these first two chapters, we could very well got more as Costner has stated he has a story mapped out across at least four movies.
4. IF
Release Date: May 17th
After directing two critically and financially successful movies in the forms of the A Quiet Place films, John Krasinski has decided to take a stab at something the could not be any more different than those films with this star studded family comedy. IF stands for imaginary friends and is about a little girl (Cailey Fleming) named Bea who embarks on an adventure to help these IFs find new kids to connect with. Ryan Reynolds plays Bea’s neighbor, who can also see IFs, while a slew of high profile actors are set to play the various IFs such as Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Emily Blunt, Awkwafina, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Louis Gossett Jr. (who sadly passed away just recently), Sam Rockwell, Jon Stewart, Christopher Meloni, Sebastian Maniscalco, Richard Jenkins, and probably a couple more I am missing. As someone who is a huge fan of Krasinski’s work on the Quiet Place franchise I am very intrigued to see how he’ll handle a family film like this as it is always interesting seeing directors who aren’t known for that kind of thing try their hand at it whether it be Martin Scorsese with Hugo, George Miller with Happy Feet, or Eli Roth with The House with a Clock in its Walls. I think its interesting to see how they bring their sensibilities and try to make them palatable to a younger audience. Not only that but I just think the concept is one brimming with a lot of potential in terms of comedy and themes. I think the film itself looks quite delightful with some solid laughs from the trailers and I’m especially impressed with just how good all the IFs look as these don’t seem like easy designs to translate into live action. I love the creativity on display in regards to all of the different IF designs and it really does look to be an example of taking as much advantage as possible of the premise. Here’s hoping it turns out to be a really nice time at the movies that brims with heart and humor.
3. Inside Out 2
Release Date: June 14th
Given that I am a massive fan of the people over at Pixar, of course this was going to be a shoo in for this list. Now I know a lot of people may harp over the fact that they are doing another sequel to one of their classic films which people think is cynical and a sign of creative downturn… even though they have made nothing but original films for the past of couple years (save for Lightyear which even then is far from a conventional franchise installment). Plus I would argue that Inside Out is one of the few Pixar films that has gone sequel less until now, that I feel lends itself to a follow up given the very concept of the film. This sequel looks to be going in the natural direction where we are getting introduced to new emotions in the form of Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy who show up now that Riley is a teenager. I can absolutely see the potential for a strong follow up that expands upon what its predecessor did, while also maintaining what made it work. Plus I’m digging the humor presented thus far, the animation looks like a step up from the already great looking first film, and I’m interested in seeing how all of the original emotions (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger) will interact working together on the entire journey given that last time they were split up for the majority of the movie. Plus I’m really excited to see what that scene with the characters animated in different styles is handled as from what I’m hearing it is a highlight of the feature. Even if it may not be to the level of the first (which it absolutely does not have to be to be worthwhile) I’m still expecting another fun and emotional ride through the mind.
2. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Release Date: May 10th
It is crazy to believe that the Planet of the Apes series has been able to endure as long as it has been able. Even more impressive is just how great the quality has been for the most recent batch of films with the recent reboot trilogy being, in my opinion, one of the greatest film trilogies in recent memory. I love those films so much with each one being distinct from the other and the character of Caesar, played masterfully by Andy Serkis, being one of my favorite movie characters of all time. Now we have this continuation which looks to expand the series even further, taking place hundreds of years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes and following a young ape named Noa, who must embark on a journey that could determine the future of humans and apes alike. While we are getting a director switch from Matt Reeves (who did the last two movies) to Wes Ball (known primarily for the Maze Runner) trilogy), the same writing team is back and judging by the (spectacular) trailers, it seems like Ball knows what he is doing here. Every time I see footage from this film I get more and more excited about it as the visuals look absolutely phenomenal with the Apes themselves remaining a stunning cinematic achievement and the scale looks to be the bigger than ever. That and I am very interested in how this film will explore Caesar’s legacy especially with how the new villain, Caesar Proximus, is using the teachings of Caesar to enslave other clans while also using human technology to increase his power. There is a lot of potential in these concepts and I am also interested in seeing how the relationships between apes and humans will delved into as well. In all it just looks like another worthy edition to the franchise and if it is as good as hope, we could be looking at the beginning of another strong trilogy.
And the movie I am the most excited for in Summer 2024 is…
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
It is crazy to believe that Mad Max: Fury Road is nearly a decade old at this point and that it is just now that we are getting some kind of extension of it. But hey, knowing George Miller (who spent a VERY long time trying to get Fury Road made), the wait will likely be worth it. This film is set 15-20 years before that film and follows the story of a young Imperator Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy filling in for Charlize Theron this time) and the story of how she got taken from the Green Place of Many Mothers by the Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and all of the trials and tribulations she faces in order to get back home. While I haven’t seen all of the Mad Max movies (though that will change between now and when this comes out), Mad Max: Fury Road is in my opinion one of the greatest action movies ever made and honestly one of my favorite movies period. So the fact that I now have the opportunity to re visit that world (and in theaters no less) is automatically exciting. Adding to that is that I feel this story has a lot of potential as Furiosa is already a fantastic character and getting to explore her origins has me enticed as is the fact that this film will be taking place over the course of many years as we follow her journey. The trailers (which look spectacular in IMAX) have only furthered my excitement teasing an epic return to the Wasteland with some stunning visuals, a huge scale, wacky costumes, and insane looking action sequences. Plus Anya Taylor-Joy is one of my favorite actresses working today and I think she is going to nail this part and I cannot wait to see Chris Hemsworth ham it up as the big bad (side note: if you want to see how he would be like as a villain, definitely recommend Bad Times at the El Royale). Overall, just thinking about this movie just has me so excited and it is not only my most anticipated movie of the Summer, but of the entire year! Bring it on!
And so that just about wraps up my most anticipated movies of Summer list. As for some other notable entries I had to leave off, well while I was initially skeptical about Twisters, the trailer did win me over a bit as it looks like it could be a fun ride. Despicable Me 4 is one that I have some cautious optimism for as while I didn’t like the third entry, I enjoyed Minions: The Rise of Gru, it’s being co written by Mike White (who did the delightful Migration), and it looks funny thus far. If I had seen Yorgo Lanthimos’s other films, I would probably be more into Kinds of Kindness, but it does look interesting. Borderlands could be fun, but the behind the scenes drama has me concerned. M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap looks really cool with one hell of premise (thriller in a concert following a serial killer who must escape a trap the cops are putting one to catch him) while Harold and the Purple Crayon has potential, but the constant delays also make me hesitant. The Crow remake looks fine but its existence is questionable. Oh and Kraven the Hunter is finally coming out… I mean it can’t be any worse than Morbius and Madame Web… right? Of course I’m sure there’ll be plenty of smaller stuff that goes under my radar until closer to release. Other than that though, what do you guys think? What are some of the movies your excited about? Are you as optimistic about these film as I am? As always feel free to leave your thoughts down below in the comments and please check out my box office predictions in regards to what I think the top 10 of the Summer will be.
Review Time 