This summer might feel a lot like the summers pre-Covid, if only because from June to August there are several massive movies you’ll want to see in a theater. Starting June 2 with the arrival of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the summer looks bright and chock-a-block with bombastic features directed by some of the biggest directors out there.
If there’s any trend worth noting about this summer, it’s how franchise-heavy everything is. From a new continuation of “The Meg” to the (final?) installment of “Indiana Jones,” everything has franchise potential, even something like “Barbie” which could start a whole trend of live-action Barbie films.
On top of that, there’s a great combination of IP titles, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the “Mission: Impossible” series, as well as those with tangential connections to established franchises, like how “Last Voyage of the Demeter” is kind of a new Dracula movie.
Regardless, will audiences go out to a movie theater to see all of these? The hope is yes because there’s certainly a lot of entertainment to be found. With the studios reiterating that theatrical is a priority, there’s plenty here to entice someone to put on regular clothes and plunk down money for a ticket.
Here we have 18 movies you should make sure to see, in a theater, this summer.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” — June 2
2018’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” did many things – it established a bold animation style outside of the usual confines of western animation, drawing inspiration not only from Japanese anime but also the comic books origins of the movie’s narrative; gave the world a new Spider-Man in Miles Morales (Shameik Moore); became one of the few non-Disney-or-Pixar animated movies to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar; and introduced the concept of a multiverse, years before Marvel Studios made it the bedrock of their overarching storytelling. (The fact that the $1 billion-earning “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was just a live-action version of the first movie says everything.) For the sequel, writer/producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have assembled a new directing team (made up of “Soul” co-director Kemp Powers, killer animation director Joaquim Dos Santos and former production designer Justin K. Thompson) and gave Miles Morales even more Spider-folk to interact with (including Oscar Isaac’s Spider-Man 2099, Issa Rae’s Spider-Woman and Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk), not to mention a villainous, portal-powered foe named The Spot (Jason Schwartzman). That’s a lot for Miles to deal with! Good thing there’s another movie (“Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse”), due out next spring. – Drew Taylor
“Transformers: Rise of the Beast” — June 9
After six years, the former king franchise of the box office is back on the summer slate, this time without longtime director Michael Bay. “Creed II” director Steven Caple Jr. takes over in this film that sees the arrival of the Maximals — stars of the ’90s “Transformers” spinoff “Beast Wars” — to team up with the Autobots for a battle against the planet-devouring Unicron. – Jeremy Fuster
“The Flash” — June 16
31 years after last donning the cape and cowl in 1992’s “Batman Returns,” Michael Keaton triumphantly returns to the role of Tim Burton’s Batman in Warner Bros. epic multiverse saga “The Flash.” Gen X’ers who grew up with Keaton’s Batman are in for a treat as he over delivers and chews up the scenery along with having a versatile batsuit that allows the actor to really shine. The film also sees Ben Affleck return to his role as the Snyderverse Batman, making for a unique multiverse crossover. Ezra Miller also gives an amazing performance in the dual role of Barry Allen in two timelines. The highly entertaining movie directed by Andy Muschietti is everything that is great about superhero cinema and my most anticipated film of not only the summer but the year! An absolute must watch! – Umberto Gonzalez
“Elemental” — June 16
Pixar’s Peter Sohn is such a legendary figure at Pixar – he was the inspiration for Russell in “Up;” has voiced characters in “Ratatouille,” “Monsters University,” “Luca” and “Lightyear;” and oversaw the Pixar-led Americanization of Hayao Miyazaki’s masterpiece “Ponyo” – that it’s easy forget he’s one of the studio’s most talented filmmakers too, serving on the so-called Brain Trust and directing 2015’s charming “The Good Dinosaur.” “Elemental,” Sohn’s first movie since “The Good Dinosaur,” is as ambitious and dynamic as Pixar movies get – set in a world where the four elements (air, fire, water and earth) are anthropomorphic beings. Inspired by his own upbringing as the child of two immigrants, the movie focuses on Ember (Leah Lewis), a bristly young fire woman, who falls in love with Wade (Mamoudou Athie), a weepy water man. Most romantic comedies feature an element of opposites attracting but this is really opposites attract. As only the second Pixar movie to get a theatrical release since 2020’s “Onward” (which opened mere days before the global pandemic), all eyes are on “Elemental” and its dizzy, whirligig world. It’s time Pixar movies were once again treated like the communal events that they were before lockdown. – DT
“Asteroid City” — June 16
I do not know if I will enjoy “Asteroid City” more than “The French Dispatch,” a film that didn’t quite engross me in its first two segments but utterly enraptured me in its third and final story. However, 25 years after “Rushmore,” Wes Anderson remains a definitively American filmmaker whose eccentricities and signatures are so outwardly visible that they are almost too easy to satirize. He remains the last recognizable auteur from the late 1990s who is still doing exactly what he wants to do on a studio-sized budget without relying on brands, IP or Blumhouse-sized budgets. Be they good or bad, a Wes Anderson film stands out as entirely unique unto itself, a film stacked with top-flight actors relishing a chance to play in the sandbox, that is impossible to be mistake for anything else, and that alone makes “Asteroid City” one to watch. – Scott Mendelson
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” — June 30
Harrison Ford returns in his signature role as iconic adventurer Indiana Jones in the latest, and perhaps final, installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, “Dial of Destiny.” The film, directed by James Mangold, is the fifth installment in the Indiana Jones franchise (and the first not directed by Steven Spielberg) and promises to be full of action, adventure, and suspense. The plot of the film is still mostly under wraps, but it has been confirmed that the story will take place in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with Ford’s Indiana Jones embarking on a new adventure that will take him to various locations around the world. Joining Ford in the cast are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, and Thomas Kretschmann, among others. Fans of the franchise are eagerly anticipating the return of Ford as Indiana Jones, and with Mangold at the helm, the film is sure to be a thrilling ride, especially for us Gen X kids who grew up watching Indy in the theater. – UG
“Joy Ride” — July 7
The red-band trailer for this put the widest smile on my face and half the lines I loved I can’t quote here in good conscience. Adele Lim wrote the fantastic “Crazy Rich Asians” and gave us the underappreciated Disney feature “Raya and the Last Dragon” so anytime her name is attached to something, I’m in. Add to that an utterly fantastic cast, from “Emily in Paris” star Ashley Park to Oscar-nominee (and winner in my heart) Stephane Hsu, and you have the makings of comedy gold. I can’t wait to be in a packed theaters hearing people laugh their asses off. It’s been too long since we’ve gotten a raunchy and heartwarming story of friendship involving women, so I’m ready to pack my bag and go on a “Joy Ride” with these gals. – Kristen Lopez
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1” — July 14
In a skewed way, “Mission: Impossible” invented the modern franchise, in that it paired a top-tier movie star with a comparatively big action-centric IP and watched the money roll in. The series has evolved from “Tom Cruise as Generic Action Man in Action Hero Man Mode” to an almost autobiographical saga of a longtime public servant spending his life sacrificing for institutions that don’t love him back and often question his loyalty. Whether that’s a metaphor for Cruise’s time in Scientology or Cruise’s attempts to remain culturally relevant in a YouTube/Netflix world by being “just” an action star is an open question, but it has made the last few entries fascinating beyond top-shelf action thrillers. Moreover, in a world dominated by nostalgic IP adaptations where the primary motivation seems to be “don’t piss off the fans,” “Mission: Impossible” has become a critically-acclaimed, star-driven action franchise where the IP is almost beside the point and its popularity is mostly driven by its sheer quality. – SM
“Theater Camp” — July 14
Storytime, everybody. Deep down, I dream of being a theater kid. I desperately wanted to be in theater in middle and high schools but, unfortunately, my school theaters weren’t exactly wheelchair friendly. But, thankfully, co-directors Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman have me covered with “Theater Camp,” a film I’ve seen twice now and continue to love. The film follows a group of employees working at a theater camp in the Catskills. When their leader (Amy Sedaris) has a stroke during a school-age performance of “Bye Bye Birdie,” the employees scramble to craft a fantastic summer without her. Every scene in this film is hilarious, especially if you’re a Broadway fan and/or a theater kid yourself. Whether it’s Gordon and co-star Ben Platt doing a performance of all the plays being put on at the camp or Noah Galvan’s stage tech doing everything from hiding in curtains to pushing a wagon wheel the laughs aren’t far behind. More importantly, it showcases theater kids are a group of loveable weirdos who just want someone to let them sing. Seriously, I feel seen. – KL
“Oppenheimer” — July 21
When Christopher Nolan decided to make a historical biopic, we all should have probably understood that said biopic would have involved perhaps the most crucial figure of World War II, feature extensive visual effects and the first-ever black-and-white IMAX photography, and have a budget of more than $100 million. Because, really, is there any other way? Based on the award-winning biography “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, Nolan’s film charts Oppenheimer’s involvement in the Manhattan Project and the first atomic bombs. Even though we all know how it ends, Nolan will undoubtedly create a white-knuckle thriller. The all-star cast includes Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr, Florence Pugh, Kenneth Branagh and Rami Malek. Considering how crowded with giant movies playing in large-format theaters this summer will be, it’s probably worth making “Oppenheimer” a priority. It’ll be explosive. – DT
“Cobweb” — July 21
We haven’t even seen a trailer for “Cobweb” yet, but the mysterious project earns a spot on this list through the potential of its creative pedigree alone. Starring Lizzy Caplan (“Fatal Attraction”) and Antony Starr (“The Boys”), two of the most dynamic screen actors in the business right now, “Cobweb” is the English-language film debut of Samuel Botin; the French filmmaker who created the 2019 horror series “Marianne” — easily one of the most bone-chilling, scream-stuck-in-your-throat scary TV shows of the decade. “Cobweb” centers on a young boy (Woody Norman) who is plagued by sounds and voices that his parents (Caplan and Starr) insist are all in his head. But when he investigates, he discovers his parents have a dark secret — and as anyone who’s seen “Marianne” can testify, Bodin has a masterful touch at turning dark secrets and childhood nightmares into on-screen terrors. — Haleigh Foutch
“Barbie” — July 21
From the minute Barbie (Margot Robbie) steps out of her fluffy pink heels and her feet remain arched, I knew “Barbie” would be my most anticipated film of the year. To be honest, this movie was always going to be made for me, considering it’s directed and co-written by Greta Gerwig, whose adaptation of “Little Women” from 2019 is a favorite, as is her tribute to our mutual hometown, Sacramento, with 2017’s “Lady Bird.” But to look at probably the most iconic doll of all time, a character whose entire existence is built off of fantasies crafted by young girls, the bar was set high. But that first trailer was a mélange of things I loved: from Ryan Gosling’s dim-witted Ken to the rather risqué “beach off” duel. I have zero idea what the plot is but I just need Robbie indulging in a Barbie fashion show and it’ll probably be my favorite thing of all time. – KL
“Haunted Mansion” — July 28
The last movie based on the Disney Parks attraction The Haunted Mansion was, somehow, released 20 years ago. But while the earlier version (which starred Eddie Murphy and was directed by “Lion King” filmmaker Rob Minkoff) went for broader comedy beats, this “Haunted Mansion” looks to capture the true, um, spirit of the attraction – in particular the devilish mixture of laughs and screams. In this new story, Rosario Dawson plays a single mother who is looking to rid her new real estate investment of the 999 happy haunts (there’s always room for one more) and to that end hires a paranormal investigator (LaKeith Stanfield), a priest (Owen Wilson), a psychic (Tiffany Haddish) and a historian (Danny DeVito). Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto play two of the mansion’s most famous ghost inhabitants – Madame Leota (whose head resides in a floating crystal ball) and the Hatbox Ghost (a character who resided in the mansion initially, and appeared in much of the merchandise, but whose effect never quite worked until a new version was installed in 2015). Judging by the two terrific trailers, this might be the “Haunted Mansion” we’ve been waiting for. Look alive. – DT
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” — August 4
“TMNT” has been reimagined again and again since they were first created 40 years ago, and now its Seth Rogen’s turn to present his spin on them. His pitch: emphasize the “Teenage” in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” by having teen voice actors play Leo, Raph, Don and Mikey and let them ad-lib in the recording studio together. The goofy results from those recording sessions influenced this animated film in which the Turtles hope to be accepted by the people of New York, only to draw the ire of an army of mutants. – JF
“Meg 2: The Trench” — August 4
What’s better than one murderous megalodon? Multiple malevolent megalodons! Considering the tongue-in-cheek nature of the marketing, echoing a strategy that helped turn the first “The Meg” into a surprise smash in the summer of 2018, it’s almost surprising that Warner Bros. Discovery and China Media Company didn’t title this sequel “The Meg$.” If you liked the big-budget, big-scale, over-the-top shark attacks delivered with a load of quirky characters, a serious but not somber Jason Statham and exactly enough PG-13 carnage to make kids think they were getting away with something, well, welcome to “The Meg 2: The Trench.” Because, sometimes you don’t need to deepen the mythology, expand the universe or deconstruct the gee-whiz fantasy of your blockbuster predecessor. Sometimes, your sequel to a shark movie can just be “But… what if many sharks?” – SM
“Gran Turismo” — August 11
“If you miss the line in the game, you reset; if you miss it on the track, you could die.” So says David Harbour as a surly racing instructor charged with finding a racetrack-ready driver among a group of the top “Gran Turismo” gamers in the world. He finds one in this sports drama based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, who went from playing the long-lasting Playstation racing series to becoming an actual endurance race driver for Nissan. – JF
“The Last Voyage of the Demeter” — August 11
Some movies have a prolonged, difficult development period, but “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” has a history so long and complicated it borders on the downright mythological. Originally sold in 2002, Bragi F. Schut’s spec script, based on a single chapter from Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” was met with enthusiasm. Robert Schwentke was meant to direct and when that version stalled, a number of writers and directors were attached and then fell away (among them: Marcus Nispel, David Slade and Neil Marshall). Nearly a decade passed before Norwegian director André Øvredal (“Trollhunter,” “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”) became attached, securing a cast that includes Corey Hawkins, Liam Cunningham and David Dastmalchian, with creature performer Javier Botet as Dracula (Doug Jones must have been busy). Given the lengthy history of the production, plus the trailer that feels both scary and – crucially – fun, this could be another breakout Universal horror movie that feels respectful of the original material while also providing some much-needed reinvention (think “The Invisible Man” or this year’s “Renfield”). This looks scary good. – DT
“Blue Beetle” — August 18
DC Comics fans, especially this one, are eagerly anticipating the upcoming “Blue Beetle” movie, which will introduce the first-ever Latino superhero to the big screen. I still can’t believe it is actually happening. The film will focus on Jaime Reyes, a teenager from El Paso, Texas, who discovers a powerful alien scarab that fuses to his spine and gives him incredible powers. Directed by Angel Manuel Soto and written by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, the “Blue Beetle” movie promises to be a thrilling superhero adventure with a fresh and diverse perspective. The film will star newcomer Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, who in a superhero movie first, undergoes his first superhero transformation in front of his very opinionated Latino family! Hilarity should ensue. – UG
