Springing into Summer films
HERE ARE SOME OF THE MOVIES YOU’LL BE TALKING ABOUT OVER THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS.
These looks ahead at the upcoming spring/summer film season always end with the caution that release dates are subject to change. It’s wise going into this summer to start with the warning. As the pandemic is still playing havoc with the studios’ best-laid plans — “Black Widow” just moved (again!) from spring to July — be aware that everything is still in flux. A good number of the films that follow were due for release last year on the big screen and now they may show up in theaters, on streaming or both. Things are looking up, sort of. Some Regal Theatres reopen this weekend. So here are just some of the films you should be talking about this summer. Or maybe fall. Or winter. Or spring 2022 …
NOW
Godzilla vs. Kong — The title says it all for this monster face-off that’s in theaters and on HBO Max. Director Adam Wingard made a much smaller film in 2014, “The Guest,” that was one of that year’s best films. French Exit — Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges and Imogen Poots star in a drama, based on Patrick DeWitt’s novel, about a downwardly mobile New York socialite who moves to Paris with her son.
APRIL 9
Voyagers — East Texas native Tye Sheridan (“Ready Player One,” Cyclops in the “X-Men” series) leads an ensemble cast of young actors in a sci-fi drama about teens sent into space to establish a new society on a distant planet. It’s directed by Neil Burger (“Limitless”).
APRIL 23
Mortal Kombat — This big-screen take on the videogame promises lots of martial-arts mayhem, as it stars Lewis Tan (“Into the Badlands,” “Wu Assassins”) and Joe Taslim (“The Raid: Redemption”).
APRIL 30
Limbo — This British movie, a film festival favorite that’s nominated for two BAFTA Awards, including outstanding British film of the year, tells the story of a Syrian musician stuck on a Scottish island waiting
for word of his asylum request. It stars Amir El-Masry (“The Night Manager,” “Rosewater,” the TV series “Industry”).
The Mitchells vs. The Machines — Animated comedy about a family that has to take on an army of rebellious robots. The voice cast includes Olivia Colman, John Legend, Maya Rudolph, Conan O’Brien, Chrissy Tiegen, Eric Andre and Danny McBride.
MAY 7
Wrath of Man — Coming off last year’s “The Gentlemen,” director Guy Ritchie returns with an actionthriller starring Jason Statham as the mysteriously named H.
MAY 14
Spiral — The universe of the “Saw” horror franchise expands in this film featuring Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson and Max Minghella. Director Darren Lynn Bousman directed the second, third and fourth iterations of the “Saw” films, so he knows the territory.
MAY 21
Army of the Dead — Zack Snyder just birthed his four-hour version of “Justice League” (the so-called “Snyder Cut”) and now he has this Netflix zombie thriller set in Las Vegas. This is sort of a homecoming for him, as his breakthrough feature was the 2004 remake of George A. Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.” Dave Bautista, Omari Hardwick (“Power”) and Tig Notaro star.
The Dry — Eric Bana returns to his native Australia to play a federal investigator digging into an unsolved murder in his droughtstricken Outback hometown. James Frecheville (the original “Animal Kingdom”) co-stars.
MAY 28
A Quiet Place Part II — John Krasinski’s sequel to his smash hit takes the central family, terrorized at home in the first film by aliens who hunt by sound, into the outside world, where there are other dangers.
Cruella — Emma Stone, Emma Thompson and Mark Strong are
featured in a live-action take on the Cruella de Vil character from “101 Dalmatians.” Directing is Craig Gillespie (“I, Tonya,” “Lars and the Real Girl”).
JUNE 4
Spirit Untamed — This animated DreamWorks film tells the story of a girl who becomes friends with a mustang named Spirit. Walton Goggins, Julianne Moore and Jake Gyllenhaal are part of the voice cast.
Vivo — Here’s another animated film, though this one is a musical based on songs from “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
JUNE 11
In The Heights — Miranda has been busy. He also co-wrote the Broadway musical upon which this film, about a New York City bodega owner, is based. Anthony Ramos (“A Star Is Born”) stars.
JUNE 18
Luca — On the heels of “Soul,” Pixar returns telling a very different
story. This one is set in Italy and explores the friendship between a boy and a sea monster disguised as a human.
JUNE 25
F9 — The “Fast & Furious” crew returns, and it’s an all-star effort. In addition to regulars Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, we’ve got Charlize Theron, Cardi B, Helen Mirren and John Cena.
JULY 2
Top Gun: Maverick — The muchanticipated
sequel with Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller and Jay Ellis should finally land in time for Independence Day.
JULY 9
Black Widow — May this be the real opening date for this Marvel Cinematic Universe entry starring Scarlett Johansson. Most notable is that it’s directed by Australian Cate Shortland, whose résumé up to now has been filled with smaller films, such as “Somersault, “The
Berlin Syndrome” and the gripping “Lore,” one of the best films of 2012. “Black Widow” will now release in theaters and on Disney+ simultaneously.
JULY 16
Cinderella — Kay Cannon (“Blockers”) takes on the classic story with a musical update, starring Camilo Cabello, Billy Porter, Idina Menzel, Pierce Brosnan, Minnie Driver and James Corden.
Space Jam: A New Legacy —In the original, the Looney Tunes characters recruited Michael Jordan to help them win a basketball game. Now, they’ve got LeBron James in a film directed by Malcolm D. Lee (“Girls Trip”).
JULY 30
Jungle Cruise — Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra (“The Shallows,” “The Commuter”) brings the Disney theme-park ride, about an endangered riverboat, to the big screen in a feature with Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt and Edgar Ramirez.
AUG. 6
The Suicide Squad — Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) revived this franchise’s fortunes with “Birds of Prey,” and now she’s back in the next chapter, directed by James
Gunn of “Guardians of the Galaxy” fame. The supporting cast is pretty mighty: Idris Elba, Viola Davis, John Cena, Taika Waititi, Pete Davidson, Alice Braga, Michael Rooker, Sylvester Stallone, Jai Courtney and Joel Kinnaman.
AUG. 13
Free Guy — Ryan Reynolds plays a bank teller who realizes he’s actually a nonplayer character in a videogame. Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum”) directs.
Respect — On the heels of Cynthia Erivo playing Aretha Franklin in the “Genius” TV series comes Jennifer Hudson playing her in this biopic. Forest Whitaker and Audra McDonald co-star.
AUG. 20
Bios — Tom Hanks stars in this science-fiction film set on a postapocalyptic Earth where a robot learns about humanity. It’s directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who made some of the most memorable “Game of Thrones” episodes, including “Hardhome,” “The Long Night” and “Battle of the Bastards.”
AUG. 27
Candyman — Director Nia DaCosta (“Little Woods”) and producer
Jordan Peele collaborated on this update of the legend from the 1992 horror film of the same name. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” “Watchmen”) and Teyonah Parris star.
TBA
Berlin Alexanderplatz — This update of the 1929 novel, which has previously been made into a miniseries, updates the story and sets in the world of an African immigrant struggling to make a life in Germany.
The French Dispatch — The latest
from Houston-born director Wes Anderson features a stellar cast (Bill Murray, Timothée Chalamet, Frances McDormand, Elisabeth Moss, Willem Dafoe, Saoirse Roman, Tilda Swinton, Ed Norton, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Benicio del Toro, Christoph Waltz, Liev Schreiber) in a story of an American newspaper in France during the early 20th century.
I Carry You with Me — Documentary filmmaker Heidi Ewing (“Jesus Camp”) makes her feature debut with a drama about a chef who leaves behind the love of his life to pursue a career in New York City.
Mogul Mowgli — Speaking of Houston directors, we’re still awaiting the release of the feature debut from Bassam Tariq, which opened in the UK last fall. Riz Ahmed, fresh off his Oscarnominated role in “Sound of Metal,” plays an up-and-coming hip-hop star facing a health crisis. The Last Letter From Your Lover — Dallas-based director Augustine Frizzell, whose debut was the 2018 Texas teen film “Never Goin’ Back,” returns with something very different. Set in London and based on the Jojo Moyes novel, the Netflix drama stars Shailene Woodley, Felicity Jones and Joe Alwyn in a story about a journalist who stumbles across a batch of curious letters from the 1960s. The Truffle Hunters — Acclaimed and award-winning documentary about the elderly men of Piedmont, Italy, who spend their days looking for the expensive and rare white Alba truffle.
The Velvet Underground — The impact of the influential late ’60s/early ’70s New York band, which included Lou Reed and John Cale, is examined in this AppleTV+ documentary by Todd Haynes (“Carol,” “Dark Waters”).