‘BLACK WIDOW’ (FINGERS CROSSED), MORE COMING TO AUDIENCES IN COMING MONTHS
Spring has arrived, which means that there’s a cavalcade of new big-budget Hollywood movies around the corner to grace both theaters and streaming services.
Don’t be surprised if a few of these movies sound familiar due to having been pushed back during the pandemic. And remember, these release dates are constantly changing as studios rework their slates to maximize a film’s reach (and profits) during a particularly unstable period for the industry.
Note: TBD indicates that the method of release is to be determined.
OPENED APRIL 9
“Voyagers” (theaters): The crew of a space expedition on a mission to find a new home faces a threat that forces them all to question their realities. Directed by Neil Burger and starring Tye Sheridan, Colin Farrell, Fionn Whitehead and Isaac Hempstead Wright.
APRIL 23
“Mortal Kombat” (theaters, HBO Max): Simon McQuoid directs the latest film in the “Mortal Kombat” series, based on the classic Midway Games franchise. It’s the first time “Mortal Kombat” has been on the big screen since 1997’s “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.”
APRIL 30
“Without Remorse” (Prime Video): This adaptation of the 1993 Tom Clancy novel follows Navy Seal John
Clark on a revenge mission following the murder of his pregnant wife. Michael B. Jordan stars alongside Guy Pearce, Jamie Bell and Jodie Turner-Smith.
APRIL/MAY TBD
“The Boy from Medellin” (Prime Video): Documentarian Matthew Heineman chronicles Colombian reggaeton singer J Balvin’s preparation for a 2019 concert against a backdrop of political unrest.
“12 Mighty Orphans” (TBD): Robert Duvall stars as Mason Hawk, a high school football coach who leads a team of underdog orphans to unexpected heights during the Great Depression. Directed by Ty Roberts and costarring Martin Sheen, Luke Wilson and Wayne Knight.
MAY 7
“The Human Factor” (theaters): This documentary from director Dror Moreh portrays 30 years of work by the United States to establish peace in the Middle East from the perspective of American mediators at the center of these peace efforts.
“Wrath of Man” (theaters): Guy Ritchie is back with this action-thriller about the mysterious “H,” who works at a cash truck company ferrying large amounts of money around Los Angeles. This film marks Ritchie’s fourth collaboration with star Jason Statham.
MAY 14
“Those Who Wish Me Dead” (theaters, HBO Max): A teenage murder witness and a survival expert try to evade two assassins in the Montana wilderness as a forest fire threatens them all. Directed by Taylor Sheridan and starring Angelina Jolie, Nicholas Hault, Tyler Perry, Jon Bernthal and Aidan Gillen.
“Spiral: From the Book of Saw” (theaters): This semireboot of the “Saw” franchise follows Detective Ezekiel
“Zeke” Banks as his investigation into a series of murders leads him to become the killer’s new plaything. Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman and starring Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson and Max Minghella.
“Finding You” (theaters):
An aspiring violinist and a movie star start a whirlwind romance in Ireland that becomes a problem due to the latter’s fame. Directed by Brian Baugh and starring Rose Reid, Jedidiah Goodacre and Vanessa Redgrave.
“Profile” (theaters): Timur Bekmambetov directs this adaptation of the 2015 Anna Erelle book “In the Skin of a Jihadist” about a journalist who goes undercover in an online Islamic State recruiting network but is gradually seduced by a recruiter.
MAY 21
“Final Account” (theaters): Luke Holland’s documentary includes close to 300 interviews with some of the last German generation who participated in or bore witness to the Holocaust.
MAY 28
“Cruella” (theaters, Disney+ Premier Access): Emma Stone stars as a young Cruella de Vil in Disney’s live-action origin story for the “101 Dalmatians” villain. Directed by Craig Gillespie and co-starring Emma Thompson, Mark Strong and Paul Walter Houser.
“A Quiet Place Part II” (theaters): This horror sequel to 2018’s “A Quiet Place” follows the Abbott family as they continue their quest for survival in a world plagued by creatures who hunt by sound. John Krasinski once again directs and also co-stars with his wife, Emily Blunt.
SUMMER TBD
“Nine Days” (TBD): A man conducts interviews with human souls and must decide which ones will be granted the right to be born on Earth. Directed by Edson Oda and starring Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgard and Benedict Wong.
JUNE 4
“Vivo” (theaters): Sony
Pictures Animation’s first attempt at a musical will feature original songs from “Hamilton” auteur Lin-Manuel Miranda and follows a kinkajou as it embarks on a journey from Havana, Cuba, to Miami to fulfill its dreams.
“The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” (theaters, HBO Max): The third installment in “The Conjuring”
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Animation film. The voice cast includes Eiza Gonzalez, Jake Gyllenhaal, Julianne Moore and Walton Goggins.
JUNE 11
“In the Heights” (theaters, HBO Max): Director Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of LinManuel Miranda’s 2008 musical follows the residents of New York City’s Washington
Heights as they navigate life, love and desperate financial situations. It stars Anthony Ramos, Stephanie Beatriz, Melissa Barrera, Jimmy Smits and Corey Hawkins.
JUNE 16
“The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” (theaters): This sequel to the 2017 actioncomedy “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” involves Ryan Reynolds’ bodyguard and Samuel L. Jackson’s assassin reuniting to protect the latter’s wife, played by Salma Hayek.
JUNE 18
“Luca” (Disney+): Pixar Animation Studios is back with its latest outing about two young boys in an Italian seaside village harboring a big secret. Jacob Tremblay does the voice of Luca alongside a cast that includes Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan.
“The Sparks Brothers” (theaters): Edgar Wright produced and directed this music documentary about Ron and Russell Mael, of pop-rock duo Sparks.
JUNE 25
“F9” (theaters): The longdelayed ninth film in the main “Fast and the Furious” franchise finds Dom Toretto and his crew going up against an old foe and a new one – Dom’s younger brother, Jakob. Directed by Justin Lin and stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, John Cena and Charlize Theron.
“Blue Bayou” (theaters):
A Korean American man who has worked hard to provide for his family finds out he may be deported in this drama starring Justin Chon, who also wrote and directed. It co-stars Oscar winner Alicia Vikander.
JULY 2
“Top Gun: Maverick” (theaters): This sequel to 1986’s “Top Gun” finds Tom Cruise reprising his iconic role as Maverick, who continues to push the limits as a test pilot while avoiding any rank changes that may threaten his need for speed. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and co-starring Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer and Miles
Teller.
“Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” (theaters): The titular Peter Rabbit leaves his garden and family to venture out into the larger world and causes mischief wherever he goes. The live action/animation hybrid is directed by Will Gluck, stars Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson, and includes the voices of James Corden, Elizabeth Debicki and Margot Robbie.
JULY 9
“Black Widow” (theaters, Disney+ Premier Access): More than two years after the last Marvel Cinematic Universe film hit theaters comes the long-awaited solo film debut of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. Directed by Cate Shortland and co-starring Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz and David Harbour.
“The Forever Purge” (theaters): The fifth and final entry in the “Purge” franchise finds some folks not willing to give up their one night a year of consequence-free crime. Directed by Everardo Gout and starring Will Patton, Josh Lucas, Ana de la Reguera and Cassidy Freeman.
JULY 16
“Space Jam: A New Legacy” (theaters, HBO Max): LeBron James teams up with the Looney Tunes to escape a virtual prison in this sequel to 1996’s “Space Jam.” Malcolm D. Lee directs this live action/ animation mashup that also co-stars Don Cheadle and Sonequa Martin-Green.
“Cinderella” (theaters): This modern-set musical take on the “Cinderella” fairy tale stars pop singer Camila Cabello as the titular character alongside Billy Porter as Fab G, her genderless fairy godparent, and Idina Menzel as her stepmother.
“The Night House”
(TBD): A woman living in the lakeside house her recently deceased husband built for her begins to uncover the disturbing secrets he left behind. Directed by David Bruckner and starring Rebecca Hall and Sarah Goldberg.
JULY 23
“Old” (theaters): Director M. Night Shyamalan’s latest horror-thriller follows a family on vacation at a pristine beach who suddenly begin to age rapidly and uncontrollably. It stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Thomasin McKenzie and Alex
Wolff.
JULY 30
“Jungle Cruise” (theaters): Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt star in this film adaptation of the Disney theme park ride that follows a group of adventurers and the obstacles they encounter in their quest to find the Tree of Life. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and co-starring Edgar Ramirez, Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti.
“Stillwater” (theaters): An Oklahoma father moves to France and works to prove his incarcerated daughter is innocent of the murder charges against her. Directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Matt Damon and Abigail Breslin.