We can’t wait for next summer’s slate
DEADPOOL 2 (JUNE 1)
The summer movie season is winding down, which means it’s time to start getting psyched for 2018. Some of the biggest franchises in Hollywood, including
Star Wars, Marvel and Jurassic Park, have next installments; plus, there’s the return of a classic Pixar clan and the sweet sounds of Meryl Streep. USA TODAY’s
Brian Truitt looks at 10 films we can’t wait to see in theaters next summer. (Release dates are subject to change because, well, a lot can happen in a year.)
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (MAY 4)
A decade of Marvel blockbusters leads to this all-hands-on-deck confrontation. The Guardians of the Galaxy hang with the Avengers, “facial hair bros” Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) meet, plus bigtime cosmic villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) has designs on destroying all our favorite heroes.
UNTITLED HAN SOLO FILM (MAY 25)
The latest Star Wars Story is off to a rather inauspicious start (original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller out; Ron Howard in), but the faithful won’t care when they see scruffy young nerfherders Alden Ehrenreich as the iconic space smuggler and Donald Glover as gambling pal Lando Calrissian. One of last year’s biggest superhero hits won’t have the surprise factor on its side, yet it still has its not-so-secret sauce: wisecracking Ryan Reynolds running around with a sword and plenty of guns. The sequel gets a new director in David Leitch ( John Wick: Chapter 2) and a time-traveling warrior in Josh Brolin’s Cable.
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (JUNE 22)
The last one had the biggest summer opening of all time, so director J.A. Bayona has brought back much of the winning recipe: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and dinosaurs. There’s one blast from the past who’s not a big lizard: Jeff Goldblum reprises his Jurassic Park role as resident chaos theorist Ian Malcolm.
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (JULY 6)
The original Ant-Man became a box office hit, thanks to its familyfriendly nature and smart comedy. Paul Rudd returns as the super-shrinking hero, Evangeline Lilly gets her own supersuit as the Wasp, and Michael Douglas again plays tech wizard Hank Pym, whose long-lost wife (she disappeared in the quantum realm) re-emerges, played by Michelle Pfeiffer.
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 (JULY 13)
Adam Sandler reprises his voice role as Dracula in the popular monster-comedy franchise. Drac and his gang, including daughter Mavis (Selena Gomez), go on a cruise, and the lead vamp falls for the ship’s captain, a descendant of old rival Abraham Van Helsing.
MAMMA MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN! (JULY 20)
The original movie musical didn’t run through all of ABBA’s greatest hits. More pop tunes will power the sequel, with Pierce Brosnan trying to sing for a second time, Meryl Streep starring as the formerly lovelorn Donna and Lily James joining the crew as a younger version of Donna.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 6 (JULY 27)
Tom Cruise’s broken ankle is a downer, but fans still have the A-lister’s latest crazy stunts to look forward to in secret agent Ethan Hunt’s next action adventure. Rebecca Ferguson’s superspy Ilsa Faust carries over from Rogue Nation, while Henry Cavill makes his debut in the franchise.