Summer: a time for warm weather, vacations and most importantly, movies. This year will be a summer full of sequels, raunchy comedies and instant cult classics. From “Oppenheimer” to “Barbie,” here is a list of five films to look forward to this summer.
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” Rel. June 2
There’s a lot of pressure on this movie: a brand new animated Spiderman story, tasked with following up 2018’s box-office juggernaut “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” and 2021’s billion-dollar-grossing “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”
“Across the Spider-Verse” adds three new stars to voice the film’s fresh Spider-man characters: Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry and Issa Rae.
With an excellent trailer, a built-in fanbase, and the continued development of animation technology since 2018, “Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse” has the potential to be both better than the original, and the blockbuster hit of the summer.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Rel. June 30
The fifth Indiana Jones movie, and the first Indy adventure since 2008’s dumpster fire of a supposed swan song “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” has injected new blood into the franchises surrounding infrastructure; James Mangold of “Logan” and “Ford V Ferrari” acclaim takes over the directorial reins from Steven Spielberg.
Fleabag writer Phoebe-Waller Bridge stars alongside Harrison Ford, as Indy’s granddaughter, and Mads Mikkelsen of “Casino Royale” and “Hannibal,” will play the film’s central villain.
Set in 1969 New York and reportedly revolving around the space race and Nazi scientists, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” seems from the outside looking in, to be a high-stakes action romp, and Indy’s actual last ride into the cinematic sunset.
“No Hard Feelings,” Rel. June 23
Raunchy, R-rated comedies have largely disappeared from the mainstream in recent years. So when an elusive, Oscar-winning star like Jennifer Lawrence agrees to star in what ostensibly appears to be a college sex comedy, it seems like an odd career choice. The trailer is clunky and overly vulgar, but charming and intriguing nonetheless. “No Hard Feelings” is a qualitative coin toss, but the idea of an R-rated comedy starring Jennifer Lawerence is too good to pass up.
“Oppenheimer,” Rel. July 21
A high-concept, high-budget nuclear war drama based on the Manhattan Project by premiere filmmaker and cinema-bro favorite Christopher Nolan. “Oppenheimer” blends both color film and black and white, and was shot entirely with IMAX cameras.
The film stars multiple famous actors in the industry, including Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Emily Blunt and Robert Downey Jr.
Chronicling the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the nuclear scientist who invented, and eventually helped detonate the atomic bomb. Nolan replicated a nuclear blast without the use of CGI, in the New Mexico desert. “Oppenheimer” is a projected awards contender, and a must-see movie event.
“Barbie,” Rel. July 21st.
“Barbie,” indie-auteur Greta Gerwig’s third film after “Ladybird” and “Little Women,” is a seemingly massive creative swing. The plot is still unknown, and the trailer feels like an acid-soaked Barbie fever dream, but Gerwig has the approval rating to roll dice with a piece of intellectual property as well-known as Barbie, and the filmmaking talent to make the plight of the Mattel dolls cinematically compelling.
The respective castings of Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken makes “Barbie” the premiere movie event of the summer, and the revolving cast of celebrity faces rounding out the cast is dizzying.
We’ll see if Greta can stick the landing. Either way, “Barbie” is going to be massive.
P.S. The Barbie and Ken Halloween costume craze this fall is going to be horrific, buckle up.
