2019 Summer Movie Preview

It is time for us to get excited for one of the most exciting times in the cinematic year: Summer Movie season!  This is one of the most exciting times as a movie-goer, as the cinemas are loaded with blockbusters, sequels, and even some hidden gems along the way.  I love the balance between mindless, exciting entertainment and smaller, thought-provoking indies that come out of nowhere.  Not sure what movies to see this summer?  Don’t worry, I got your back.  This breakdown is going to highlight many movies dropping this summer, from comedies to action, to sequels and Disney.  Here is your 2019 Summer Movie preview.

 

 

 

 

COMEDIES

LONG SHOT (Jonathon Levine)

• Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron star in this political comedy about a controversial journalist (Rogen) who is hired by the Secretary of State (Theron) to pep up her speeches in hopes of a Presidential nomination.  As their journey around the globe goes, sparks begin to fly between the two.  (May 3rd)

THE HUSTLE (Chris Addison)

• Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star as female scam artists, one low rent and the other high class, who team up to take down the dirty rotten men who have wronged them. (May 10th)

BOOKSMART (Olivia Wilde)

• Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut about two academic superstars (Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein) who try to cram four years of partying into one night is being hailed as “female Superbad“.  (May 24th)

STUBER (Michael Dowse)

• In a weird, comedic twist on Michael Mann’s Collateral, a detective (Dave Bautista) recruits his Uber driver (Kumail Nanjiani) for an unexpected night of adventure.  (July 12)

GOOD BOYS (Gene Stupnitsky)

• It’s little kids gone bad as three sixth grade boys (led by Jacob Tremblay) skip school and embark on an empic adventure that includes stolen drugs, teenage girls, and a highly anticipated party.  (August 16th)

 

 

 

ACTION FILMS

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM (Chad Stahelski)

• The third film in the John Wick franchise puts a bounty on John Wick’s (Keanu Reeves) head, pitting himself against every assassin that can get close to him.  (May 17th)

GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS (Michael Dougherty)

• Godzilla collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah, while the humans figure what the hell is going on.  (May 31st)

ANNA (Luc Besson)

• Luc Besson has been one of cinema’s most interesting directors for some time now and this summer he brings us a spy thriller about a beautiful woman (model Sasha Luss) who’s dark secret brings out a strength and skill that makes her one of the most feared government assassins in the world.  (June 21st)

FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW (David Leitch)

• The first ever Fast & Furious spin-off features Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw (Jason Statham) taking on the genetically enhanced Brixton (Idris Elba).  (August 2nd)

ANGEL HAS FALLEN (Ric Roman Waugh)

• The third film in the Gerard Butler Fallen series is a little different than before as Butler’s Mike Banning isn’t saving a country or a building, but trying to save himself, as he is framed for an assassination attempt on the President and must uncover the real threat.  (August 23rd)

 

 

 

HORROR

BRIGHTBURN (David Yarovesky)

• James Gunn produced this dark superhero movie about a child with super powers who uses them for evil rather than good.  (May 24th)

MA (Tate Taylor)

• Octavia Spencer stars as a woman who stalks a group of teens after they party at her house one night.  (May 31st)

CHILD’S PLAY (Lars Klevberg)

• A remake of the horror classic about a seemingly harmless doll who terrorizes a family.  The great Mark Hamill voices our possessed toy.  (June 21st)

ANNABELLE COMES HOME (Gary Dauberman)

• The third film in the Annabelle franchise brings our haunted doll to the Warren’s (Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson) as they try to keep Annabelle from causing havoc.  (June 28th)

MIDSOMMAR (Ari Aster)

• Ari Aster’s debut film, Hereditary, was one of the strongest directorial debuts of the decade and he looks to follow it up with his latest about a young woman (Florence Pugh) who reluctantly joins her boyfriend (Jack Reynor) on a summer trip where things quickly go awry.  (July 3rd)

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK (André Øvredal)

• Based off the legendary book, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark takes a look at a group of teens who must face their fears in order to survive.  (August 9th)

 

 

 

INDIES

THE SOUVENIR (Joanna Hogg)

• Joanna Hogg’s powerful film about a toxic relationship during the 1980’s is being hailed as one of the best movies of the year.  (May 17th)

THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO (Joe Talbot)

• Winner of the Best Director prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, The Last Black Man in San Francisco takes a look at a man named Jimmie (Jimmie Fails) and his attempts to reclaim his childhood home in a city that seems to have left him behind.  (June 7th)

THE FAREWELL (Lulu Wang)

• Awkwafina stars in this film about a Chinese family that discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.  One of the most talked about titles at Sundance this year.  (July 12th)

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (Gurinder Chadha)

• Set in 1987 Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.  (August 14th)

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON (Paul Downs Colaizzo)

• Amazon spent a boatload of comedy on this about a woman (Jillian Bell) trying to her life together.  (August 23rd)

 

 

 

FOR THE KIDS

UGLYDOLLS (Kelly Asbury)

• An animated film about our titular creatures who try to discover what it means to be different, struggle with their desire to be loved, and the realization that being who you are is what matters most.  (May 3rd)

POKÉMON DETECTIVE PIKACHU (Rob Letterman)

• Set in a world where humans collect Pokémon for battle, a boy (Justice Smith) uses the help of the wise-cracking Detective Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) to solve a mystery involving his father.  (May 10th)

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (Chris Renaud, Jonathon del Val)

• The sequel to the 2016 smash hit about the lives of pets in an apartment complex.  (June 7th)

DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD

• Our favorite explorer turns live-action for this action film based on the beloved kids show.  (July 31st)

 

 

 

THE DISNEY SECTION

ALADDIN (Guy Ritchie)

• Disney’s latest live-action adaptation puts Guy Ritchie behind the camera and Will Smith in the bottle.  (May 24th)

TOY STORY 4 (Josh Cooley)

• The surprise fourth installment of the historic franchise is one of the summer’s biggest mysteries.  (June 21st)

SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (Jon Watts)

• The sequel brings our friendly, neighborhood web-slinger (played once again by Tom Holland) to Europe where he faces a series of elemental creatures wreaking havoc across the continent.  (July 2nd)

THE LION KING (Jon Favreau)

• An all-star cast and insane visuals bring this Disney classic to life.  (July 19th)

ARTEMIS FOWL (Kenneth Branagh)

• Based on the popular book series, Artemis Fowl looks at criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl (Ferdia Shaw) and his plan to find his father and restore the family fortune.  (August 9th)

 

 

SEQUELS I GUESS WE NEEDED?

MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL (F. Gary Gray)

• Our favorite intergalactic agency goes to London with Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson as our new agents.  (June 14th)

SHAFT (Tim Story)

• Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role as the cool-as-ice detective solving crime in Harlem, this time teaming with his son (Jessie T. Usher) and his father (the original Shaft himself, Richard Roundtree).  (June 14th)

X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX (Simon Kinberg)

• The latest X-Men film reimagines the Dark Phoenix Saga as Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) develops incredible powers that corrupt her mind and force the other X-Men to save her before she destroys the world.  (June 7th)

47 METERS DOWN: UNCAGED (Johannes Roberts)

• More helpless teens, more sharks in the water in this sequel to the surprise 2016 film.  (August 16th)

THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE 2 (Thurop Van Orman)

• The second film based on the once popular phone game about the battle between bird and pigs.  (August 16th)

 

 

OSCAR POTENTIAL

ROCKETMAN (Dexter Fletcher)

• After the success of Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman looks to pick up right where it left off, as it tells the magical story of Elton John (Taron Edgerton).  (May 31st)

YESTERDAY (Danny Boyle)

• A struggling musician (Himesh Patel) wakes up one morning and realizes he lives in a world where he is the only one who remembers The Beatles.  (June 28th)

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (Quentin Tarantino)

• Set in 1969 Los Angeles, a faded television actor (Leonardo DiCaprio, in his first film since he won an Oscar for The Revenant) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) try to make it in the film industry in Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature film. (July 26th)

THE KITCHEN (Andrea Berloff)

• Reminiscent of last year’s Widows, The Kitchen looks at the wives of New York gangsters in the 1970’s as they take over running operations after their husbands are imprisoned.  The all-star cast features Elisabeth Moss, Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Domhnall Gleeson, and Common.  (Augusth 9th)

WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE? (Richard Linklater)

• Richard Linklater co-wrote and directed this dramedy about a women (the great Cate Blanchett) who unexpectedly disappears one day, which sends her husband (Billy Crudup) and daughter (Emma Nelson) on an adventure to find her.  (August 16th)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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