A rundown of notable films coming out this summer:
May 6
“Doctor Strange in the Multitverse of Madness” (Disney, theaters): After breaking open the multiverse in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Benedict Cumberbatch once again takes center stage as the brilliant Doctor Strange as he and Wong deal with new enemies in the Sam Raimi-directed spectacle.
“Happening” (IFC, theaters): This Venice Film Festival winner directed by Audrey Diwan is based on Annie Ernaux’s memoir about being a young college student in 1960s France seeking to terminate a pregnancy when it was still illegal.
“Along for the Ride ”(Netflix): A teenage girl meets a mysterious insomniac the summer before college.
May 11
“Operation Mincemeat” (Netflix): John Madden directs two Mr. Darcys (Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen) in this true story about two English intelligence officers in World War II.
“This Much I Know to be True” (theaters): Andrew Dominik's documentary about the creative partnership between musician Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
May 13
“Firestarter” (Universal, theaters): Zac Efron stars in this new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic thriller about a young girl with pyrokinetic powers.
“On the Count of Three” (United Artists Releasing, theaters): Jerrod Carmichael directs and stars with Christopher Abbott in this comedy-thriller about two depressed friends who plan to end their lives by the end of the day.
“Senior Year” (Netflix): Rebel Wilson plays a once popular teenager who wakes up from a 20-year coma and has to finish high school as a 37-year-old.
“The Innocents” (IFC, horror): The children have special powers in this supernatural Nordic horror.
“Montana Story” (Bleecker Street, theaters): Haley Lu Richardson stars in this neo-Western.
May 20
“Downton Abbey: A New Era” (Focus, theaters): The Crawley family is back and traveling to the south of France to investigate a villa that the Dowager Countess has inherited. New additions to the well-heeled lot include Hugh Dancy, Laura Haddock, Nathalie Baye and Dominic West.
“Men” (A24, theaters): “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation” filmmaker Alex Garland directs Jessie Buckley in this new thriller about a woman who goes to the country after a personal tragedy. Instead of peace, she finds a waking nightmare.
“Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” (Disney+): A live-action/animated hybrid of the Disney chipmunks starring John Mulaney and Andy Samberg.
“Hold Your Fire” (IFC, theaters): Explore the birth of modern hostage negotiation in Stefan Forbes’ documentary about an incident in 1973 Brooklyn.
“Emergency,” (Amazon): This Sundance satire looks at three Black college students grappling with whether or not to call the police.
“A Perfect Pairing” (Netflix, May 19): Victoria Justice is a city girl who goes to the outback in this rom-com.
May 27
“Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount, theaters): Tom Cruise returns to one of his most beloved roles in this “Top Gun” sequel that’s over 30 years in the making. After years of working solo as a test pilot, Maverick is called back to train a new batch of fighter pilots, including Goose’s son (Miles Teller).
“The Bob’s Burgers Movie” (20th Century Studios, theaters): Bob, Louise, Tina, Gene and Linda Belcher finally get their big screen due, with the original voice cast of the popular series all intact. And it’s a musical!
“A Chiara” (Neon, theaters): A 15-year-old searches for the truth of why her father abandoned her family in Calabria in this Italian-language film from Jonas Carpignano.
June 3
“Watcher” (IFC, theaters): A young woman (Maika Monroe) who has just moved to Bucharest becomes increasingly paranoid that she’s being stalked in this slow burn thriller.
“Benediction” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Terence Davies directs this biographical drama about the British poet Siegfried Sassoon, who was jailed for being anti-war during World War II and later converts to Catholicism. Both Jack Lowden and Peter Capaldi play Sassoon at different parts of his life.
“Fire Island” (Hulu): It’s “Pride and Prejudice,” but modern and gay, in Andrew Ahn’s rom-com starring Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang as best friends on a summer vacation.
“The Phantom of the Open” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): The true story of the “world’s worst golfer” Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) who still manages to get a shot in The British Open.
“Interceptor” (Netflix): Elsa Pataky plays an army captain who must protect a remote station.
June 10
“Jurassic World Dominion” (Universal, theaters): The “conclusion” to the Jurassic World franchise melds the Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard films with the stars of the original "Jurassic Park," Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum. Set four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, this installment promises new dinosaurs, new stars like DeWanda Wise and nonstop action.
“Hustle” (Netflix, on June 8): Adam Sandler is a past his prime basketball scout who needs a win and finds it abroad.
June 14
“Halftime” (Netflix): A documentary about Jennifer Lopez set around her Super Bowl performance.
June 17
“Lightyear” (Disney, theaters): Long before landing in Andy’s room, Buzz Lightyear was a young astronaut trying to get home from a hostile planet in this film-within-a-film origin story. And this time, Buzz is voiced by Captain America himself, Chris Evans.
“Cha Cha Real Smooth” (Apple TV+ and theaters): Dakota Johnson is a single mom who strikes up an unusual friendship with a fresh college graduate (plays by writer-director Cooper Raiff) on the Bar Mitzvah circuit.
“Spiderhead” (Netflix): Chris Hemsworth plays a scientist who experiments on inmates (Miles Teller and Jurnee Smolett) with psychedelic drugs in this adaptation of a George Saunders short story.
“Brian and Charles” (Focus, theaters): A lonely inventor makes an AI robot in this charming Sundance comedy about friendship.
“Official Competition” (IFC, theaters): Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas co-star in this sharp Spanish satire about making movies.
“Father of the Bride” (HBO Max, on June 16): This remake of the remake has a Cuban-American spin and stars Andy Garcia and Isabela Merced.
“Civil” (Netflix, June 19): A documentary about civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
June 22
“Good Luck to You Leo Grande” (Hulu): Emma Thompson plays a somewhat repressed widow who hires a handsome sex worker (Daryl McCormack) in this funny and soulful indie that’s deeper than its titilating logline.
June 24
“Elvis” (Warner Bros., theaters): Baz Luhrmann takes a look at Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) and his complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks) over the course of 20 years in this music-filled journey.
“The Black Phone” (Universal, theaters): Director Scott Derrickson is back to scare audiences silly with this film about an abducted boy who hears the voices of his kidnapper’s victims through a disconnected phone on the wall. Ethan Hawke stars opposite newcomer Mason Thames.
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” (A24, theaters): Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate’s one-inch-tall seashell with the equally tiny voice gets his own movie (in which he searches for his family).
“Rise” (Disney+): Three Nigerian-Greek brothers become NBA champions in this biographical sports drama.
“Bitterbrush" (Magnolia, theaters): A documentary about two female range riders in Idaho.
July 1
“Minions: The Rise of Gru” (Universal, theaters): What was Gru like before becoming an evil mastermind? Well, just a 12-year-old in the suburbs with dreams of world domination. Featuring the vocal stylings of Steve Carell, Alan Arkin, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Lucy Lawless.
“Mr. Malcolm’s List" (Bleecker Street, theaters): If "Bridgerton" left you wishing for more Regency-era drama, Freida Pinto, Theo James and Zawe Ashton are here to help with this tale of a young woman seeking revenge on an ex-suitor.
“The Princess” (Hulu): Joey King is a young royal who must save her family and kingdom from a cruel suitor in this action-adventure.
“The Forgiven” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain are a married couple on the verge of divorce who accidentally hit a stranger while driving in the mountains in Morocco.
July 8
“Thor: Love and Thunder” (Disney, theaters): Retirement won’t last long for Chris Hemsworth’s god of thunder in this Taika Waititi-directed extravaganza, featuring the return of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster who is now able to wield the magic hammer on her own and the introduction of a villain played by Christian Bale.
“Both Sides of the Blade," (IFC, theaters): Claire Denis directs Juliette Binoche and Vincent London in this film about a love triangle.
“The Sea Beast” (Netflix): An animated adventure about a sea monster and a stowaway from “Big Hero 6” director Chris Williams.
“Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between” (Netflix on July 6): Talia Ryder and Jordan Fisher star as a couple who has to decide whether to break up or stay together before college.
July 15
“Where the Crawdads Sing” (Sony, theaters): Delia Owens’ bestselling mystery about the beautiful, brilliant girl who grows up in a North Carolina marsh comes to the big screen with “Normal People’s” Daisy Edgar-Jones in the lead.
“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” (Focus, theaters): Lesley Manville plays a British housekeeper who dreams of owning a couture Christian Dior gown.
“Persuasion” (Netflix): Dakota Johnson stars in this Jane Austen adaptation about the spirited, modern Anne Elliot.
“Bed Rest” (STX): “In the Heights” star Melissa Barrera plays a pregnant woman in this horror.
“Don’t Make Me Go" (Amazon Prime Video): A father with a brain tumor (John Cho) takes his teenage daughter on a road trip to find her long lost mother.
July 17
“Cabaret” 50th Anniversary (Fathom, theaters): Willkommen! And bienvenue! Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles is back on the big screen in Bob Fosse’s classic.
July 22
“Nope” (Universal): Jordan Peele returns to terrify audiences with “a new pop nightmare” in his secretive new film about some Inland Empire locals, Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun, who witness a chilling event.
“The Gray Man” (Netflix): Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas star in this big budget spy-thriller directed by Marvel alums Anthony and Joe Russo.
“Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” (Paramount): Michael Cera voices the hound Hank in this animated riff on “Seven Samurai,” in which he has to help a village of cats defend themselves against Ricky Gervais’s villain.
July 29
“DC League of Super Pets” (Warner Bros., theaters): It’s the Justice League who needs rescuing in this animated pic, featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson, as Superman’s dog, Kevin Hart, Keanu Reeves, Natasha Lyonne and Kate McKinnon.
“Bullet Train” (Sony, theaters): In Davd Leitch’s star-studded adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka’s novel, Brad Pitt plays an assassin named Ladybug who has one last job collecting a briefcase on a bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Unfortunately, he’s not the only assassin on board.
“Purple Hearts” (Netflix): Sofia Carson is a singer-songwriter who falls for a marine.
“Vengeance” (Focus, theaters): B. J. Novak makes his directorial debut in this thriller about a radio host trying to solve the mystery of his girlfriend’s murder. Issa Rae co-stars.
“A Love Song” (Bleecker Street, theaters): A late in life love story starring Dale Dickey and Wes Studi as childhood sweethearts who give it another go.
“House Party” (HBO Max, on July 28): Jacob Latimore and Tosin Cole star in this remake of the 1990 comedy.
“Sharp Stick” (Utopia, theaters): Lena Dunham sophomore feature as a director stars Kristine Froseth as a 26-year-old who begins an affair with her older, married employer (Jon Bernthal).
Aug. 5
“Secret Headquarters” (Paramount, theaters): A kid (Walker Scobell of “The Adam Project”) discovers a superhero’s secret headquarters in the basement of his home.
“Easter Sunday” (Universal): Stand-up Jo Koy stars in this Jay Chandrasekhar-directed comedy about returning home to his Filipino American family for the holiday.
“Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” (A24, theaters): Amandla Stenberg and Maria Bakalova star as teens partying in a remote mansion in this satirical horror that has been described as “Scream” meets “Euphoria.”
“Resurrection" (IFC, theaters): Rebecca Hall in a psychological horror is always a safe bet.
“Not Okay” (Hulu): This satirical look at social media culture focuses on a young woman (Zoey Deutch) who fakes a trip to Paris to gain followers and cred.
“Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie” (Netflix): Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey are back together to fight the Krang in this animated pic.
Aug. 12
“Mack & Rita” (Gravitas, theaters): A 30-something (Elizabeth Lail) who has always dreamed of being like her grandmother (Diane Keaton) gets more than she wished for when she emerges from a sound bath as a 70-year-old.
“13: The Musical” (Netflix): A New York City kid relocates to small town Indiana on the verge of his 13th birthday in this Tamra Davis film, with Debra Messing and Rhea Perlman.
“Day Shift” (Netflix): Jamie Foxx is a pool cleaner in the San Fernando Valley by day and a vampire hunter at night.
“AM I OK?” (HBO Max, on Aug. 11): Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is having a later in life revelation that isn’t helped by the fact that her best friend Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) is moving away in this comedic-drama co-directed by Tig Notaro.
“Emily the Criminal,” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Aubrey Plaza resorts to crime in this Sundance breakout.
Aug 19
“Beast” (Universal, theaters): Idris Elba is a widowed dad protecting his teen daughters from a rogue lion in this Baltasar Kormákur-directed thriller set in South Africa.
Aug 26
“892” (Bleecker Street, theaters): John Boyega plays a former marine who holds up a bank in hopes of getting what he’s owed from Veterans Affairs in this tense, fact-based drama.
“The Bride” (Sony, theaters): A wedding at a mansion in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in this horror starring Nathalie Emmanuel.
“Me Time” (Netflix): Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg play old best friends who reunite for a crazy weekend.
“Samaritan” (United Artists Releasing, theaters): A long missing superhero may still be alive in this drama starring Sylvester Stallone.
Aug. 31
“Three Thousand Years of Longing" (United Artists Releasing, theaters): Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton co-star in this romantic epic from director George Miller.
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