The /Film 2016 Summer Movie Preview: 20 Films We're Excited To See
This week officially kicks off blockbuster summer with the release of Captain America: Civil War. And the Marvel Studios sequel is just one of a bunch of movies you should be excited to see this season. Later this week we'll highlight a selection of movies that might be flying under your radar this summer, indie comedies and dramas that may not get the barrage of marketing that studios dish out this season. But this edition of the /Film 2016 Summer Movie Preview will focus on the studio and blockbuster releases you should be excited about.
The movies in the /Film 2016 Summer Movie Preview are in chronological order by release date. So without further adieu, here's the movies we are excited about and think you should be too.
Captain America: Civil War
Release Date: May 6
It's the comic book blockbuster to kick off the summer season, so of course it's going to be on the list. Most of us here at /Film have already seen the Marvel Studios sequel, but I'm personally excited to see it again. Plus, we know tons of you are looking forward to seeing it. There's probably no need to even remind you that it's coming out at this point. We just want to make sure you're ready to start the endless stream of summer movies that begins this weekend. If you want to know how good Captain America: Civil War is, read my full review right here.
The Angry Birds Movie
Release Date: May 20
Even though a movie based on the Rovio mobile game that feature birds being slingshotted into structures in order to smash the green pigs who stole their eggs doesn't sound like it has the makings of a decent movie, the trailers have done a decent job of convincing us otherwise. The Angry Birds Movie actually looks like a solid comedy, and it's hard to go wrong with a voice cast that includes talent like Jason Sudeikis, Danny McBride, Josh Gad, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage, Keegan-Michael Key, Kate McKinnon, Tony Hale, Ike Barinholtz, Hannibal Buress and many more.
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising
Release Date: May 20
Comedy sequels are hard to pull off without losing the special something that made the first film worth watching. However, if the trailers for Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising are any indicator, we just might have a worthy follow-up in store. Sure, the concept is essentially a rehash of the first movie with a sorority instead of a fraternity, but with Chloe Grace Moretz stretching her comedic chops as an adult actress now, we're excited to see how she holds her own against the likes of Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne and Zac Efron.
The Nice Guys
Release Date: May 20
If there's one thing Shane Black knows how to do better than anything else, it's write dark comedies featuring odd pairs. From Lethal Weapon to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, the screenwriter and director has delivered some great duos who get caught up in some seriously dangerous situations. The Nice Guys looks like Black will be back doing what he does best, and the pairing of Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling feels surprisingly perfect. Both have impeccable comedic timing, and the '70s setting only adds to the film's wild style. This one could be the sleeper hit of the summer.
X-Men: Apocalypse
Release Date: May 27
The X-Men franchise continues on the modified timeline that was altered in X-Men: Days of Future Past. This time we get to meet the younger versions of familiar X-Men like Cyclops, Jean Grey and Nightcrawler while meeting new mutants like Psylocke. But the real draw of this one is seeing the iconic Marvel Comics villain Apocalypse on the big screen for the first time. Even though the early trailers left me concerned about the film's quality, the most recent trailer seems to be on the right track. It'll be tough to top just how good Days of Future Past was, but it should be exciting to see how this takes the franchise in a new direction.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Release Date: June 3
Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Shaffer, also known as the trio The Lonely Island, are best known for their digital short music videos from Saturday Night Live. The guys previously brought Hot Rod to the big screen, while Taccone and Shaffer were also behind films such as MacGruber and The Watch. None of those films hit strong at the box office, but they all have their own merits when it comes to bringing the laughs, and at least two of them can be considered cult comedy favorites. Their latest effort is a laugh riot that is most simply described as The Lonely Island's version of This Is Spinal Tap with a little bit of Rock Star thrown in for good measure. It delivers huge laughs and never runs out of steam. Plus, the original songs are just plain ridiculous.Watch the Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping trailer right here.
The Conjuring 2
Release Date: June 10
It's hard not to get excited for a new horror film from James Wan, and since this one is a sequel to The Conjuring, that only makes this one even more enticing. The sequel appears to amp things up from the original as Ed & Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) head across the pond to check out England's own Amityville, a house that is full of a demonic force that is terrorizing a woman and her children. The trailers make it look like The Exorcist, but where the spirits are even more powerful and not shy about making themselves known.
Now You See Me 2
Release Date: June 10
Even though the ending of Now You See Me felt a little ridiculous, there's something undeniably fun and stylish about the magician heist. The sequel looks to amp things up by bringing Daniel Radcliffe, who is pretty well versed in magic thanks to the Harry Potter franchise, into the mix this time. It's not exactly clear what the Four Horsemen are up against, this time, but I'm certainly interested to see what kind of tricks they have up their sleeve for the sequel.
Warcraft
Release Date: June 10
Bringing the massive multiplayer online role playing game to the big screen will be no easy feat for director Duncan Jones. But Warcraft appears to bring fantasy to the big screen with as rich of a world as Lord of the Rings. However, there's something that doesn't quite feel as easily accessible in this story of orcs, wizards and humans at odds. Having said that, there's also something bold in how deep this movie is digging into the fantasy genre.
Finding Dory
Release Date: June 17
When you think of a Pixar movie that needed a sequel but hadn't yet received one, Finding Nemo was not at the top of the list. But knowing that the sequel is about the forgetful fish Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) learning about her past, and not tracking down the young clownfish Nemo again, this actually sounds like a worthy successor to Pixar's undersea adventure. There's a whole new cast of characters voiced by the likes of Eugene Levy, Dian Keaton, Ty Burrell, Kaitlin Olsen and more, and we're bound to have our heartstrings pulled by Pixar yet again.
Independence Day: Resurgence
Release Date: June 24
It's been 20 years since aliens attacked Earth in Independence Day, and the same amount of time has passed within the confines of the narrative. This time the aliens are coming back with bigger and better hardware, and they're pissed. But they probably weren't expecting us to have adopted their technology to advance our own weapons and vehicles to take them on when they come back. There's no Will Smith this time, which makes us a little less excited, but Jeff Goldblum is back, and that's good enough for us.
The BFG
Release Date: July 1
Steven Spielberg knows how to craft an adventure centered featuring talented youngsters. Whether it's E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, War of the Worlds, Jurassic Park or Empire of the Sun, Spielberg just knows how to pull incredible performances out of young actors. With The BFG not only are we getting a new young actress (Ruby Barnhill) working with Spielberg, but the director is also re-teaming with Bridge of Spies Oscar winner Mark Rylance and returning to family film territory for the first time since Hook (though you could maybe count The Adventures of Tintin as a family film). That's something to be excited about.Watch The BFG trailer right here.
Ghostbusters
Release Date: July 15
This is probably the most divisive blockbuster hitting theaters this summer, and even if this movie is average, it's not going to be enough to stop the naysayers from speaking ill of it. Even though we're skeptical if this reboot of the classic paranormal comedy will actually work, we're still hoping for the best, if only because it would be great to have another great Ghostbusters movie again, even if it's without the original characters. Plus, there's also the chance that there might be some kind of connection to the original franchise in some way. But we won't find out until this summer.
Star Trek Beyond
Release Date: July 22
This is the first time we'll be getting a movie in the rebooted Star Trek franchise that doesn't have J.J. Abrams behind the camera. Instead it will be Fast and Furious 6 director Justin Lin taking us deep into the final frontier. Having a new director on board could be just as risky as it is exciting, but with Simon Pegg, a true Trekkie, co-writing the script, we're hoping this is something that both Star Trek fans and general audiences will find enjoyable this summer.
Jason Bourne
Release Date: July 29
You know his name, but there seems to be much more that Jason Bourne doesn't know about his past with the shady organization known as Treadstone. The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum director Paul Greengrass is back with Matt Damon for the sequel, a reunion that we never thought would happen after the third film in the franchise ended with such finality. However, after the slog that was The Bourne Legacy, we're pretty pumped to see Matt Damon back in action as Jason Bourne again, especially in a post-Snowden world.
The Founder
Release Date: August 5
It's not a comic book flick, video game adaptation or sequel, and that makes this one of the most original films arriving this summer. Michael Keaton plays the man who turned McDonald's into a fast food empire, and it looks to be a story every bit as fascinating as The Social Network. Even though this is a late summer release, there's a chance this one could end up in the Oscar race next year. If anything, we're just happy to see Michael Keaton getting a role like this to keep his career resurgence going after Birdman and Spotlight.
Suicide Squad
Release Date: August 5
Since Batman v Superman wasn't quite the success that Warner Bros. Pictures was hoping it would be, there may be even more riding on the success of Suicide Squad than there otherwise would have been. With a team of bad guys rounded up as the heroes of this flick, it's certainly one of the more risky and original comic book movies to come together. With roster that includes Deadshot (Will Smith), a new Joker (Jared Leto) and the first big screen iteration of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), there's a lot here for DC Comics fans to get excited about, and we're hoping Fury director David Ayer has crafted something fun in the DC Comics movie universe.
Pete's Dragon
Release Date: August 12
Since Disney's new live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book fared well, following a commendable update of Cinderella and the revisionist fairytale Maleficent before that, there's every reason to think that Pete's Dragon will be worth watching late this summer. Pete's Dragon is a little different since the original was an animated/live-action hybrid, and this update seems to be taking a much different, contemporary approach to the story. But with a filmmaker like David Lowery on board and a cast that includes Robert Redford, Pete's Dragon could prove to be something special.
Sausage Party
Release Date: August 12
An R-rated animated movie in the hands of This Is The End writers and directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg? Yes, please! The first trailer shows us a twisted and crazy story about the food from a supermarket who learns what people really do when they take food home. And so, they must escape and head back to the store in order to free their friends before an upcoming holiday that would result in the certain death of all their edible friends. This movie looks dark, wild and truly original.
War Dogs
Release Date: August 19
Todd Phillips was stuck directing two sequels to The Hangover, but thankfully he's back a few years later with something a little more original. This time he's blending comedy and drama with the story of two twentysomethings who find themselves landing a huge arms contract through the United States government. Before you know it they're running guns in the Middle East and more than likely get in over their heads. Jonah Hill and Miles Teller are in the lead roles, and having them team up sounds like a pretty damn great idea. Plus, you can't go wrong with Bradley Cooper getting involved as well.Watch the War Dogs trailer right here.
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There's something to be excited for pretty much every week, and some weekends there are multiple movies that will have us heading to the movie theater. May 20 and June 10 are particularly crowded weekends at the movies that will have something for everyone. And we're not even talking about the indie releases that will be hitting theaters throughout the season as well. Stay tuned later in the week to find out about the more low key movies to watch out for, and get ready for what will hopefully be a great summer at the movies.
What movies are you looking forward to the most this summer? Did we miss any?