By Glenn Kay, For the Sun
Well, Spring officially arrived March 20, and the movie season is also beginning to ramp up as well. It seems like an appropriate time to take a look at what’s coming to theaters in the near future. As always, release dates do get shifted around, so don’t be too surprised if a title currently scheduled in the next couple of months ends up being pushed back to a later date.
April begins with the release of the romantic black comedy The Drama from A24. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play a couple in a seemingly perfect relationship. But days before their wedding, friends dare them to share the worst thing they’ve ever done. The response of one of the pair shakes the other so badly that the relationship comes under scrutiny.
The same weekend, Universal Pictures is presenting the animated feature The Super Mario Galaxy Movie for family audiences and gamers. This is a sequel to the $1.36-billion-dollar-grossing smash hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which arrived at cinemas in 2023. This time out, Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach are transported to another world and do battle once again with Bowser, who now has a son.
On April 10, those looking for romance can check out You, Me & Tuscany from Universal Pictures. A cook working in Tuscany decides to squat in an abandoned villa, only to run into the owner’s cousin. Sparks fly between the pair. Halle Lynn Bailey and Regé-Jean Page headline the film.
The following week is a busy one. Documentary fans can check out Lorne from Focus Features, a documentary about Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. The film contains exclusive interviews with comics like Tina Fey, Chris Rock, Conan O’Brien, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, John Mulaney, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers, Kristin Wiig, Mike Myers and many others.
Horror fans can buy a ticket for Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, a new take on the legendary monster from Universal Pictures. Who is Lee Cronin, you might ask? Well, he recently received some acclaim for his sequel Evil Dead Rise a few years back. This modern-day reimagining involves a couple whose daughter is abducted in Cairo, Egypt. She is found eight years later, but isn’t the same, leading her family on a dangerous search to find out what happened.
Also on April 17, Magnolia Pictures is releasing the action picture Normal with Bob Odenkirk. Directed by Ben Wheatley (Free Fire) this film involves a new sheriff who arrives in small town Minnesota and discovers corruption everywhere.
If you’d prefer to see something new at home, Netflix is premiering the feature Roommates, a college comedy about two female freshmen trying to help each other survive their first year away from home. The cast includes Sadie Sandler, Chloe East, Sarah Silverman, Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll and Storm Reid, with plenty of cameos from familiar comedy star
The following week on April 24, Netflix is making another title available to stream. Apex stars Charlize Theron as a rock climber who finds herself being tracked by a hunter determined to kill her. Taron Egerton plays the sinister pursuer.
Vertical is releasing the historical action/drama Desert Warrior the same day. Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart and Sharlto Copley headline this film. It tells the story of the Battle of Dhu Qar in seventh century Persia.
Fuze from Roadside Attractions and Saban Films is a British thriller from David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water, Relay) about an unexploded World War II bomb that is discovered in central London. A mass evacuation begins, while a small group look to take advantage of the situation. This picture stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Worthington.
Music enthusiasts may be interested in the Lionsgate release Michael, a biography of legendary pop singer Michael Jackson. Jaafar Jackson, nephew of the musician, plays the title role. The movie is directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and also features Colman Domingo, Nia Long and Miles Teller.
And you can also check out the action/comedy Over Your Dead Body, which is a remake of a 2021 Norwegian picture about a couple who go on a romantic vacation to reconnect, only for each to discover that the other is planning on murdering them. This cast includes Jason Segel and Samara Weaving.
May 1 sees the arrival of several big titles as the studio begins ramping up for the summer season. The George Orwell literary classic Animal Farm is arriving as an animated feature adaptation from Angel Studios. Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close, Steve Buscemi, Woody Harrelson, Jim Parsons, Kathleen Turner, Andy Serkis (who also directed) and many more lend their voices to this tale of an animal revolution that goes awry.
Deep Water from Magenta Light Studios is a disaster/survival picture about passengers on an airline flight who crash in shark-infested waters and attempt to find safety. Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley headline the picture.
The week’s biggest title is the sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2 from 20th Century Studio. The original cast returns and viewers catch up with all of the characters today as they deal with the fashion world in a new media landscape. Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci all appear, along with newcomers Justin Theroux and Kenneth Branagh.
Hokum from Neon features Adam Scott. The film tells the story of an alcoholic writer who visits Ireland to spread the ashes of his deceased parents. He learns about a haunting in the hotel where he is staying and becomes engrossed in supernatural trouble.
And on Netflix, you can check out the animated family comedy Swapped. The story involves two animal adversaries in a forest who magically switch bodies and learn about each other in the process. Michael B. Jordan, Juno Temple, Tracy Morgan and Cedric the Entertainer provide the voices.
If you enjoy the music of Billie Eilish, you can go to the theater on May 8 and see Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour, a 3D concert film capturing her most recent tour.
Moral Kombat II from Warner Bros. Pictures is also arriving the same weekend. Karl Urban and other cast members from the previous installment return to fight in this R-rated take on the video game.
Netflix is making Remarkably Bright Creatures available to stream the same weekend. This is an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel about a widow who strikes up a friendship with an octopus at an aquarium. Sally Field stars in the movie.
The Sheep Detectives from Amazon MGM Studios is a mystery/comedy about, well, exactly what it sounds like. After their shepherd is murdered, his flock of sheep decide to investigate the crime and find the killer. This live-action effort features Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson, along with a voice cast that includes Julia Louis Dreyfuss, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Regina Hall, Patrick Stewart, Bella Ramsey, Bret Goldstein and Rhys Darby.
May 15 sees the release of In the Grey from Guy Ritchie (Sherlock Holmes, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare), an action thriller with Jake Gyllenhaal and Henry Cavill as members of a team tasked with reclaiming a fortune stolen by a ruthless tyrant.
Amazon MGM Studios is delivering the thriller Is God Is, based on the award-winning Off-Broadway play by Aleshea Harris and featuring Kara Young and Mallori Johnson as two sisters seeking revenge against their abusive father.
And the horror film Obsession from Focus Features is a new take on the Monkey’s Paw fable. A music store employee gets a wish from a special willow to get his heart’s desire, but soon learns of the horrible consequences of his request.
The following week sees Disney’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu mark the official start of the summer movie season.
Until then, there’s plenty to enjoy at the movies.
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