By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
Memorial Day weekend is almost here. While technically it’s still Spring, movie fans will know that the holiday generally signals the start of the summer movie season. None of this week’s releases are being screened for the press, so it’s a perfect opportunity to go over some upcoming titles.
On May 22, Neon is releasing I Love Boosters, a crime/comedy from Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You) about shoplifters with a taste for fashion who seek revenge on a cutthroat clothing designer who has stolen their designs. Keke Palmer and Naomi Ackie headline the picture.
If you’re at home, Netflix is streaming the comedy Ladies First with Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant and Emily Mortimer. Cohen plays a male chauvinist who is transported to an alternate world run by women.
And the Paramount Pictures horror film Passenger follows a couple on a remote road who witness a deadly accident and are pursued by the supernatural force responsible.
But the biggest release of the holiday weekend is from Disney. The Mandalorian and Grogu is a continuation of a Star Wars series that ran on Disney+ for three seasons. Viewers see the title characters assigned a dangerous rescue mission. Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White and Sigourney Weaver appear in the film. Will the series translate well to the big screen? We should know the answer in a couple of weeks.
May 29 is another busy week at the cinema. A24 is delivering the indie science-fiction/horror title The Backrooms, which follows a therapist who follows a patient into a perilous alternate world.
The same weekend, Sony Pictures is putting out the Nate Bargatze comedy The Breadwinner. It follows the misadventures of a man who becomes a stay-at-home dad when his wife leaves for a month-long business trip. Mandy Moore, Will Forte, Colin Jost and Kumail Nanjiani also appear in the picture.
The World War II drama, Pressure, will also be arriving from Focus Features. It depicts General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Captain James Stagg plotting and deciding whether or not to attempt the notable D-Day invasion. Andrew Scott and Brendan Fraser take on the lead roles.
Those with Apple TV will have the opportunity to view Propeller One-Way Night Coach, a family film about a man recollecting an adventure he and his mother took flying across the country. John Travolta wrote, co-produced and directed the movie (he also serves as the narrator).
And Tuner is also appearing at cinemas May 29 from Black Bear Pictures. This crime thriller with Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman follows a piano turner who discovers that his abilities in tuning musical instruments are also applicable to safecracking.
On June 5, indie film fans can check out the Samara Weaving crime/thriller Carolina Caroline, which follows a young woman who falls for a con-man and helps him during a crime spree. Magnolia Pictures is releasing the film.
Amazon MGM Studios are hoping kids and parents remember and love He-Man. Masters of the Universe follows a man raised on Earth who travels to the fantastic world of Eternia. Once there, he discovers that he is He-Man, a warrior prince who must end the rule of the sinister Skeletor. This is a film adaptation of the toy line that stars Nicholas Galitzine, Idris Elba, Alison Brie and Jared Leto (as Skeletor).
Jennifer Lopez is appearing the same weekend in the rom-com Office Romance, which will be available to stream on Netflix.
One picture that has been generating a lot of positive buzz is the Lionsgate comedy Power Ballad. It will appear in a few markets in late May before opening wide on June 5. The plot involves a struggling wedding singer who meets a boy band star. The lead shares a song he has been working on with the celebrity, only to discover months later that the performer has stolen the melody. He heads to California to confront the singer. The feature is directed by John Carney (Once, Sing Street) and stars Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas.
And Paramount Pictures will attempt to deliver some laughs with Scary Movie, the sixth in a long line of horror movie parodies. The Wayans brothers and Anna Faris return for this follow-up, the first in thirteen years for the long-running franchise.
June 12 marks the debut of a new Steven Spielberg science-fiction epic. Disclosure Day will be arriving from Universal Pictures and story details are still being kept under wraps. All anyone knows is that it involves UFOs and Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo have notable roles in the feature.
Those looking for some wild martial arts action can check out The Furious from Lionsgate. This Hong Kong/China/Thailand co-production has been wowing audiences at film festivals since last year. It follows two men hunting down members of a criminal organization. One has had their wife kidnapped, and the other his daughter. The pair decide to fight every individual responsible in order to locate their loved ones.
On a different note, Bleecker Street is delivering Stop! That! Train!, a disaster movie parody about a runaway train starring various drag queens. It also includes celebrity cameos from the likes of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joel McHale, Chris Parnell, Nicole Richie, Charo and RuPaul.
June 19 sees the release of The Death of Robin Hood from A24. This R-rated revisionist take on the famous English outlaw finds Hugh Jackman playing an aging version of the man regretting some of his past deeds and searching for redemption.
There are a few independent titles this week, including Girls Like Girls from Focus Features. It’s a coming-of-age and coming-out story about a 17-year-old embarking on a new romance. Neon is releasing the chiller Leviticus, about two gay teenagers hunted by a monster that impersonates them. And Maddie’s Secret is an indie comedy from Magnolia about a food influencer trying to hide their bulimia from fans and viewers.
The same weekend, Disney is delivering the Pixar animated sequel, Toy Story 5. This time out, the toys find themselves being abandoned by screen-addicted children and attempt to get their attention focused back on good, old-fashioned creativity with playthings. The title features almost all previous voice actors returning, along with newcomers Greta Lee, Conan O’Brien and Craig Robinson.
Back on streaming, Netflix has the rom-com Voicemails for Isabelle with Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson. It follows a woman who leaves confessional voicemails for her deceased sister. Little does she know that the messages are accidentally being delivered to a concerned stranger.
On June 26, In the Hand of Dante is available to stream on Netflix. The film involves a mobster’s attempts to uncover a hand-written manuscript of “The Divine Comedy” by Dante in the present day, while also depicting the author writing the actual work back in the 1400s. It features Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino and Jason Momoa.
The Invite from A24 is a dark comedy with Seth Rogen, Olivis Wilde, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton about a married couple with relationship troubles who are invited by another husband and wife to take part in an orgy.
For those who enjoy the famous series, Paramount Pictures is delivering Jackass: Best and Last, which features the cast reminiscing about past stunts. It includes never-before-seen-footage, in addition to a handful of all new and outrageous pranks.
The John Cena comedy Little Brother will also be available to stream on Netflix. The film follows a notable real estate agent whose life is upended by the arrival of his wild sibling. The cast includes Eric André, Michele Monaghan, Christopher Meloni and Sherry Cola.
But the biggest release of the week is Supergirl from Warner Bros. Following on the heels of the 2025 Superman, it’s the next picture in the revamped DC franchise of superhero adaptations. Milly Alcock plays the title role, along with Jason Momoa, Mattias Schoenaerts and David Corenswet. The plot involves the lead traveling across the universe to fight a sinister, otherworldly figure.
If you enjoyed the first two Netflix titles, you’ll be happy to learn that Enola Holmes 3 will be released on July 1. Helena Bonham Carter, Himesh Patel and Henry Cavill also appear in the feature.
And tykes may be happy to discover that Universal Picture will be releasing the animated family film Minions & Monsters on the same day. This story is set in the 1920s. The Minions are in Hollywood and set out to make a horror picture, encountering various classic Universal Monsters in the process.
On July 3 faith-based distributor Angel Studios will debut Young Washington, a biopic about the early life of President George Washington.
The following week features Evil Dead Burn from Warner Bros., with the demonic “Deadites” attacking a group gathered together for a family reunion.
The indie comedy Gail Daughtry & the Celebrity Sex Pass from Sony Pictures Classics also opens on July 10. This effort from David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer, Role Models, Wanderlust) is about an engaged couple. When the fiancée learns that her soon-to-be-husband has taken advantage of the title arrangement, she heads to Hollywood to do the same. Apparently, the film features several cameos from notable actors.
And Disney is delivering a much-anticipated live-action remake of Moana for family audiences. Catherine Laga’aia takes on the title role, with, appropriately enough, Dwayne Johnson playing Maui.
And one of the biggest titles of the year also arrives on July 17 from Universal Pictures. The Odyssey from Christopher Nolan (Inception, Dunkirk, Oppenheimer) is based on the Odyssey by Homer, which is one of the first books ever written. This epic spectacle features Greek king Odysseus attempting to return home to his family after the Trojan War. The movie was shot entirely on IMAX cameras and stars Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.
The following week includes streaming titles like Netflix’s 72 Hours, a comedy with Kevin Hart about a 40-year-old executive who is mistakenly invited to a bachelor party on a chat group and gets more than he bargained for. You can also watch The Dink on Apple+, a comedy about a former tennis prodigy who decides to become a pickleball player. It stars Jake Johnson, Mary Steenburgen and Ed Harris. At theaters, IFC is putting out the period indie thriller Motor City on the same date with Alan Ritchson and Shailene Woodley.
July 31 promises another major release. Spider-Man: Brand New Day from Sony Pictures is the first Marvel superhero movie in a year, and features Tom Holland returning as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. After the events of the previous film, the lead struggles with the fact that no one from his past remembers him. He fights crime and protects those he loves anonymously in New York when several new and dangerous threats emerge.
August is another busy month, with genre films like Fall 2 from Lionsgate, the Screen Gems sequel Insidious: Outside of the Further, and the Warner Bros. release The End of Oak Street. Family audiences will be pleased to see PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie in theaters courtesy of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, in addition to the long-awaited, live-action/animated comedy Coyote vs. Acme from Ketchup Entertainment. It will land at theaters at the end of the month.
Additionally, noted director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, The Martian) has a new post-apocalyptic thriller called The Dog Stars. The 20th Century Features title stars Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin as survivors of a deadly flu pandemic trying to find safety in a broken-down world.
There is a lot coming your way and I’ll do my best to keep you updated on as much as I can over the next few months!
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