When it’s summertime, the weather is getting warmer, everybody’s getting out of school, and it’s the time to try to relax as much as possible. But the summer also brings us the biggest movie season of the year. Summer 2019 doesn’t look too different from previous years since it got its fair share of superhero flicks, big-budget sci-fi’s, and the unlucky few that might bomb at the box office. But if you know me, I’m probably gonna be spending every weekend for two hours in the theater hoping for something amazing.
Take a look at what I’m looking forward, and not-so looking forward, to the most this summer season. Also, see what I have predicted for the top 10 movies at the box office down below.
‘Avengers: Endgame’
Release Date: April 26
Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin
It isn’t the beginning of summer unless Marvel has a movie on their calendar. There isn’t anybody in the world that isn’t anticipating Avengers: Endgame. Infinity War ended on a note that many have been talking about for an entire year, and now we get to see the ones who survived the snap and stop Thanos. What will happen to our favorite superheroes? Will any of them survive in the end? Well, this guy and every Marvel fan is seeing it opening night.
‘Long Shot’
Release Date: May 3
Cast: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen, O’Shea Jackson Jr.
The marketing for Long Shot hilariously knows that pairing Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen together might seem unlikely. But from what’s been hinting from what I’ve been seeing, it could make for a fun romantic comedy. This also needs to be better than Jonathan Levine’s last movie, Snatched. The first word of mouth that came from SXSW is enough to see this.
‘Pokémon: Detective Pikachu’
Release Date: May 10
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Justice Smith, Ken Watanabe
It might be strange hearing Deadpool’s voice coming out of a CGI Pikachu solving a mystery, but there’s a chance Pokémon: Detective Pikachu might be entertaining for fans and non-fans alike. Try thinking of this like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? but with live-action Pokémon creatures.
‘John Wick Chapter 3- Parabellum’
Release Date: May 17
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry, Ian McShane
This is the third movie in the John Wick series. There’s nothing more exciting than that. Could this be one of the best action trilogies? I hope so since John Wick Chapter 3- Parabellum is gonna continue with delivering that killer action just like in the previous installments.
‘Aladdin’
Release Date: May 24
Cast: Mena Massoud, Will Smith, Naomi Scott
Aladdin is probably one of the few Disney remakes that just doesn’t look that good in the first place. Maybe it’s the fact there was no reason to a live-action version of one of Disney greatest’s animations, especially with Guy Richie attached to direct it. But, I’m still hopeful that it’s able to capture the magic of the original and the trailers were just bad marketing. And Will Smith for being a good Genie.
‘Brightburn’
Release Date: May 24
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, David Dunman, Jackson A. Dunn
James Gunn’s produced horror flick from Screen Gems really takes the idea of what if Superman turned straight-up evil? That’s really enough to make me invested in Brightburn.
‘Booksmart’
Release Date: May 24
Cast: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jason Sudeikis, Billy Lourd
Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut Booksmart already looks like it’s gonna be a wild teen comedy from the red band trailer alone. The glimpse of the friendship between stars Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein is already a win for what could be a hilarious comedy. And this is another one that got good word of mouth from SXSW.
‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’
Release Date: May 31
Cast: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown
2014’s Godzilla was pretty underwhelming due to the fact that the famous giant lizard barely showed up. From the looks at the trailers, King of the Monsters is gonna show more of Godzilla, and he’s gonna be fighting gigantic monsters like Mothra, Ghidorah, and Rogan. Nobody in fake costumes here; just eye-popping galore.
‘Rocketman’
Release Date: May 31
Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Maden, Bryce Dallas Howard
The long-awaited Elton John biopic Rocketman will finally grace the screen. Taron Egerton teams with his Eddie the Eagle director, Dexter Fletcher, to portray the legendary British artist in what might be a rocking good time filled with some of the classics he’s known for. Those who weren’t high on Bohemian Rhapsody will easily compare the two to how it truly depicts John, but we really shouldn’t at this point.
‘Dark Phoenix’
Release Date: June 7
Cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner
It’s pretty sad that nothing about Dark Phoenix looks great, and this is coming from an X-Men fan. After realizing Apocalypse was a fail, there’s a lot to worry when they’re going back to the well-known “Dark Phoenix Saga” storyline from the comics, which was ruined back in 2006 with X-Men: The Last Stand. But Simon Kinberg, who wrote and produced most of the films in the series, makes his directorial debut in what could be the last movie for this franchise after the Disney-Fox merger.
‘Men in Black: International’
Release Date: June 14
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, Rebecca Ferguson, Emma Thompson
The Men in Black franchise never had a steady route since the movies have ranged from great-to-disappointing. Men in Black: International is going global, but it would wind up adding nothing new to this universe that we haven’t seen before. It’s actually perfect that Hemsworth and Thompson are reteaming after what we’ve seen of their excellent chemistry from Thor: Ragnarok, but we need another trailer to think this is a good idea. At least this isn’t the crossover with 21 Jump Street.
‘Toy Story 4’
Release Date: June 21
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Tony Hale
There’s still the debate if the idea of Toy Story 4 existing sounding like a good idea since the third film capped off the franchise in the most enduring way imaginable. Though the trailers haven’t been fantastic, Pixar might make us cry once again with old and new characters. I mean, it’s Toy Story. Who doesn’t have a soft spot for these movies?
‘Yesterday’
Release Date: June 28
Cast: Himesh Patel, Lily James, Kate McKinnon, Ed Sheeran
The news about director Danny Boyle and Love Actually writer Richard Curtis collaborating to create a film where only one person in the world knows who the Beatles are? Count me in. Yesterday‘s fascinating concept might be slept on in late June, but I have a feeling everybody is gonna be talking about this when summer is love.
‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’
Release Date: July 2
Cast: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Marisa Tomei, Zendaya
Getting tired of Spider-Man? Too bad. Spider-Man: Far From Home is the third movie from the MCU that will keep fans alive in 2019. Here we get to see Peter Parker on a class trip to Europe where he’s facing against Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio. 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming was such a return to form for the hero when, so can all hope that this sequel is even better.
‘Midsommar’
Release Date: July 3
Cast: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter
It’s another A24 horror movie that will easily divide fans and critics alike, and Ari Aster’s Midsommar might be another case. Personally, I wasn’t one of the people who went gaga over last year’s Hereditary, but Midsommar does look intriguing based on the trailer. You know that’s gonna be creepy when it involves a cult.
‘The Lion King’
Release Date: July 19
Cast: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, James Earl Jones, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Billy Eichner, Chiwetel Ejiofor
For those who aren’t the least bit excited about Jon Favreau’s live-action remake of The Lion King, I’m sorry you can’t experience joy. Everything that this Disney remake has shown us is just stunning and looks to be faithful to the original animated movie. If that’s not enough, the voice cast (Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones returning as Mufasa) is stacked with talents and some of the classic songs will make fans happy (hopefully).
‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’
Release Date: July 26
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie
Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, might be one of the summer’s first Oscar-contenders if you ask me. How could you not be excited with Tarantino behind everything and a phenomenal cast that includes Leonardo Dicaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, etc? We’re stilling wondering how the Manson family murders of 1969 will come into play in the plot, but fans of the award-winning writer/director know how to treat its audience with an intriguing story around old Hollywood.
‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw’
Release Date: August 2
Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby
With the Fast & Furious series consistently getting better in terms of critical reception and box office numbers, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that its first spin-off starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, reprising their roles of Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, is gonna be filled with over-the-top action that’s gonna be guilty pleasure fun. And it has Idris Elba as the main baddie. Excited yet for Hobbs & Shaw?
‘The New Mutants’
Release Date: August 2
Cast: Anya-Taylor Joy, Maisie Williams, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga
Is New Mutants still coming out? Because most would assume that it was gonna be released at all since it keeps getting pushed back multiples time. Note: this was supposed to come out last April. There’s still confusion if there were actual reshoots that took place to make it more of a horror vibe or something. Unless there’s gonna be a new trailer before Dark Phoenix, I honestly don’t care anymore.
‘Good Boys’
Release Date: August 16
Cast: Jacob Tremblay, Brady Noon, Keith L. Williams
Just like with Booksmart, Good Boys premiered at SXSW hearing it was a solid comedy. Knowing that it’s a coming-of-age movie with Jacob Tremblay that’s produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, there’s no way it could fail to deliver the laughs. Could this be another Superbad on our hands? We shall see.
‘Blinded By the Light’
Release Date: August 16
Cast: Viveik Kalra, Kulvinder Ghir, Hayley Atwell, Meera Ganatra
Blinded By the Light is one that made its debut at Sundance earlier this year about a teenager in the late 80s’ obsessing over the music Bruce Springsteen. What I’ve been hearing is that this might be similar to Sing Street, which is enough to make me interested.
Summer Box Office Predictions:
- Avengers: Endgame
- The Lion King
- Toy Story 4
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- The Secret Life of Pets 2
- Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw
- Pokémon: Detective Pikachu
- Aladdin
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Men in Black: International
DC's Take 