While many think of summer as a break from school or time to spend on vacation, summer also means plenty of amazing movie releases, and this year is no exception. The film industry has finally been able to bounce back from so many setbacks due to the pandemic and even more after the WGA (Writer’s Guild of America) and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strikes pushed back production and delayed so many film releases, resulting in the wonderful array of films that will grace our theaters in the coming months. The summer of 2024 boasts some of the most fun releases in cinema in a good while, and I’ve compiled a list of a few films I can’t wait to see, all coming out between now and the end of August:
1. “Monkey Man”
Opening on: April 5, 2024
While this movie is technically already out in theaters at the time of this being published, I’d truly be remiss if I didn’t include Dev Patel’s directorial debut on my list of the season’s most anticipated releases – did I mention he also co-wrote it and stars in it? There’s truly nothing he can’t do – including conquering just about every obstacle life could throw at him during the production of this film while still producing a masterclass of film via this action thriller set in Mumbai. Oh – and Jordan Peele (of “Get Out,” “Nope,” and “Us” fame) produced it. If the thought of watching Dev Patel on-screen for almost 2 hours wasn’t enough to make you run to the theaters, the promise of some of the most exciting action scenes we’ve seen on the big screen in a long time should be.
2. “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”
Opening on: April 19, 2024
I’m truly such a fan of Guy Ritchie’s twisted, action-packed and gritty tales, along with his distinct directorial style that enhances the types of stories he loves to tell to a degree that cannot be explained, only felt. I can’t imagine “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” will be any departure from this – though I must ask – why the fixation on the word “gentlemen” (Ritchie also just wrote and directed “The Gentlemen” starring Theo James on Netflix)? His affinity for casting some of the most beautiful actors in Hollywood is no stranger here – the film stars Henry Cavill and Henry Golding, along with Eiza Gonzalez too.
3. “Challengers”
Opening on April 26, 2024
If you’ve heard of any of the films on this list, it’s likely you heard about this one – they’ve been pushing ads and marketing this film for months now on just about every single social media platform you can think of. The plot? A tennis love triangle. The trailers don’t give us much more, but Zendaya is sure to wow, as she always does. It’ll be interesting to see the flair that Luca Guadagnino can bring to the screen with this work, as it is certainly a major stylistic departure from his previous works “Call Me by Your Name” and “Bones and All.”
4. “The Fall Guy”
Opening May 3, 2024
We really are witnessing the Ryan Gosling revival era – ever since the smash hit that was the “Barbie” movie last summer, the actor has been bigger than ever. In this action film from David Leitch, the directorial genius behind “John Wick,” “Hobbs & Shaw,” and “Deadpool 2,” Gosling stars as a stuntman, who is also a bounty hunter. Totally plausible – especially if it’s Ryan Gosling. I’m not sure I ever understood why everyone loved him in “The Notebook,” but after seeing this trailer, I just might understand the hype. There’s no stopping his domination of our screens, but you won’t find me complaining.
5. “IF”
Opening on: May 17, 2024
I’m not going to lie – this one feels like a fever dream. Created by John Krasinski and Ryan Reynolds and penned by the former, this fantastical comedy tells the story of a girl who can see the imaginary friends (the IF in the title stands for imaginary friend) that people abandoned as they grew up. Krasinski and Reynolds both star in the film, along with many other big names in Hollywood who lent their voices to the imaginary friends this film is centered around. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Steve Carrell, Emily Blunt, Maya Rudolph and Awkwafina are just a few you may recognize. While the premise of the film seems ridiculous, the stacked cast of this film tells us there might be a bit more to this movie than what the trailer lets on.
6. “Bad Boys: Ride or Die”
Opening on: June 14, 2024
Detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett are back for more in this 4th installment of the “Bad Boys” franchise, and Will Smith and Martin Lawrence promise just as many jokes, car-chases, and crime-fighting hijinks as ever before. The plot isn’t anything extraordinary or shocking- the detectives investigate corruption in the Miami Police Department and in turn accidentally become fugitives -what else is new. While many franchises should’ve stopped making extra movies long ago, “Bad Boys” will never be one of them – the chemistry between Smith and Lawrence is something that can’t be matched, not in any other buddy cop movie ever. I’m sure we all saw the insane filming they did for this movie about a year ago where they shut down the street of Miami for some insane car chases – I can’t wait to see how they translate this onto the screen.
7. “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F”
Opening on: July 3, 2024
Another cop film franchise that will never get old – not even after the third “Beverly Hills Cop” movie. After almost 30 years, Axel Foley is back on our big screens to investigate corruption in the Beverly Hills Police Department again, this time alongside his daughter. I think I might be even more excited for this than “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” – and that’s saying something. Axel Foley is a character that has transcended time and is effortlessly hilarious and quotable. Anything Eddie Murphy stars in is an absolute riot, and this film will be no different. Many of the familiar faces from earlier films return in this, and it is sure to be a blast of nostalgia to see our favorite characters back and better than ever 3 decades later.
8. “Fly Me to the Moon”
Opening on: July 12, 2024
The only romantic comedy to have made this list, “Fly Me to the Moon” stars Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, who fall in love at NASA during the space race of the 1960s. Johansson acts as a marketer hired by NASA to get the American people excited about sending a man to the moon. Only in the process, she ends up in a relationship with Channing Tatum’s character, a scientist working on the mission. Director Greg Berlanti, who also directed “Love, Simon,” is sure to bring us plenty of ear-to-ear grins and yearning for the 60s in this film that claims to be loosely based on real life events.
9. “Deadpool & Wolverine”
Opening on: July 26, 2024
This one should be good – we’re getting the return of Ryan Reynolds as the beloved foul-mouthed superhero Deadpool, alongside Hugh Jackman as Wolverine? How, you may ask? Well, with the involvement of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), the agency from the Disney series Loki that is tasked with maintaining the natural order of time and space. It should be interesting to see how Wade’s classic humor and carefree attitude will meld with the very serious goal of maintaining the timeline set forth by the numerous Marvel movies mentioned/seen in the trailer. What can be guaranteed are thrilling action sequences and laugh-out-loud bits of dialogue that have become a hallmark of Deadpool films.
10. “Kraven the Hunter”
Opening on: August 30, 2024
From the Marvel Universe, we are finally getting a “Kraven the Hunter” film. Kraven is a classic Spiderman villain, though only previously known from the comics. The film stars Aaron Taylor Johnson as the titular hunter, who is a Russian immigrant on a mission to become the best hunter in the world. Not a ton is known about the plot of the film, but if it’s anything like the trailer, it’s sure to be full of gritty action sequences and a fast-paced plot centered on revenge and the creation story of a legendary hunter.
In all, there’s a hit movie for everyone this summer. Action, romance, drama? No matter what genre you love, the theaters are stacked this summer with blockbuster after blockbuster. Let us know which movie you’re most excited for this summer, or if we missed any that you’re looking forward to!