LOS ANGELES – Are you ready for some movies this summer? There’s action-adventure, romance, horror, franchises and anniversary re-releases of some of your favorites populating theaters and streaming services from May through Labor Day. You just have to know where to look.
Things kick off in theaters in May with Universal’s Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action romantic comedy “The Fall Guy” (May 3), a new installment in the Apes series, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (May 10), followed by Jane Shoenbrun’s buzzy thriller “I Saw the TV Glow” (May 17) and closing out with the Mad Max prequel “Furiosa.” June brings “Hit Man” to Netflix and “Bad Boys 4” to theaters, as well as “Inside Out 2,” “The Bikeriders” and the first part of Kevin Costner’s Civil War-era Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga.”
And while July might not have another “ Barbenheimer” showdown, but there’s plenty to be excited for including the space race rom-com “Fly Me To the Moon,” “Twisters” and, of course, “Deadpool & Wolverine.” August has some gems too, including chapter two of “Horizon,” a new Alien movie (“Alien: Romulus”) and some thrillers like “Cuckoo” and “Trap.”
Here’s your guide to what’s coming to theaters and streaming services this summer.
MAY MOVIE RELEASES
May 2
“Turtles All the Way Down” (MAX, streaming): Based on John Green’s popular novel, Isabela Merced plays 17-year-old Aza in this coming-of-age story.
May 3
“The Fall Guy” (Universal, theaters): A love letter to stunt performers (and a funny, slick send-up of the movie industry), Ryan Gosling plays a veteran stunt guy who’s enlisted to find a missing movie star (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) so that his crush (Emily Blunt) can finish her directorial debut.
“The Idea of You” (Amazon, streaming): Anne Hathaway plays a single mother in Los Angeles who begins a relationship with a younger pop star, played by Nicholas Galitzine, in this smart and charming romantic comedy.
“Unfrosted” (Netflix, streaming): Jerry Seinfeld makes his directorial debut with this film about the race between cereal rivals Kellogg’s and Post to create a new pastry. Seinfeld stars alongside Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Amy Schumer, Hugh Grant, Max Greenfield and many more.
“I Saw the TV Glow,” (A24, theaters, wide on May 17): In Jane Schoenbrun’s second feature, a Sundance breakout, realities blur for two teenagers (Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine) watching a mysterious late-night television show.
“Wildcat” (Oscilloscope, theaters): Ethan Hawke directs his daughter Maya Hawke in this unconventional, artful portrait of American author Flannery O’Connor.
“Evil Does Not Exist” (Sideshow and Janus Films, theaters): Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s follow-up to “Drive My Car” is an unnerving slow burn about a father and daughter and their quiet town in the woods outside of Tokyo, whose tranquil way of life threatened when a company decides to build a glamping retreat nearby.
“Jeanne du Barry” (Vertical, theaters on May 2): Maïwenn co-wrote, directs and stars in this period drama about a working class woman who wins over King Louis XV (Johnny Depp).
“Tarot” (Sony, theaters): A horror about what happens when a group of friends use someone else’s deck (apparently a sacred rule of Tarot).
“Mars Express” (GKIDS, theaters): A future-set animated noir about a private detective and her android partner on the hunt for a hacker, from filmmaker Jérémie Perin. It will be presented in both its original French and an English dub.
“Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg” (Magnolia, theaters and video on demand (VOD)): A documentary that goes beyond the headlines about the actress and muse forever associated with the Rolling Stones.
“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” re-release (Disney, theaters).
May 5
“Steel Magnolias” 35th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
May 9
“Mother of the Bride” (Netflix, streaming): Brooke Shields plays mother to Miranda Cosgrove in this romantic comedy about her daughter’s engagement to the son of the man who broke her heart.
May 10
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (20th Century Studios, theaters): Generations after Caesar, apes have become the dominant species in this new installment directed by “Maze Runner” alum Wes Ball. Owen Teague stars as the young ape Noa whose world us upended when an intelligent human (“The Witcher’s Freya Allan) arrives.
“Gasoline Rainbow” (MUBI, theaters): Filmmakers Bill and Turner Ross direct this largely improvised road trip film about teenagers in Oregon searching for The Party At The End Of The World.
“Lazareth” (Vertical Entertainment, theaters and VOD): Ashley Judd stars in this thriller about a woman who adopts her nieces and raises them isolated in the woods.
“Poolman” (Vertical Entertainment, VOD): Chris Pine’s directorial debut, in which he plays a normal Los Angeles guy who’s asked to do some sleuthing around a shady business deal, got some scathing reviews out of the Toronto International Film Festival but now’s your chance to judge for yourself. Annette Bening, Danny DeVito and Jennifer Jason Leigh also star.
“Force of Nature: The Dry 2” (IFC Films, theaters and VOD): Eric Bana is a federal agent investigating a missing corporate whistleblower.
“The Image of You” (Republic Pictures, theaters and VOD): Based on a bestselling thriller about identical twins pulled apart by a new love, with Sasha Pieterse and Mira Sorvino.
May 17
“ IF ” (Paramount, theaters): This family film about a girl (Cailey Fleming) and her upstairs neighbor (Ryan Reynolds) who can see all the imaginary friends (aka IFs) who have been left behind was written and directed by John Krasinski. IF voices include Steve Carell, Emily Blunt, Maya Rudolph, Matt Damon and the late Louis Gossett Jr.
“ Thelma the Unicorn ” (Netflix, streaming): This animated film about a pony whose dreams of becoming a pop star come true was written by “Napoleon Dynamite” duo Jared and Jerusha Hess.
“ The Blue Angels ” (Amazon/MGM, limited theatrical): If you’re looking for some “Top Gun” spectacle at the movies this summer, there’s a new documentary shot with IMAX cameras about the Navy’s Flight Demonstration Squadron that was filmed over a year. It’s getting a week-long IMAX run before hitting Prime Video on May 23. It was directed by Paul Crowder and produced by J.J. Abrams and Glen Powell.
“ Back to Black ” (Focus Features, theaters): Marisa Abela plays Amy Winehouse in this biographical drama about the “Rehab” singer who died at 27 in 2011. Sam Taylor-Johnson (“Fifty Shades of Grey”) directs.
“ Babes ” (Neon, theaters): “Broad City’s” Ilana Glazer co-wrote and stars in this raucous comedy about an accidental pregnancy (and friendship and growing up and body stuff) that got rave reviews out of SXSW.
“ The Strangers: Chapter 1 ” (Lionsgate, theaters): Masked strangers terrorize a young couple, Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez, who have to spend a night in a remote cabin after their car breaks down in this horror.
May 19-22
“North By Northwest” 65th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
“Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” 40th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
“Castle in the Sky” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
“Darkness of Man” (Saban Films, VOD): Jean Claude Van Damme plays a former Interpol operative.
May 24
“ Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga ” (Warner Bros., theaters): Buckle up, George Miller is back with another high-octane Mad Max tale focusing this time on a young Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, and a warlord named Dementus (Chris Hemsworth).
“ The Garfield Movie ” (Sony, theaters): Chris Pratt voices another classic character in this animated film about the feline lasagna enthusiast.
“ Atlas ” (Netflix, streaming): Jennifer Lopez is a skeptical data analyst who must learn to trust artificial intelligence to save humanity in this Brad Peyton-directed flick.
“ Sight ” (Angel Studios, theaters): From the studio behind “Sound of Freedom,” the inspirational drama “Sight” is about an eye surgeon who wants to restore a blind child’s vision. It stars Terry Chen and Greg Kinnear.
“Invisible Nation” (Abramorama, theaters): A documentary about Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan.
“The Keeper” (Lama Entertainment, theaters): Based on the true story of Army vet George Eshleman, who endeavors to raise awareness about military suicides by hiking the Appalachian trail.
May 31
“ Robot Dreams ” (Neon, NY theaters; LA on June 7): This Oscar nominated animated charmer, about a dog who builds himself a robot companion, is finally getting a proper theatrical release in the U.S.
“ Young Woman and the Sea ” (Disney, theaters): Daisy Ridley plays the first woman to swim across the English Channel, Trudy Ederle, who won gold at the Olympics in 1924 and who finished the 21-mile trek in 1926. The inspirational drama arrives just in time for the Summer Olympics.
“Jim Henson: Idea Man” (Disney+, streaming): Ron Howard takes us inside the mind of the man behind “The Muppet Show,” and countless other entertainments, in a new documentary.
“ Ezra ” (Bleecker Street, theaters): A story about a down on his luck father (Bobby Cannavale) fighting to protect his young autistic son (William A. Fitzgerald). Robert De Niro and Whoopi Goldberg co-star in this drama from Tony Goldwyn.
“The Dead Don’t Hurt” (Shout! Studios, theaters): Vicky Krieps and Viggo Mortensen play star-crossed lovers in the 1860s American West, divided and fractured when he enlists to fight for the Union and she is left behind to defend herself in a corrupt frontier town.
“Summer Camp” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard are childhood friends who meet again at a camp reunion.
“HAIKYU!! The Dumpster Battle” (Sony Pictures/Crunchyroll, theaters): Already a hit in Japan, this installment in the anime volleyball series finds old nemesis teaming up to defeat a rival high school team.
“Backspot” (XYZ Films, theaters): Devery Jacobs is an ambitious cheerleader and Evan Rachel Woods is her demanding head coach.
“PROTOCOL 7” (Abramorama, theaters): A corporate thriller based on real events about a group who goes up against a pharmaceutical company.
“In a Violent Nature” (IFC, theaters): An undead golem pursues teens on vacation in this horror.
“Flipside” (Oscilliscope, theaters): A documentary about a filmmaker’s attempt to revive the New Jersey record store he worked in as a teen.
JUNE MOVIE RELEASES
June 2
“The Muppet Movie” 45th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters)
June 7
“ Hit Man ” (Netflix, streaming): Armed with glowing reviews from the fall festivals, Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” starring Glen Powell is finally coming to Netflix.
“ Bad Boys: Ride or Die ” (Sony, theaters): Will Smith, in the first major movie he’s made since slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars (“Emancipation had already been filmed by then), reunites with Martin Lawrence for the fourth installment in the “Bad Boys” franchise, which started in 1995.
“ The Crow ” (Lionsgate, theaters): Bill Skarsgård, FKA twigs and Danny Huston star in director Rupert Sanders’ reboot of the comic-based series about a dead musician resurrected to avenge his and his fiance’s deaths.
“The Commandant’s Shadow” (Warner Bros., theaters): The son of Nazi commandant Rudolf Höss (also the subject of the Oscar-winning “The Zone of Interest”) reckons with his family’s past in this documentary.
“I Used to be Funny” (Utopia, theaters and VOD): “Bottoms” star Rachel Sennott plays an aspiring stand-up comic in Ally Pankiw’s debut.
June 9-12
“The Secret World of Arrietty” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
“When Marnie Was There” 10th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
June 14
“ Inside Out 2” (Disney, theaters): Riley is a teenager now and some new emotions are coming onto the scene to join Joy (Amy Poehler) and the gang, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).
“ The Watchers ” (Warner Bros., theaters): Dakota Fanning plays an artist who gets stranded in a forest in western Ireland where mysterious creatures lurk in the night in this film from Ishana Night Shyamalan.
“Treasure” (Bleecker Street, theaters): Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry play father and daughter in this 1990s road-trip movie about a Holocaust survivor on a journey back to his homeland, Poland.
“Ultraman: Rising” (Netflix, streaming): Animator Shannon Tindle (“Kubo and the Two Strings”) directs this animated action film about a baseball star/superhero who has to raise the offspring of a foe.
“Tuesday” (A24, theaters): Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays a mother to a teenage daughter who meets death in the form of a talking bird in this fairy tale-esque debut from Daina O. Pusić.
“The Grab” (Magnolia, theaters): A documentary investigation into the run on natural resources by governments, financial investors and private security forces.
“Summer Solstice” (Cartilage Films, theaters): Friends go away for a weekend for the first time after one has transitioned.
June 21
“ The Bikeriders ” (Focus Features, theaters): Jeff Nichols captures the spirit of a Midwestern motorcycle club in the 1960s in this exciting drama starring Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Mike Faist. It’s inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1967 photo-book about the Outlaws Motorcycle Club.
“Thelma” (Magnolia, theaters): June Squibb goes on a “Mission: Impossible” style adventure across Los Angeles with Richard Roundtree to try to reclaim her money from a phone scammer in this delightful comedy.
“Janet Planet” (A24, theaters, wide on June 28): Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker makes her film debut with this dreamy tale of an 11-year-old girl and her mother in western Massachusetts one summer.
“Kinds of Kindness” (Searchlight Pictures, theaters): Emma Stone’s “Poor Things” Oscar is barely in the rearview mirror and she’s already back with another Yorgos Lanthimos film, described as a triptych fable. Also starring Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer.
“Fancy Dance” (Apple, theaters, streaming on June 28): Lily Gladstone produced and stars in this gem about a woman caring for her niece on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma, the search for her missing sister and the plight of Indigenous women.
“What Remains” (VMI, theaters and VOD): Andrea Riseborough and Stellan Skarsgård star in this movie about an alleged serial killer, his therapist and a detective attempting to solve a cold case.
“She Rises Up” (Abramorama, theaters): This documentary about economic opportunities for women follows subjects in Sri Lanka, Peru and Senegal.
“Bread & Roses” (Apple TV+, streaming): This Jennifer Lawrence-produced documentary sheds light on Afghan women since Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021.
June 23
“South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut” 25th Anniversary sing-a-long (Fathom Events, theaters).
June 25
“Diane von Furstenberg: Woman In Charge” (Hulu, streaming): The story of the mogul behind the iconic wrap dress, including interviews with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Marc Jacobs and Hillary Clinton.
“I Am Celine Dion” (Amazon/MGM, streaming): A behind the scenes look at Celine Dion life now, living with the rare neurological disorder stiff person syndrome.
June 28
“A Quiet Place: Day One” (Paramount, theaters): “Pig” helmer Michael Sarnoski takes over directing duties for Krasinski in this prequel about the invasion, set in New York City. It stars Lupita Nyong’o and “Stranger Things’” Joseph Quinn.
“Horizon: An American Saga-Chapter I” (Warner Bros., theaters): Kevin Costner’s two-part Western epic focuses on the westward expansion during the American Civil War. He co-wrote, directed and stars alongside the likes of Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Jena Malone.
“A Family Affair” (Netflix, streaming): Nicole Kidman, Joey King and Zac Efron star in this film about a mother and daughter, a movie star boss and an unexpected romance with comic consequences.
“Last Summer” (Sideshow and Janus Films, theaters): Anne and Pierre’s life is lovely in Paris with their daughters, 6 and 8, until her stepson Theo moves in and begins an affair with her in this Catherine Breillat film.
“BLUE LOCK THE MOVIE-EPISIDE NAGI” (Crunchyroll/Sony Pictures): Based on an anime that has sold more than 30 million copies, this feature is set around soccer.
“Daddio” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn star in this two-hander about a woman and her taxi driver one night in New York.
JULY MOVIE RELEASES
July 3-5
“Despicable Me 4” (Universal, theaters): Gru and the minions are back, with a new baby in the mix.
“Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” (Netflix, streaming): Forty years after Axel Foley crossed jurisdictions to investigate a crime, Eddie Murphy is back for a fourth film, alongside Judge Reinhold and Paul Reiser.
“MaXXXine” (A24, theaters): After “X” and “Pearl,” Ti West concludes his unlikely trilogy by bringing Mia Goth’s aspiring star Maxine to Los Angeles in 1985 in this highly stylized slasher.
“Touch” (Focus, theaters): Baltasar Kormákur directs a thrilling romance about a widower’s search for his first love 50 years after she disappeared.
“ Kill ” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Set on the Rajdhani Express to New Delhi, this bloody action thriller stars Lakshya as an army commando who takes on a gang of violent thieves terrorizing passengers while on his way to derail his true love’s (Tanya Maniktala) arranged marriage.
“Possum Trot” (Angel Studios, theaters): Based on a true story about 22 families in a small East Texas town who adopt 77 difficult to place children out of the foster system.
“Space Cadet” (Prime Video, streaming): Emma Roberts plays a woman who embellishes an application and lands in NASA’s astronaut training program.
July 11
“Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black” (Prime Video, streaming): Meagan Good stars in this new Tyler Perry joint about a woman realizing the ugly truth about her husband.
July 12
“Fly Me to the Moon” (Sony/Apple TV+, theaters): Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum star in this romantic comedy from Greg Berlanti about a marketing executive hired by NASA to fake the moon landing…just in case.
“Sing Sing” (A24, theaters): Colman Domingo stars in this movie about a few incarcerated men who begin acting in a theater group. This fall festival breakout is based on “The Sing Sing Follies” by John H. Richardson and “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code” by Brent Buell and co-stars Paul Raci as well as several former prisoners.
“Longlegs” (Neon, theaters): Nicolas Cage and Maika Monroe lead this thriller about an FBI agent assigned to an unsolved case involving a serial killer.
“National Anthem” (Variance Films and LD Entertainment, theaters): Photographer Luke Gilford’s directorial debut, about queer rodeo subculture, starring Charlie Plummer.
July 13
“Princes Mononoke” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
July 19
“Twisters” (Universal, theaters): Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos lead a new band of storm chasers in this standalone sequel to the 1996 blockbuster directed by Lee Isaac Chung (“Minari,” “The Mandalorian”) and produced by Steven Spielberg.
“Skywalkers: A Love Story” (Netflix, streaming): An adventurous couple dream of climbing the world’s “last super skyscraper” and performing an acrobatic stunt on top.
July 21
“The NeverEnding Story” 40th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
July 26
“Deadpool & Wolverine” (Disney, theaters): The Merc with a Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) and the previously dead X-Man (Hugh Jackman) find their way to one another at last, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in this Shawn Levy-directed film. There are more rumors than confirmations about what it’s even about, and who will be making a cameo, but two things are certain: It’s rated R and it’s going to be one of the summer’s biggest hits.
“Dìdi” (Focus, theaters): This coming-of-age pic from Sean Wang about a 13-year-old Taiwanese-American kid (Izaac Wang) in the Bay Area on his last summer before high school in 2008 won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival.
“The Fabulous Four” (Bleecker Street, theaters): Lifelong friends (Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph) go to Key West for a wedding (college pal, played by Bette Midler).
AUGUST MOVIE RELEASES
August 2
“The Instigators” (Apple TV+, theaters; Streaming on Aug. 9): Doug Liman directs this comedic heist movie starring Matt Damon, Casey Affleck and Hong Chau.
“Harold and the Purple Crayon” (Sony, theaters): Many years after Spike Jonze was supposed to adapt the classic 1955 children’s book, and several delays with this iteration, the family fantasy film is finally making it to theaters. Starring Zachary Levi as Harold and Lil Rel Howery, it blends animation and live action.
“Kneecap” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): Naoise Ó Cairealláin aka “Móglaí Bap”, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh aka “Mo Chara”, JJ Ó Dochartaigh aka “DJ Provaí”, all playing themselves in this film about the titular rap trio from Belfast.
“Cuckoo” (Neon, theaters): Hunter Schaefer stars in this unnerving, blood-soaked thriller set in the German Alps. Dan Stevens plays her father’s creepy boss.
August 3
“Ponyo” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
August 9
“Trap” (Warner Bros., theaters): Josh Hartnett stars in an original thriller from M. Night Shyamalan about a murderer at large inside a massive arena concert.
“It Ends With Us” (Sony, theaters): Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni star in this adaptation of the Colleen Hoover novel about romantic love and childhood trauma.
“The Fire Inside” (Amazon/MGM, theaters): Ryan Destiny plays professional boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in this biographical sports drama from Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rachel Morrison, in her feature debut.
“Borderlands” (Lionsgate, theaters): After a few years of delays, Eli Roth’s colorful action-adventure “Borderlands,” based on the video game, is barreling to theaters starring Cate Blanchett, Ariana Greenblatt and Kevin Hart.
“My Penguin Friend” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Based on a true story, a fisherman (Jean Reno) finds hope in a penguin rescued from an oil spill.
“Good One” (Metrograph Pictures, theaters): A 17-year-old (Lily Collias) goes on a backpacking trip in the Catskills with her dad (James Le Gros) and his oldest friend in this poignant coming-of-age drama. India Donaldson’s debut was a Sundance breakout.
August 13
“The Union” (Netflix, streaming): Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg are former high school sweethearts turned spies in this action-comedy-romance.
August 16
“Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2” (Warner Bros., theaters): Costner continues the story of the American West with this second chapter, exclusively in movie theaters.
“ Alien: Romulus ” (20th Century Studios, theaters): The director of “Don’t Breathe” helms this terrifying new installment in the Alien series, starring Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced and David Jonsson.
“Close to You” (Greenwich Entertainment, theaters): Elliot Page plays Sam, who goes to his hometown for the first time since his transition for his father’s birthday.
August 23
“ Blink Twice ” (Amazon/MGM, theaters): Zoë Kravitz makes her directorial debut, with Channing Tatum starring as a tech billionaire who invites a waitress (Naomi Ackie) to his private island where odd things start happening.
“Slingshot” (Bleecker Street, theaters): Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburne star in this sci-fi thriller about an astronaut whose grasp on reality starts to dwindle on a dangerous mission.
“Place of Bones” (The Avenue, theaters and VOD): Heather Graham plays a mother who gets an unexpected visitor at her isolated ranch in a bloodied bank robber.
August 25-28
“Rear Window” 70th Anniversary re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
“Whisper of the Heart” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
“The Cat Returns” re-release (Fathom Events, theaters).
August 30
“Kraven the Hunter” (Sony, theaters): Deadpool isn’t the only R-rated comic book movie on the block this summer. Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as the titular Marvel villain in this film from J.C. Chandor, co-starring Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe.
“Reagan” (ShowBiz Direct, theaters): Dennis Quaid plays Ronald Reagan in this childhood to White House biopic, the first full-length film about the 40th U.S. President.
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