10 new summer movies to look forward to, from Spielberg’s latest to another Toy Story

If you ignore some of the obvious red flags fluttering on the not-too-distant horizon, from large conglomerates to the ever-encroaching influence of artificial intelligence, this summer’s movie season will look brighter and hotter than usual.

With current box office numbers up compared to this time last year, and a season dominated by the kind of virtuoso filmmakers who can sway both die-hard critics and casual moviegoers, I’m going to do something unusual and lean into optimism. To that end, here are 10 of the summer’s most anticipated wide-release movies. Here are movies that actually look interesting, not just big ones for the sake of being big (sorry, Supergirl, Spider-Man, and oddly enough, “live-action” Moana, but judging from the footage released so far, you’re not a contender. As a consolation prize, I’m sure you guys will do very well at the box office). Sorry homemakers, streaming movies are not allowed.

Information release date

Director Steven Spielberg returns to the world of aliens and UFOs in what could be his biggest adventure in terms of scale since he last faced off against extraterrestrials in 2005’s War of the Worlds. Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt lead a cast that also features Colman Domingo, Colin Firth, and Wyatt Russell, but it’s hard to tell exactly what the plot will be at this point. Based on an original screenplay by Steven Spielberg’s regular collaborator David Koepp (who wrote the screenplays for War of the Worlds and Jurassic Park, but also some of the director’s biggest failures, including The Lost World and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), there are hints of shadowy government agencies, repressed memories, and at least a few alien species. Could it be a sequel to Stealth Close Encounters of the Third Kind? I’d like to take another UFO enthusiast’s word for it. (June 12th)

toy story 5

Every time Pixar announces a new sequel to its most successful work, my immediate reaction is one of disbelief and dismay. Everyone, please leave me alone! But the studio has always managed to improve itself to the point that the Toy Story movies may represent a single franchise, with each successive film leapfrogging and continuing the previous one. Toy Story 5 is likely to continue the series’ trajectory, according to footage Disney just released at CinemaCon in Las Vegas last week. This time, Buzz and Woody must confront a device that threatens to ruin childhood as we know it: the iPad. Friends of Godspeed. (June 19th)

death of robin hood

In the 2021 cult film The Pig, director Michael Sarnosky introduces Nicolas Cage to country life as a once-talented chef who has gone berserk. After taking a brief detour into the cinematic world of A Quiet Place in the 2024 prequel, Sarnoski puts Hollywood’s leading men back in the mix with this remake of the 17th century ballad The Death of Robin Hood. In this film, Hugh Jackman plays a folk hero as a missing thief. Jodie Comer co-stars as a mysterious woman who may hold the key to Robin’s past, while Bill Skarsgard plays the terrifying role of Little John. (June 19th)

minions & monsters

Death, taxes, and minions. These are the new necessities of life. So the sassy little Banana Boys return in this Despicable Me prequel where they discover the overcaffeinated creatures that took over 1920s Hollywood. Think of it as Babylon’s version of the children’s movies, just with a few fewer poop gags. Damien Chazelle is also notable, given that the film’s early, suitably reckless footage references everything from Charlie Chaplin to Buster Keaton to Harold Lloyd. Steve Carell doesn’t appear to be playing the role of the Minions’ modern-day boss, Gru, but parents should be treated to some enthusiastic voice work from Christoph Waltz, Jeff Bridges, and Jesse Eisenberg. (July 1st)

Gail Daughtry and Celebrity Sex Pass

David Wain is responsible for at least two of the best comedies of the past quarter century, 2001’s Wet Hot American Summer and 2014’s They Come Together, so hopes are high that America’s master of deadpan absurdity can hit the right notes with this new feature. Co-written with regular co-star (and MTV The State veteran) Ken Marino, the awkwardly titled film tells the story of a bride (Zoey Deutch) who decides to take advantage of a “hall pass” agreement she has with her fiancé to sleep with her celebrity crush, Jon Hamm (played by himself). (July 10th)

odyssey

Christopher Nolan is probably the only director today who can sell his films to audiences based on his name alone. So what more do you need to know about his latest project to seal the deal? Perhaps it features both familiar stars from Nolan’s work (Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Elliot Page) and fresh faces (Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Jon Bernthal)? Or is this the first full-length feature filmed entirely in IMAX? Or do you think this is the biggest budget adaptation of the greatest story ever told (sorry, the Bible)? I already secured a 70mm IMAX ticket a year ago – I hope you will do the same. (July 17th)

Teen sex and death at Miasma camp

After delivering I Saw the TV Glow, one of the most beautifully creepy and shocking films of 2024, director Jane Schoenbrunn is back with a very interesting meta spin on the slasher film. Starring Hux breakout stars Hanna Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, the film focuses on a queer filmmaker hired to shoot a sequel to a long-running Friday the 13th-style horror movie, but the project quickly descends into what has been described as a “crazy psychosexual mania.” It was sold. (August 7th)

end of oak street

Robert David Mitchell, who has been in director’s prison since releasing the controversial LA noir “Under the Silver Lake” in 2018, returns with Spielbergian ambition in this sci-fi blockbuster. Originally conceived as an episode of The Twilight Zone and Cloverfield, End of Oak Street focuses on an everyday family whose suburban neighborhood is transported back in time to a prehistoric era where dinosaurs roam. Or have you been teleported to an even stranger place? Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor star as unwitting visitors to a different kind of Jurassic Park. (August 14th)

rebellion

I’m sure the sun will rise and Jason Statham will continue to do what Jason Statham does best: keep smiling and kicking ass. Here the most prolific action star of our time plays, but what else would he do? – A former special forces member who is trying to repent of his past sins. In this journey, the protagonist attempts to dismantle a human trafficking ring aboard a cargo ship on the high seas. Statham’s year got off to a sullen start with the relatively low-key thriller Shelter, but it looks like everyone’s favorite bald, brooding Brit will be in the hands of a more capable director this time around. Thanks to director Jean-François Richet, who any true B-movie action fan will know from his work with another superstar of the genre, Gerard Butler, in the excellent 2023 thriller Plane. (August 21st)

coyote vs. acme

Warner Bros. may have tried to kill this latest Looney Tunes adventure for tax deduction purposes, but we all know you can’t stifle a good Road Runner. And now, thanks to upstart American distributor Ketchup (don’t judge by the name) and the good folks at Canadian partner VVS, the whole gang is back in action, and this animated/live-action hybrid story focuses on a failed lawyer (Will Forte) who takes the infamous Acme Corporation (led by John Cena) to court over the inferior products that Wile E. Coyote has been ordering for decades. Could movie fans sue Warner’s David Zaslav for similar corporate torts? (August 28th)