Summer movie season is synonymous with big stars, huge action and explosive spectacles. Hollywood saves the biggest blockbusters for these upcoming months, presenting moviegoers with a swath of sequels and superheroes, and the Daily has a rundown of some of the season's most anticipated films.
The Harry Potter film franchise has been one of the most successful in Hollywood history, grossing well over $6 billion worldwide already, but all good things must come to an end. The final installment of the series based on the beloved children's books by J.K. Rowling, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2," opens July 15. The eighth film in this series is bound to be as epic as the previous movies, as Harry, Ron and Hermione venture to find the last of the Horcruxes and finally defeat Lord Voldemort.
Another part deux sure to catch fans' attentions is "The Hangover Part II," which is being released Memorial Day weekend. Part one was a surprise hit in 2009 and showed that there is a large audience for more extreme R-rated comedies. With almost the entire cast returning for this sequel, this time set in Thailand, fans can expect the same outrageous situations as the last outing.
In a similar vein to "The Hangover," "Bridesmaids" follows an insane adventure in Las Vegas. This time, however, it's about a group of women celebrating their friend's wedding. Produced by Judd Apatow, this movie should prove that ladies can star and sell a big, gross-out comedy film. While comic actresses like Jane Lynch, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey have dominated the small screen, few big Hollywood comedies in recent years have been led solely by females. This film, which is already playing in theaters, should be able to get that trend started and let some seriously funny women carry a picture.
Of course, it would not be the summer movie season without some mega-action epics. The third picture in the popular "Transformers" series, based on the Hasbro action figures, will be crashing into theaters on July 1. The film, titled "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," gained notoriety for its production problems, including director Michael Bay's temper and his controversial decision to exclude Megan Fox from the cast. What really matters, though, is that the film delivers the mindless fighting and impressive CGI effects fans have come to expect. People looking to relive their '80s childhood, or just looking to see things explode really loudly, should buy a ticket early for this one.
Comic book hero Green Lantern is also taking the jump to the silver screen in 3-D this June 17. Starring Ryan Reynolds, "Green Lantern" looks to be a cool sci-fi film for all audiences. In the early 2000s, comic book adaptations like "Spiderman" (2002) were huge hits, but in more recent years, audiences have been colder to these types of films — "Watchmen"(2009) and "Kick-Ass" (2010) underwhelmed at theaters. Director Martin Campbell is surely hoping "Green Lantern" can reinvigorate the genre and maybe even launch a franchise with a solid hit.
Jon Favreau, who already directed the hit comic book adaptation "Iron Man"(2008) and its sequel, looks to keep in the adventure-fantasy genre with his latest, "Cowboys & Aliens," due out July 29. Based on an acclaimed graphic novel and starring two of Hollywood's biggest action stars, Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, this picture has blockbuster written all over it. Taking cues from old westerns, alien invasion pictures and thrillers from the 1970s, "Cowboys & Aliens" looks like it will be a satisfying genre-bending flick.
Aliens seem to be a popular subject matter this summer, as "Super 8" makes apparent. Written and directed by "Lost" (2004-10) creator J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg, the film seems like a geek's fantasy. Though the contents of the plot are still very secretive, the film seems to be influenced by Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977); "Super 8" has intrigued many around the world and seems to be gaining a quiet buzz as its June 10 release creeps closer.
Other pictures without big stars and bigger budgets will also be finding their way to the cineplex this coming summer. The British coming-of-age comedy-drama "Submarine," which has already been lauded in the UK and praised at last year's Sundance Film Festival, reaches theaters this side of the Atlantic on June 3. The picture has been positively compared to other indie comedies like "(500) Days of Summer" (2009) because of its quirky style and humor. The movie also features an impressive soundtrack that was written and performed by Alex Turner, the front man of the celebrated underground-rock band Artic Monkeys.
This is just a short sampling of what's to come this summer in the movie world. There are going to be tons of other mammoth films to check out during the hot summer months ("Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "X-Men: First Class," "Captain America: The First Avenger," "Kung Fu Panda 2"), as well as other indie offerings ("The Tree of Life," "Another Earth," "Sarah's Key"). But one thing's for sure: If anyone is looking to escape the heat, a movie theater will be the perfect getaway for a few hours.
