This is the summer of the theatrical comeback. As long as things still look good – and studios are still comfortable releasing these films between now and Labor Day – the box office should be sensational.
It will all kick off on Thursday May 27th with Paramount’s “A Quiet Place: Part II” and Disney’s “Cruella”. The showdown of the year so far promises to be nothing short of EPIC.
Animation makes a formal summer entrance on June 4th with Universal and DreamWorks “Spirit Untamed”, which will face off against WB’s latest horror installment “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It”.
WB also has high hopes for musical “In the Heights” (which I’ve already seen). It bows on June 11th. Five days later on Wednesday the 16th is Lionsgate’s “Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard”. Samuel L. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds and Salma Hayek reunite nearly four years after the August 2017 release of hit “The Hitman’s Bodyguard”.
After hopping it around the calendar, Sony will (hopefully) finally open “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” on June 18th. Then Universal offers a 1-2 punch of “F9” on June 25th and “The Forever Purge” on July 2nd.
Marvel fandom will rejoice on July 9th with the immensely anticipated “Black Widow” from Disney and Marvel. WB hopes “Space Jam 2: A New Legacy” with LeBron James is a slam dunk on July 16th. Sony is also premiering “Escape Room 2” on that day (as of now).
July 23rd promises to be a big day with Sony Animation’s “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania”, Paramount’s “G.I. Joe” spinoff “Snake Eyes” and Universal’s latest M. Night Shyamalan film “Old”. (The directors of “Hotel T4” have told me how committed Sony is to making it a theatrical release.) Another triple header on July 30th with Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” starring Emily Blunt & Dwayne Johnson, A24’s drama “The Green Knight” with Dev Patel. and “Spotlight” director Tom McCarthy’s Focus Features drama “Stillwater”, with Matt Damon.
August should be a big month as well. WB unveils the new “Suicide Squad” on the 6th. Ryan Reynolds’ “Free Guy” from Disney/Fox debuts on the 13th, along with Jennifer Hudson’s MGM Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect” and Sundance hit “CODA” from AppleTV+.
Aug. 20 features Hugh Jackman in WB’s thriller “Reminiscence”, Rebecca Hall in Searchlight thriller “The Night House” and Paramount’s animated “Paw Patrol: The Movie”. Universal’s “Candyman” and Disney’s Peter Jackson Beatles documentary “Get Back” are expected on the 27th.
And for Labor Day Weekend, Disney and Marvel return with “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” on September 3rd.