Wow, it was only a few weeks ago that Oscar season ended, but the spring and early summer movie season is already upon us. This weekend sees the release of the horror prequel The First Omen from 20th Century Studios and Dev Patel’s action picture/festival hit Monkey Man arriving from Universal Pictures. Alas, these efforts were screened a little too late to make publication deadlines, so instead we’ll take a look at upcoming movies arriving in the next month or two. As always, please remember that scheduled release dates can change at the last minute.
A24 is an independent distributor with an excellent track record of films that most recently include Everything Everywhere all at Once, The Whale, Past Lives, Talk to Me and The Zone of Interest. Their April 12 release is the controversial Civil War from writer/director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) that is set in the near future and follows a group of journalists driving through war zones while covering a Second American Civil War.
If you’re looking to stay at home, Hulu is premiering a music-centered drama called The Greatest Hits on their streaming service. It follows a young woman reeling over a tragic relationship who finds herself being transported through time whenever songs play that have a connection to her past love.
The Australian thriller Sting is arriving in some theaters over the same weekend. OK Go USA is putting out this genre feature. It’s about a 12-year-old girl whose pet spider grows to an enormous size. As the arachnid grows hungrier, she becomes worried for the safety of her family.
Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp is also debuting April 12 on Netflix. This is a live-action film featuring the famous wise-cracking animated character as a CGI-creation. The chattering bird helps a group of kids compete in a series of games at a summer camp.
The following week, Universal Pictures is opening the chiller Abigail at theaters. It involves a group of kidnappers who target an underworld boss and take his young ballet-enthusiast daughter hostage. They regret their decision after discovering that the child is a blood-thirsty vampire.
Action fans will be interested in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare from Lionsgate Films. Based on a true story from World War II, it follows an individual with a shady past who is recruited by the British military to lead a team on an unauthorized mission behind enemy lines. The movie is directed by Guy Ritchie (the Sherlock Holmes movies, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Gentlemen) and stars Henry Cavill.
Netflix subscribers can check out the science-fiction sequel Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, which follows the critically panned Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (which premiered on the streaming service back in December). The cast includes Sofia Boutella, Charlie Hunnam and Jena Malone.
Those looking for something different can seek out Sasquatch Sunset from Bleecker Street. Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough play two members of a bigfoot family living in the wilderness. Apparently, it’s an oddball comedy with almost no dialogue that won the Audience Award at the recent South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.
April 26 marks the debut of Challengers from MGM. This is a romance film about a tennis coach whose husband is on a losing streak. The player’s main competition on the court happens to be the coach’s ex-boyfriend, inspiring some unorthodox tactics from the wife to get her spouse back on a winning streak rebound. Zendaya plays the lead in his effort from Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name, Bones and All).
The summer season officially begins on May 3 with the release of the action/comedy The Fall Guy from Universal Pictures. Very loosely based on the 1980s Lee Majors T.V. show, Ryan Gosling plays a retired stuntman who is hired as a detective by his ex-wife (played by Emily Blunt) to locate a movie star who has disappeared from a Hollywood set.
The Idea of You arrives for streaming on Amazon Prime the very same weekend. This romance stars Anne Hathaway as a 40-year-old single mom who gets into a romantic relationship with the 24-year-old lead singer of a hugely popular boy band.
Horror fans can check out Tarot from Screen Gems, which details a group of friends who ignore the rules and guidance of the playing cards and end up meeting elaborately bleak ends.
The comedic biopic Unfrosted: The Pop Tart Story will be available for streaming May 3 on Netflix. This picture marks the directorial debut of Jerry Seinfeld, who also co-wrote the film and plays the lead character. Set in 1963, it tells the story of a battle between Kellogg’s and Post Cereal to create a new breakfast pasty. The talent roster appearing in the movie is enormous and includes Melissa McCarthy, Jim Gaffigan, Hugh Grant, Amy Schumer, Peter Dinklage, Christian Slater, Bill Burr, James Marsden, Jack McBrayer, Thomas Lennon, Bobby Moynihan, Tony Hale, Maria Bakalova, Cedric the Entertainer, Fred Armisen, Jon Hamm, and John Slattery.
The major studio release on May 10 is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes from 20th Century Studios. This picture marks the beginning of a new trilogy of simian films (after the previous series that wrapped up in 2017). Set long after the previous movie, it follows a new chimp navigating a planet run by other apes and discovering hidden secrets about their past.
Netflix is making the rom-com Mother of the Bride available on their streaming service on the same date. Brooke Shields plays a mother who is thrilled to learn that her daughter is getting married. That is, until she discovers the wedding is only weeks away and the groom is the son of the man who broke her own heart many years earlier.
On May 17, Focus Features is presenting a high-profile Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black stars Marisa Abela as the famously popular and tragic musician through her many highs and lows.
The comedy IF will be premiering on May 17 from Paramount Pictures. It’s about a father and daughter who have the ability to see everyone’s fantastical imaginary friends. They try to comfort creatures who have been left behind by kids who have grown up and find them new pals. The movie combines live-action and CGI character effects. Ryan Reynolds stars as the dad.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 will also be arriving at theaters via Lionsgate Films. This follow-up to the 2008 and 2018 titles about mask-clad psychotic home invaders marks the beginning of a new trilogy of movies that promise to expand the world of the sinister characters and reveal details about their pasts.
The Memorial Day holiday offers several options as well. Jennifer Lopez stars in the futuristic science-fiction epic Atlas, about a woman hunting down a renegade robot in order to save the world.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a spin-off set roughly 20 years before the Oscar-nominated action epic Mad Max: Fury Road. It tells the story of the Furiosa character as she is captured by a warlord named Dementus and forced to fight for her release. Visionary filmmaker Geroge Miller (director of all the previous Mad Max movies) returns to helm this feature.
Those looking for family entertainment can see The Garfield Movie courtesy of Columbia Pictures. It’s an animated effort about the lasagna-loving cat (who is voiced by Chris Pratt). The plot finds the titular feline reuniting with his father and getting involved in a high-stakes heist.
And on May 31, you can check out the Bleecker Street dramedy Ezra, in which Bobby Cannavale plays a comedian struggling to raise an autistic son. The picture features Robert De Niro, Rose Byrne, Whoopi Goldberg and Vera Farmiga in supporting roles.
Additionally, Daisy Ridley stars in the Disney period biopic Young Woman and the Sea, about the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
There’s a lot to choose from in the next little while and hopefully a few great titles will make a lasting mark as the summer begins to heat up.
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