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It’s summer movie preview time!

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With the arrival of June, it looks like the summer movie season is finally upon us.

This week isn’t jam-packed with titles, but it does see the release of the Joel Kim Booster/Bowen Yang comedy “Fire Island” that will be available for viewing exclusively on Hulu. Reviews for the film have been solid thus far. Alas, this reviewer moved this week and didn’t get the opportunity to check it out.

But it seems like a good opportunity to take a look at what will be arriving at cinemas over the next couple of months. As always, dates are occasionally altered at the last minute and there may be a few surprise hits from smaller distributors, but you’ll find most of what the major studios are offering in the following paragraphs.

The June 10 feature “Hustle” stars comedian Adam Sandler as a washed-up basketball scout visiting Spain. While there, he discovers an incredible street ball player and tries to ignite both their careers. This movie will be streaming on Netflix and will be available to see at select theaters.

One of the biggest films of the summer also arrives next week. “Jurassic World: Dominion” is the sixth and apparently final chapter in Universal’s long-running franchise. Dinosaurs are now all over the world, putting all humanity in danger. The film stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard from the previous two installments alongside original series stars Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum.

And, if you’re looking for smaller British fare, Sony Pictures classics are putting out the golf biopic “Phantom of the Open” with Mark Rylance as a player who shot the worst round ever at the British Open golf tournament.

The following week, Disney and Pixar are unveiling the animated “Toy Story” prequel “Lightyear” detailing the history of the famous character.

A lonely and depressed man from Wales decides to build himself a robot friend in the UK comedy “Brian and Charles” from Focus Features.

“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” is another feature from the same country. Emma Thompson stars as a retired teacher who visits a younger male sex worker and forms a bond with him. The film will be available for streaming on Hulu.

And speaking of subscription-based options, Netflix is presenting “Spiderhead” on the same weekend. It stars Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller and is set in a futuristic penitentiary where inmates are given mind-altering drugs.

On June 24, Universal Pictures are presenting the horror film “The Black Phone” at cinemas. It’s about a 13-year-old boy who is abducted and must escape from a masked child killer. Ethan Hawke plays the antagonist.

“Elvis”  from Warner Bros. is an epic biopic about the life of the famous musician from filmmaker Baz Luhrmann (“Moulin Rouge!,” “Strictly Ballroom”). Austin Butler plays the lead and Tom Hanks has a major role as manager Colonel Tom Parker. Apparently, Elvis Presley’s family recently lent their support to the picture and have already recommended it to audiences.

Additionally, independent outlet A24 have “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’’ featuring an interesting mix of animation and live-action footage. It’s about a friendly mollusk who is interviewed about his adventures on dry land.

“Minions: The Rise of Gru” serves as a prequel of sorts that shows how the sinister Gru teamed up with his little yellow partners. It arrives at theaters from Universal Pictures on July 1.

And after the holiday weekend, another major release hits theaters. Disney and Marvel are presenting “Thor: Love and Thunder” on July 8. This is the fourth film in the Thor series and it  sees the superhero doing battle with a foe named the God Butcher who wants to vanquish and wipe out the title character. Chris Hemsworth returns as Thor, Christian Bale plays the villain and the cast also includes Natalie Portman, Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Russell Crowe, Sam Neill, Tessa Thompson, Matt Damon and many other familiar faces.

July 15 is another busy weekend. “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank” from Nickelodeon Movies is an animated family film about a dog who trains to be a samurai. The voice cast includes Michael Cera, Michelle Yeoh, Ricky Gervais and Samuel L. Jackson.

The British comedy “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” follows a widowed cleaning lady in the 1950s desperate to own a couture Dior dress. She heads to France to try and make her dream come true. Lesley Manville stars along with Jason Isaacs and Isabelle Huppert in this title from Focus Features.

The same weekend Netflix is making the period romantic drama “Persuasion” available to stream. Dakota Johnson and Henry Golding are featured in this adaptation of the Jane Austin novel.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” is a crime drama from Sony Pictures involves a woman who raises herself in the Louisiana marshlands and is accused of murdering a man she was once involved with.

On July 22, “The Gray Man” debuts on Netflix. This tale features Ryan Gosling as a CIA agent who is imprisoned, escapes from jail and is pursued by other government assassins. Chris Evans and Ana de Armas co-star.

And making its debut at cinemas is the latest chiller from Jordan Peele (“Get Out”) and Universal Pictures. “Nope” follows a group of residents in an inland California town who endure some strange and possibly supernatural events. The cast includes Daniel Kaluuya and Steven Yeun.

The final weekend of July sees the release of “Vengeance” from Focus Features. B.J. Novak (perhaps most familiar to readers as Ryan from the TV-series “The Office”) stars, writes and directs this tale of a radio host investigating the murder of an ex-girlfriend.

And after a slight delay, the Warner Bros. family animated film “DC League of Super-Pets” should be appearing at theaters. It features the pets of various superheroes teaming up to save the world after their masters are captured. Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart provide voices for the animals.

And there’s plenty that will be arriving this August, among them the Sony thriller “Bullet Train’’ with Brad Pitt and the Netflix comedy “The Man from Toronto” starring Kevin Hart. This is only a portion of what will be appearing at theaters during this busy summer season!

By Glenn Kay
For the Sun