We’re used to summer movie rosters being filled with superhero flicks, but the summer of 2018 is promising to be very sequel-heavy.
From the followup to the immensely successful Jurassic World to the second Deadpool film, there are going to be several returns to stories we’re already familiar with.
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Some of the movie franchises we haven’t seen in a while, like Ocean’s and Mamma Mia!, and some are more recent, like The Equalizer. There are a few fresh, new ideas, but not many. It’s going to be one nostalgic summer, that’s for sure.
Here are some of the big movies hitting theatres across Canada this summer.
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April 20
I Feel Pretty
Amy Schumer has gotten famous using her trademark self-deprecation, brutally insulting her own looks in nearly every piece of work she’s done. In a way, this comedy turns that on its head: after suffering a head injury in a spin class, Schumer’s character actually loves herself and believes that she’s the most attractive person on the planet. Funny or not, at the very least it’ll be interesting to see the comedian play the polar opposite of her normal roles.
April 27
Avengers: Infinity War
If you’ve been living in a cave and haven’t left it for a year, then you may not know about the upcoming Avengers sequel (though you probably still do anyway, cave-dweller). In this much-anticipated movie, a massive squad of Marvel superheroes — including Iron Man, Black Panther, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Doctor Strange and many, many more — band together to fight intergalactic enemy Thanos. This may just be the most off-the-charts superhero movie ever to hit theatres.
May 4
Tully
Penned by screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno, Young Adult), this story of an overworked single mother of three (Charlize Theron) looks to have all the dark comedy elements of her previous films. Theron’s character is gifted a “night nanny” (Mackenzie Davis) by her brother, and to her surprise, she finds herself forming a special bond with this woman.
May 11
Life of the Party
Ever wish you could relive your college days? Now you can, through Melissa McCarthy’s latest character, Deanna. Her comedy chops are clearly on display here as Deanna’s husband dumps her out of the blue. Instead of wallowing in regret and self-loathing, she decides to re-enlist in college, joining her daughter on campus. Hilarious antics ensue.
May 18
Deadpool 2
After the success of the raunchy original movie, the world’s filthiest superhero (Ryan Reynolds) is back in this sequel. The plot has been kept under wraps, but it’s not really about that, is it? Audiences want to see Deadpool’s R-rated antics, excessive, comedic violence and other things we don’t normally see in the superhero world. This time around, Cable (Josh Brolin) joins the party.
Book Club
Strictly for the female Baby Boomer set, four Hollywood legends (Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen) bond in a book club. But they’re not reading any old book, they’re closely analyzing steamy novel 50 Shades of Grey, which alters the course of their lives forever and helps them through rough marriages/divorces/death. (Conveniently released just before Mother’s Day…)
May 25
Solo: A Star Wars Story
It feels like Star Wars movies are coming at us rapid-fire, but this one, the backstory of Han Solo, is something we haven’t seen before. Harrison Ford is replaced by relative unknown Alden Ehrenreich, and Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke comes along for the ride. Apparently, we get to see Solo’s beginnings, when he meets his future comrade Chewbacca. There’s also a lot of buzz surrounding a young Lando Calrissian, played by Donald Glover.
June 1
Adrift
Based on a true story, this harrowing movie follows two sailors (Shailene Woodley, Sam Clafin) who inadvertently sail into a massive hurricane. While they survive the initial onslaught, Woodley’s Tami is left to tend to her injured partner and somehow get their boat back to land before he succumbs.
June 8
Ocean’s 8
Women take over this popular franchise in the latest iteration, with Sandra Bullock (as Debbie Ocean, estranged sister of Danny Ocean) in charge. After assembling her all-female army (including Cate Blanchett, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway and Mindy Kaling, among others), they plan the biggest heist of the century: robbing the Met Gala.
Hereditary
Hereditary focuses on the Graham family (mom Annie is Golden Globe-winning actor Toni Collette), which is starting to crumble following the death of a mysterious, reclusive grandmother. Strange things start to happen, and the family’s otherwise peaceful existence is ripped apart. After the movie’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, many critics were billing it as the most terrifying horror movie in ages.
June 15
The Incredibles 2
It’s been a whopping 14 years since we saw the original Incredibles, one of the most popular animated movies of its time. In the long-awaited sequel, Mr. Incredible faces an arduous task: trying to solve the problems of his three children, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack. Mrs. Incredible (a.k.a. Elastigirl) is also on-point, taking things into her own hands to help her struggling husband.
Gotti
John Travolta plays the head of the Gambino crime family, John Gotti. Need we say more?
June 22
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom
In one of the most anticipated movies of this summer, we return to the land of the dinosaurs. Raptor-whisperer Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) fly back to Isla Nublar when they discover the island’s volcano is threatening to erupt, and they hope to rescue whatever dinosaurs are left. And oh boy, are there dinosaurs left — huge, mutated, gigantic ones.
June 29
Sicario: Day of the Soldado
Based on the 2015 original’s success, this followup should feature similar characteristics: a lot of gunslinging violence, action and suspense. Centring on the drug war at the Mexico-U.S. border, things are escalating and getting worse. Bad guys are starting to smuggle terrorists into America, forcing the CIA to partner up with former hitman Alejandro Gillick (Benicio del Toro).
July 6
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Yet another sequel, this one is a follow-up to 2015’s Ant-Man. Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) finally found his comfort zone as Ant-Man in the first movie, and now he’s coming to grips with how to balance his superhero life with his “normal” life. Presented with a new mission to dig into his past, this time around he’s joined by Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) on his microscopic adventures.
July 13
Skyscraper
What’s a summer at the theatre without a Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) action movie? The movie’s poster, which features an airborne Johnson jumping from a crane to a skyscraper, promises the usual fare: bulging muscles, a skin-tight white T-shirt and lots of action. Johnson is Will Sawyer, who heads building security at the “safest” skyscraper in Hong Kong. Of course, things go horribly wrong when terrorists invade, and Sawyer has to save the day.
July 20
The Equalizer 2
As of this writing, there is no trailer for this Denzel Washington followup, but if it’s anything like the 2014 original, there will be a lot of shooting and a lot of killing. Denzel Washington plays Robert McCall, a quiet, enigmatic man trying to leave his mysterious, troubled life behind. Not much has been announced about the movie’s plot, but rest assured it’ll feature McCall absolutely dominating everybody.
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Ten years after the original musical movie sang its way into our hearts, along comes this sequel. Both Meryl Streep and Amanda Seyfried are back in their roles. This time around, Sophie (Seyfried) is pregnant, and she’s feeling wayward and unprepared to give birth. When she starts digging into her mother’s past for guidance, she uncovers details that she never knew.
July 27
Mission Impossible — Fallout
Yes, Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt in this sixth Mission Impossible movie. The ageless Cruise is still doing his own stunts too — he broke his ankle jumping from one building to another during shooting. The studio has been short on details, but it’s safe to assume that Hunt will be saving the world, somehow, while getting the girl and kicking ass.
August 3
Christopher Robin
If you don’t feel tears welling up as you watch the trailer, then this film’s not for you. The focus of the movie is a grown-up Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor), a businessman who’s lost touch with his imaginative side. Enter his old childhood pal, Winnie the Pooh, to remind him of all the wonderful things life has to offer. This type of fantasy movie should be required viewing in these hard, dark times.
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Imagine dating someone and then finding out, after you’ve been dumped, that he or she was actually a spy. That’s what happens to Mila Kunis’ character Audrey in this comedy, and she and her best friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon) are unwittingly thrust into a circle of espionage, murder and covert operations.
August 10
The Meg
This sci-fi movie about a Megalodon shark (get it? “Meg”?) — long thought to be extinct — attacking and disabling a deep-sea submarine is perfect summertime fare. Reminiscent of a Shark Week castoff, the plot revolves around the rescue of the people stuck on the sub. Starring Jason Statham as the likely hero, this’ll be one of those movies that might propel you to stay away from the beach for a day or two.
August 17
Crazy Rich Asians
There’s a lot of buzz around this romantic comedy, which is based on the novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan. The story follows an American-born Chinese woman, Rachel (Constance Wu), who travels with her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) to Singapore for a wedding. There, she finds out Nick is actually stupidly rich, and that every woman they encounter wants him. Of course, all that wealth comes at a price, as Rachel discovers.
As of this writing, there is no trailer available.
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Have a great summer, movie buffs!
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