Hollywood’s obsession with IP and sequels certainly hasn’t gone away, and the upcoming warm months will feature a number of remakes that nobody really asked for. Yet there are quite a few welcome big-budget popcorn flicks coming up: new entries in some of our most successful franchises, like Mission: Impossible, as well as follow-ups to refreshing recent genre movies like M3GAN and Nobody. Franchising is a lot easier to stomach when the work feels new—and this summer there’s plenty of new, both on the studio side and in the indie space. Let’s take a look.
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Hurry Up Tomorrow (May 16)
Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye’s recent forays into the film and TV world have met with mixed reviews, most notably his central co-writer/co-star role in The Idol. Now he’s teaming up with director Trey Edward Shults for a musical psychological thriller to pair with his album of the same name. The companion piece, which was developed prior to the album, centers on a fictionalized version of Tesfaye facing an obsessed stranger (Jenna Ortega) and a mental breakdown.
Final Destination: Bloodlines (May 16)
Almost 14 years have passed since the fifth entry in the Final Destination franchise. But Death is coming for us all, and so is another sequel. The late Tony Todd makes his final on-screen appearance as recurring character William Bludworth in this one, which follows a college student (Kaitlyn Santa Juana) having recurring nightmares about her family’s demise—apparently the result of a curse that began when her grandmother averted a tragedy that was meant to occur. You’ll never look at family barbecues the same way.
Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (May 23)
This won’t necessarily be Tom Cruise’s last appearance as IMF spy Ethan Hunt—nor will it be Christopher McQuarrie’s last time in the director’s chair. But the eighth installment in one of Hollywood’s most consistent action franchises is still a culmination, the conclusion to a two-part story that began with 2023’s Dead Reckoning. Most of the usual brigade is back, including the last movie’s additions: new IMF agent Grace (Hayley Atwell), French assassin Paris (Pom Klementieff), and villainous liaison to the Entity Gabriel (Esai Morales).
Lilo and Stitch (May 23)
Disney’s latest live-action remake comes courtesy of Dean Fleischer Camp, director of Marcel the Shell with Shoes On. Chris Sanders, who voiced the furry blue alien in the original, will also voice the CGI alien of the remake, with Maia Kealoha and Sydney Elizebeth Agudong respectively playing Lilo and her older sister Nani. In this take, some of the alien characters—including mad scientist Dr. Jumba Jookiba (Zach Galifianakis) and Agent Pleakley (Billy Magnussen)—will show up in human disguises.
Read more: Every Disney Live-Action Remake, Ranked
Bring Her Back (May 30)
Australian twins Danny and Michael Philippou originally made a name for themselves on YouTube as RackaRacka before graduating to feature films with 2023’s deeply disturbing Talk to Me. Next up is their sophomore horror picture, centered on a brother and sister who witness some sort of ritual at the home of their new foster mother (Sally Hawkins).
Karate Kid: Legends (May 30)
Ralph Macchio is coming off six seasons of Cobra Kai, where he reprised his role as the iconic Karate Kid hero Daniel LaRusso. This movie, which takes place three years after the series, bridges the main Karate Kid “Miyagi-verse” continuity with the 2010 Jackie Chan remake, creating a new shared universe. Daniel will link up with Mr. Han in New York City to help train kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang).
Read more: Here’s Where Everyone Ends Up After Six Improbably Entertaining Seasons of Cobra Kai
The Phoenician Scheme (May 30)
Benicio del Toro anchors Wes Anderson’s latest comedy, this one a dad-and-daughter story about a wealthy businessman named Zsa-zsa Korda and the nun daughter (Mia Threapleton) he appoints as sole heir to his estate. In addition to Anderson newcomers like Michael Cera and Riz Ahmed, the ensemble features lots of regulars and veterans, including Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Richard Ayoade, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Rupert Friend.
Mountainhead (May 31)
Based on the trailer, Succession creator Jesse Armstrong’s latest project looks a lot like his last one. This time, he’s teaming up with HBO for a satirical TV movie about four tech giants contending with financial catastrophe while on a boys trip. Steve Carrell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith star as the slimy billionaires.
Ballerina (June 6)
Set between the third and fourth John Wick movies, this spinoff features Keanu Reeves’s iconic assassin in a supporting role, along with returning characters Winston Scott (Ian McShane), Charon (Lance Reddick in his final posthumous screen appearance), and the Director (Anjelica Huston). The title role belongs to Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, who trains in the traditions of the Ruska Roma and sets off on a revenge mission of her own—to avenge her father. Gabriel Byrne and Norman Reedus play new characters she’ll meet along the way.
The Life of Chuck (June 6)
Horror director Mike Flanagan has adapted two of Stephen King’s novels in the past (Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep), but this take on the 2020 novella of the same name is more tear-jerking than terrifying. Tom Hiddleston plays Chuck Krantz, a mysterious man who begins appearing on billboards as the world nears apocalypse. The following two acts of the film show Chuck at earlier points in his life, providing more context for the movie’s heavy exploration of life and mortality.
Materialists (June 13)
Past Lives established director Celine Song’s aptitude at exploring complex love triangles, which looks to continue in her new romantic comedy. Dakota Johnson stars as a successful matchmaker who juggles a wealthy older love interest (Pedro Pascal) with a not-so-wealthy old flame (Chris Evans). The latest trailer suggests a throwback ’90s vibe.
Read more: Celine Song’s Journey From Matchmaking to Materialists
How to Train Your Dragon (June 13)
The live-action take on the 2010 animated film How to Train Your Dragon seems pretty close to the original, including the CGI used to produce the lovable feline-esque dragon Toothless. This time, Jay Baruchel’s memorably nasally lead vocal performance is swapped out for Mason Thames (The Black Phone), who plays the young Viking Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III—though Gerard Butler reprises his original role as Hiccup’s father, Stoick the Vast.
28 Years Later (June 20)
What if the undead could run? That was just one of the invigorating new ideas Danny Boyle brought to the zombie apocalypse genre with 28 Days Later in 2002. Now he’s back in the director’s chair for the third film set in this world, the first of a planned sequel trilogy. Original screenwriter Alex Garland returns.
Elio (June 20)
Pixar’s latest original feature follows an introverted 11-year-old alien fanatic who is mistaken for the ambassador of Earth—and gets beamed up to outer space for the adventure of a lifetime. At the Communiverse, a United Nations-esque interplanetary organization, representatives from alien races come together to solve crises all over the universe—and now, Elio must make friends with creatures out of his wildest dreams.
Sorry, Baby (June 27)
Actor and comedian Eva Victor, who appeared on the last few seasons of Billions, wrote, directed, and stars in this comedy-drama about a young college professor coping in the aftermath of sexual assault. The movie got rave reviews at Sundance for its dark humor, poignancy, and the confidence of its debut filmmaker; Victor is certainly one to watch.
F1 (June 27)
In the kinetic new underdog sports drama from director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), a retired Formula One racer (Brad Pitt) takes a young rookie prodigy (Damson Idris) under his wing for the Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP). Filmed during actual grand prix races and made in collaboration with FIA, real-life Formula One teams and drivers will also appear.
M3GAN 2.0 (June 27)
The higher-stakes sequel to 2022’s campy horror delight M3GAN looks less scary but heavier on the comedy and action. The new-and-improved title character (still played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis) gets the Terminator treatment, enlisted by her creator Gemma (Allison Williams) to fight an even larger threat: a rogue military robot named Amelia constructed from the stolen M3GAN technology who wants to take down everyone who had a hand in her creation.
Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2)
After two installments focused on dinosaurs infiltrating human environments, the fourth Jurassic World film (and seventh Jurassic Park overall) is an intentional return to the traditional model of humans exploring dinosaur environments. An all-new team (including the top-billed Scarlett Johansson) is tasked with collecting DNA from three large prehistoric species on the island that housed the original Jurassic Park research facility, where they encounter a new threat: mutated failed dinosaur experiments. Director Gareth Edwards proved his skill at conveying scale with his Godzilla movie, which makes him a natural choice for this ever-expanding franchise.
The Old Guard 2 (July 2)
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s 2020 superhero film The Old Guard was a unique entry in a genre dominated by Marvel and DC. Written by Greg Rucka and based on his comic of the same name, the movie introduced a team of immortal mercenaries consisting of leader Andromache “Andy” of Scythia (Charlize Theron), Nile (KiKi Layne), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), and Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts). All are back for this sequel, but how will Andy live her life now that she lost her immortality? And will facing off against the first of the immortals, Quỳnh (Vân Veronica Ngô), threaten what precious life she has left?
Read more: The Old Guard May Be the Best Action Movie of the Summer
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight (July 11)
American-South African actor Embeth Davidtz makes her debut as writer-director with this adaptation of Alexandra Fuller’s intense memoir of the same name. The book tells the story of Fuller’s family of white tenant farmers in Zimbabwe prior to and following the Rhodesian Bush War.
Superman (July 11)
The DC Universe’s next slate of movies, given the reboot title “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters,” begins with James Gunn’s take on DC Comics’ most iconic character. David Corenswet plays a 25-year-old version of the title role, with a bright, snazzy new suit—and a more optimistic, Christopher Reeve-influenced vibe than Henry Cavill’s take—along with Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, Skyler Gisondo as Jimmy Olsen, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
Read more: Meet David Corenswet, the New Superman
Eddington (July 18)
Ari Aster’s newest continues his slide away from the straight horror of his early films (Hereditary, Midsommar). This one is a contemporary Western set in May 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Joe Cross, the small-town sheriff of Eddington, New Mexico, who comes into conflict with mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal). Emma Stone, Austin Butler, and Luke Grimes play supporting roles.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (July 18)
It’s been over 25 years since I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, the last theatrical sequel to the original slasher film. The upcoming fourth installment, co-written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Someone Great, Do Revenge), will introduce a new cast—and feature the return of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., along with the famous hook-handed killer of the original.
Happy Gilmore 2 (July 25)
Nearly 30 years after the goofy golf comedy Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler and his co-writer Tim Herlihy reunite for this sequel, which will also bring back Julie Bowen, Dennis Dugan, Christopher McDonald, and Ben Stiller.
Oh, Hi (July 25)
Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman play a couple navigating their new relationship on a weekend getaway in this anti-rom-com from writer-director Sophie Brooks, who co-wrote the script with Gordon. It seems to promise a wild, unpredictable satire of millennial commitment-phobia and situationships.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25)
Most would agree that the Fantastic Four, despite being some of Marvel Comics’ most well-known superheroes, have never gotten the right cinematic treatment. The new MCU attempt could be different, though, with its 1960s-inspired retrofuturism and the quartet of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and the Thing.
Together (July 30
This supernatural body horror film from debut writer-director Michael Shanks was hit with a copyright lawsuit just this month, but early reviews have been very positive. Real-life married actors Alison Brie and Dave Franco play a couple who encounter a force that causes changes to their bodies—presumably fusing the two together somehow, if the supremely unsettling poster image of their eyes is any indication.
The Naked Gun (Aug. 1)
The Lonely Island member Akiva Schaffer’s reboot of this classic crime spoof-comedy franchise will feature Liam Neeson as the son of Leslie Nielsen’s original protagonist, Detective Sergeant Frank Drebin. The teaser trailer offers at least one very funny reference to O. J. Simpson’s role in the original.
Freakier Friday (Aug. 8)
Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis are back for this sequel to the 2003 body-swap comedy, itself based on the children’s novel, along with Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal, and several of the other stars of that film. This time, it’s a four-way body swap that also brings in Anna’s (Lohan) daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter.
Weapons (Aug. 8)
Zach Cregger’s 2022 film Barbarian established the Whitest Kids U Know star as an exciting new voice in the horror space. His much-anticipated sophomore film is set in a small town where all but one of an 18-kid class go missing at the same time one night. Josh Brolin plays the father of one of the missing children, while Julia Garner plays the teacher.
Nobody 2 (Aug. 15)
Bob Odenkirk got a rare chance to shine as an action star in 2021’s Nobody, a nasty John Wick-influenced thriller about a former government assassin named Hutch Mansell who lives an average, calm life as an office worker—but returns to the violent man he used to be when a crime lord threatens his family. Odenkirk, Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd, Michael Ironside, Billy MacLellan, Colin Salmon, and RZA are all in the sequel, though we don’t yet know why exactly Hutch is back to his old tricks.
Lurker (Aug. 22)
The darkly comic debut film from writer Alex Russell (The Bear, Beef) garnered early acclaim at Sundance this year for its story of an obsessive fan (Théodore Pellerin) who manipulates his way into the inner circle of his favorite rising pop star (Archie Madekwe).
Honey Don’t! (Aug. 22)
The Coen brothers have each pursued their own projects over the last few years, including Ethan Coen’s solo directorial debut, Drive-Away Dolls, the first in a planned “lesbian B-movie trilogy.” This summer, we get the second entry: a detective comedy about Honey O’Donahue (Margaret Qualley, who played a different role in Dolls), a private investigator looking into a series of deaths in a small town alongside Aubrey Plaza, Charlie Day, and Chris Evans as a cult leader masquerading as a priest. Coen began writing the script with his wife Tricia Cooke over 20 years ago.
Splitsville (Aug. 22)
Director Michael Angelo Covino’s comedy sounds promising, especially with Adria Arjona and Dakota Johnson listed in the cast. Arjona and Kyle Marvin play Ashley and Carey, a married couple on the verge of divorce, while Johnson and Covino play Carey’s friends who are in a happy open marriage. When Carey crosses a line, all these relationships get a lot more complicated.
Highest 2 Lowest (Aug. 22, Sept. 5 on streaming on Apple TV+)
Spike Lee and Denzel Washington’s fifth collaboration—their first link-up since 2006’s Inside Man—is a reimagining of the Akira Kurosawa film High and Low, itself a loose adaptation of the novel King’s Ransom by Ed McBain. In this version, the lead is a music mogul in New York City, forced to make a difficult moral decision after becoming the target of a ransom plot. The ensemble also includes Ilfenesh Hadera, Jeffrey Wright, Ice Spice (in her film debut), and ASAP Rocky.
The Toxic Avenger (Aug. 29)
Macon Blair’s follow-up to his 2017 directorial debut, I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, reboots the Toxic Avenger film series. Peter Dinklage plays the title role, a janitor who becomes a CEO-fighting vigilante after falling into toxic waste and transforming into a mutant with superhuman size and strength. The latest teaser trailer features some of the same delightful absurdity as the 1984 original.
The Roses (Aug. 29)
Jay Roach’s upcoming satirical black comedy about a vicious divorce is a reimagining of the acclaimed 1989 film The War of Roses, itself based on Warren Adler’s novel of the same name. Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman anchor the stacked ensemble, which also includes Andy Samberg, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon, and Ncuti Gatwa, among others.