This November and December have installments from “The Hunger Games,” “Avengers” and “Dune” franchises releasing, culminating in the closing end of the year as a prime time for Kirkwood Community College students to plan a night at the theater. However, the films slated to release this summer hold the same potential to fill theater seats.
Steven Spielberg makes a return to sci-fi with “Disclosure Day” (June 12). Audiences question whether the notorious director will tell a story to the same quality of his best works, a trend among his prior contemporary releases.
The sci-fi film from Universal Pictures certainly opens up the opportunity for comparison, as it follows humanity’s response to the existence of aliens, exposed to the world by a government whistleblower (Josh O’Connor).
The remainder of June is slated to feature “Toy Story 5” (June 19), followed a week later by “Supergirl” (June 26). “Toy Story 5” is directed by Andrew Stanton, a driving force behind the previous “Toy Story” films. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, respectively. Facing extinction, the toys must battle technology, for it has taken their place in children’s lives. The franchise dates back to 1995, but its themes remain relevant in modern culture.
DC Studios delivers a one-two punch for the debut of its new DC Universe (DCU), with “Superman” releasing in the summer of 2025 and now the second film of the DCU, “Supergirl,” based on the DC comic “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” by Tom King and Bilquis Evely and directed by Craig Gillespie. The film follows Supergirl (Milly Alcock), accompanied by a young girl, Ruthye (Eve Ridley), on an intergalactic journey, seeking vengeance for the crimes of Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts). Although “Superman” earned satisfying box office numbers and critical praise, the DCU would benefit from another success, for it is facing an uphill battle after its previous attempt to build a cinematic universe ended abruptly with negative reception.
Christopher Nolan continues his filmography, adapting Homer’s “Odyssey.” An enduring story is helmed by a seasoned director.
“The Odyssey” (July 17) has a star-studded cast, including Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson. After the Trojan War, King Odysseus (Matt Damon) sets off on his return to the kingdom of Ithaca. A 10-year journey on which he is faced against monsters, gods and enchantresses. Nolan’s previous film, “Oppenheimer” (2023), grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide on a $100 million budget; Universal Pictures expects a similar success this summer.
Notably, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” (July 31), which has already broken global records after its trailer gained 718.6 million views in its first 24 hours.
Holland stars as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the fourth “Spider-Man” solo film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Destin Daniel Cretton picks up the film series after Jon Watts’ “Spider-Man” trilogy, beginning a new chapter for the webhead. Parker, four years older and now attending university, buries himself in his second life as Spider-Man, for the events that transpired in the previous film have taken the meaning from his life as Peter Parker.
Categories: Art & Life
