Blockbuster fever

If you’re thinking, Summer movie preview? But summer doesn’t begin until late June! then you’re not thinking in Hollywood terms. Thanks to a proliferation of big-budget titans competing for tighter and tighter calendar space, the blockbuster summer schedule has been creeping up every year. According to many industry analysts, the 2017 season actually launched in March with Logan and Kong: Skull Island, two films the studios refer to as “tent-pole” releases.

These tent poles—that is, high-spectacle, high-dollar films that either create or carry on a franchise—are the reason studios release so few dramas or romantic comedies in the warmer months. Dramas and rom-coms tend not to translate well overseas, and with the global box office becoming ever more important to studio bottom lines, film execs aren’t willing to take a risk on just pleasing Americans. What does translate? Aliens, superheroes, monsters, and fighting. Which, with one or two exceptions, pretty well sums up the preview list below.

One other intriguing note. Things could change, but as of this writing, no Christian-produced films are scheduled for broad theatrical release this summer. Perhaps faith-based filmmakers deduced that trying to counter-program the crowded blockbuster season isn’t worth the gamble.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (PG-13/May 5) The first Guardians was a quirky, refreshing celebration of ’80s Americana in outer space. Trailers suggest the sequel will carry on that spirit, and with that cute little sprout Baby Groot now part of the gang, it will likely be the (Star-) lord of all the summer releases.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (PG-13/May 12) The one thing another retread of the Arthur saga may have going for it is director Guy Ritchie. Ritchie did a bang-up job rebooting Sherlock Holmes from the stuffy, old sleuth audiences had grown bored with. Perhaps he can do the same for the wielder of Excalibur.

Everything, Everything (PG-13/May 19) If any comparatively small release has the potential to wrest dollars from the big boys, this teen drama may be it. Several contemporary young-adult novels have translated into surprise box-office hits in recent years. This story of a girl who takes deadly risks with her immunodeficiency to go outside and find love with the boy next door could be the next The Fault in Our Stars.

Alien: Covenant (R/May 19) Covenant is the sequel to 2012’s Prometheus, which was itself a prequel to writer/director Ridley Scott’s classic Alien series. Like Prometheus, early reports are that Scott once again uses scary sci-fi to delve deep into themes of creation, the afterlife, and the purpose of humanity.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Not yet rated/May 26) Is anyone else getting bored with Johnny Depp’s pirate shtick? Evidently not. The supernatural swashbuckling continues.

Wonder Woman (PG-13/June 2) After years of development, DC is finally getting its last Justice League piece in place with newcomer Gal Gadot wearing the iconic golden cuffs. After this one hits theaters, DC can look to do box-office battle with Marvel’s Avengers.

The Mummy (Not yet rated/June 9) If anyone besides Tom Cruise were starring in this monster-movie relaunch, I’d guess it would be a major misfire on Universal’s part. As it is, the special effects look impressive, plus it boasts Russell Crowe in a supporting role.

Transformers: The Last Knight (PG-13/June 23) I have yet to subject myself to any Transformers movie, and despite being a Mark Wahlberg fan, I probably won’t start with this one. Hundreds of millions of moviegoers around the world feel differently, though, and after this finale, word is Transformers will spin off into a related, but Michael Bay–less direction.

Despicable Me 3 (PG/June 30) It’s a fairly thin summer for family films, and with little competition beyond Cars 3 (June 16) and Captain Underpants (June 2), Despicable is set to rule the younger set.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (Not yet rated/July 7) Two words explain why yet another Spidey reboot will succeed: Tony Stark. No film since 2012 featuring Iron Man has earned less than $1 billion. Homecoming may not haul in that much, but Robert Downey Jr.’s star power will likely still draw audiences in droves.

War for the Planet of the Apes (Not yet rated/July 14) Can Woody Harrelson finish off the new Apes film as iconically as Charlton Heston did the first? Unlikely, but this franchise has always outperformed expectations.

Dunkirk (PG-13/July 21) At this point, you’re probably desperate for some weightier, intellectually stimulating fare. Writer/director Christopher Nolan comes to the rescue with a World War II epic starring Kenneth Branagh and Mark Rylance. It tells the story of the rescue of Allied troops from the French beaches of Dunkirk. With such impressive acting and directing talent, it could be a very early contender for 2018’s Oscar race.

Atomic Blonde (R/July 21) From a quick look at the trailer of this thriller about a bisexual spy (Charlize Theron) sent behind the Berlin wall in 1989, I can almost guarantee this will not be a film for WORLD readers. I mention it only because many others will be watching it in July, and critics are already calling it a groundbreaking feminist manifesto. Now you’ll know what they’re talking about without having to see it.

The Dark Tower (Not yet rated/Aug. 4) Based on the quasi-Western, Lord-of-the-Rings-inspired fantasy saga from Stephen King, Tower marks 2017’s best attempt to launch a major new franchise. With inspired casting in Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba and lots of early social media buzz, this should be a winner. If the film does succeed, fans can look forward to a hybrid experiment where prequel installments air on TV under the direction of Ron Howard in between new movie releases.