Biggest movies hitting Florida screens this summer

The first week of May also marks the start of summer movie season, where audiences beat the heat by flocking to theaters with air-conditioning, sodas and big-budget spectacle on the silver screen. Yet there's at least one big difference between this year and several past summers: the superhero movie is no longer at the forefront.

After a tougher-than-expected past year for Marvel Studios and its parent company Disney, and DC Studios at work rebooting its cinematic universe starting with next year's "Superman," the only comic book movie either will release this summer is "Deadpool & Wolverine" — which, with an R-rating and decidedly snarky tone, isn't exactly your typical superhero movie anyway.

Yet that doesn't mean there'll be a shortage of big-name franchises on screens this summer, with "Planet of the Apes," "A Quiet Place" and "Alien" among the series debuting new entries, as well as a few original concepts. And after an Oscars year where one of last summer's biggest box-office hits, Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer," ended up winning Best Picture, all eyes are on this year's summer movie slate to see if any film might replicate its awards-season success — possibly including the prequel to a movie that won six Oscars and was nominated for ten.

Here is our guide to the biggest films coming out from May to August, listed in chronological order. Release details are subject to change.

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'The Fall Guy' (May 3)

Inspired by the 1980s Lee Majors TV show of the same name, "The Fall Guy" follows a stuntman (Ryan Gosling) who's tasked with saving a film being directed by his romantic interest (Emily Blunt) when the lead actor (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) goes missing. The movie received positive reviews following its South by Southwest premiere, with many praising it as a tribute to the stunt community, which director David Leitch worked in before co-directing the first "John Wick" with fellow stuntman Chad Stahelski.

'Tarot' (May 3)

After creepy dolls (the "Annabelle" and "The Boy" films), mobile apps ("Countdown") and swimming pools ("Night Swim"), it looks like the next object ready to kill you are tarot cards. Avantika, of this year's "Mean Girls" remake, and Jacob Batalon of the current "Spider-Man" movies are among the stars of this horror film based on the 1992 novel "Horrorscope" by first-time feature directors Spenser Cohen and Anna Halberg.

'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' (May 10)

After a trilogy of films in the 2010s that revived the "Planet of the Apes" franchise by using motion capture to embody the apes, the same concept returns in this sequel directed by Wes Ball (the "Maze Runner" movies.) Owen Teague, a Tampa-born actor who performed in Sarasota area theatrical productions before a successful film and TV career, plays the lead motion-capture role — a position previously held by Andy Serkis of "Lord of the Rings" fame, who portrayed chimpanzee Caesar in the last three films.

'Back to Black' (May 17)

Marisa Abela, star of HBO/BBC Two series "Industry," portrays singer Amy Winehouse, whose 2006 sophomore album "Back to Black" was a major commercial and critical success that launched her into stardom until — as she struggled with substance abuse, mental illness, relationships and paparazzi — she died in 2011 at 27 years old. "Back to Black" has received lackluster reviews, but so did fellow musician biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" before becoming a box-office hit and winning four Oscars, so your mileage may vary.

'IF' (May 17)

After directing the first two entries in the horror franchise "A Quiet Place" (which returns this summer as well; keep reading), John Krasinski goes another route for his next film, a children's movie set in a world where imaginary friends (or IFs) really exist. Krasinski co-stars with Ryan Reynolds, Cailey Fleming and a voice cast that includes Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, George Clooney, Bradley Cooper, the late Louis Gossett Jr., and Krasinski's real-life wife, Emily Blunt.

'The Strangers: Chapter 1' (May 17)

The horror movie series centered around murderous, mask-donning home invaders has a new trilogy of films planned, starting with this one. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the upcoming films is their director, Renny Harlin, a South Florida resident who helmed '90s blockbusters such as "Die Hard 2," "Cliffhanger" and "Deep Blue Sea," but hasn't had a real box-office hit in America since then.

'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga' (May 24)

George Miller returns to the post-apocalyptic wastelands of his "Mad Max" world for this prequel following the early days of Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy, playing a younger version of the character introduced in 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road," portrayed by Charlize Theron in that film), with Chris Hemsworth co-starring as Warlord Dementus. "Mad Max: Fury Road" was a big success not only commercially but critically, winning six Oscars and since being regarded as one of the best action films of all time, so expectations are high for this one.

'The Garfield Movie' (May 24)

The lazy, lasagna-loving cat gets his latest adaptation from the comics page to the big screen, following two critically panned films in the 2000s with a Bill Murray-voiced CGI Garfield and live-action actors. This latest entry is fully animated and features Chris Pratt voicing Garfield, with studio heads surely hoping it has the same commercial success as Pratt's previous voice-acting vehicles, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and "The Lego Movie."

'Summer Camp' (May 31)

Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard star in this comedy as three women who've been friends since summer camp, but as the years have passed, see each other less and less — that is, until the chance of a summer camp reunion arises. Bradenton native Castille Landon writes and directs the film with a cast that also includes Eugene Levy, Dennis Haysbert, Josh Peck and Beverly D'Angelo.

'Bad Boys: Ride or Die' (June 7)

Miami Police Department detectives Mike and Marcus (played by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, respectively) return for this fourth entry in the action film franchise, with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directors of 2020's relatively well-received "Bad Boys For Life," also returning. This is the first wide theatrical release for Smith since 2022's Oscars ceremony where he infamously slapped Chris Rock, and a test of his box-office appeal now.

'The Watchers' (June 7)

M. Night Shyamalan's daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan makes her feature directorial debut with this horror film based on the novel by A.M. Shine, following a young woman (Dakota Fanning) who finds herself part of a group that is watched every night by mysterious creatures. Between this film and M. Night Shyamalan's own new movie coming out in August, co-starring his other daughter Saleka Shyamalan (keep reading), it'll be a busy summer for the family.

'Inside Out 2' (June 14)

The Pixar movie featuring personified versions of emotions such as Joy (Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) gets a sequel, introducing new feelings including Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and Envy (Ayo Edebiri.) Pixar's track record hasn't been as strong these past two decades as it was in the '90s and '00s, especially when it comes to sequels. Yet 2015's Oscar-winning "Inside Out" was one of the highlights of Pixar's more recent releases, so hopefully this sequel can measure up to the original.

'The Bikeriders' (June 21)

Jeff Nichols' first film since 2016's Oscar-nominated "Loving," "The Bikeriders" is inspired by Danny Lyon's 1967 photobook of the same name but follows a fictional motorcycle club, with a cast that includes Jodie Comer, Austin Butler and Tom Hardy. Despite positive reviews following its Telluride Film Festival premiere last fall, the movie was taken off the release calendar by original distributor 20th Century Studios. Thankfully, Focus Features picked it up soon after, and gave it a summer release date that suggests confidence in its box-office potential.

'Horizon: An American Saga' ('Chapter 1' June 28, 'Chapter 2' Aug. 16)

After starring in the hit series "Yellowstone," Costner is returning to the big screen both in front of and behind the camera for his first directorial feature since 2003's "Open Range," and nearly 35 years since his 1990 Best Picture Oscar winner "Dances with Wolves." Though "Horizon: An America Saga" looks to have a similar Western setting as those two previous films, one interesting aspect is that it'll be released in two parts over the summer.

'A Quiet Place: Day One' (June 28)

The prequel and third film in the "A Quiet Place" series goes back to the day where the creatures that hunt through hearing were unleashed on humanity. Along with a predominantly new cast that includes Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o in the lead role, "A Quiet Place: Day One" features a new director in Michael Sarnoski, who made a big impression with his previous debut feature, the 2021 Nicolas Cage-starring indie "Pig."

'Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F' (July 3 on Netflix)

Unlike the early days of the pandemic, nearly all this year's big summer movies will debut in theaters, yet one notable exception is this Netflix film that has Eddie Murphy return to one of his best-known roles, Axel Foley. Murphy's last sequel "Coming 2 America" was a disappointment, but he was great in the 2019 Netflix film "Dolemite is My Name." Likely the deciding factor in the film's favor is if it's R-rated, which "Dolemite is My Name," the original "Coming to America" and the previous "Beverly Hills Cop" films all were, or PG-13 like "Coming 2 America."

'Despicable Me 4' (July 3)

Former supervillain Gru (Steve Carell), the Minions and the rest return for the latest film in the animated movie franchise (along with Pharrell Williams, potentially inflicting another inescapable hit song like "Happy" upon us), with Will Ferrell and Sofia Vergara voicing the antagonists. The series has steadily gotten less favorable reviews since the 2010 original, but it's also one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time, so another sequel was inevitable.

'MaXXXine' (July 5)

After the '70s-set horror film "X" and its 1910s-set prequel "Pearl," director Ti West completes his trilogy with this film following Maxine (Mia Goth) as she continues to seek fame in 1980s Los Angeles while evading the Night Stalker serial killer. Primarily known for its indies, A24 has lately been looking to gain more box-office power with films like "Civil War" — which had both the largest budget and biggest opening weekend of any A24 movie to date — and, judging by the prime summer date they gave it, they see commercial potential in "MaXXXine."

'Fly Me to the Moon' (July 12)

This romantic comedy set amid the Apollo 11 launch follows a NASA director (Channing Tatum) and a marketing specialist (Scarlett Johansson) preparing a staged moon landing as a back-up plan. (The trailer ends on a joke that references the conspiracy theory that Stanley Kubrick directed the fake landing.) "Fly Me to the Moon" filmed in Florida at Kennedy Space Center, then under the title "Project Artemis," as well as Georgia.

'Longlegs' (July 12)

The horror film follows an FBI agent (Maika Monroe) who's assigned to the unsolved case of a serial killer (Nicolas Cage), with the investigation uncovering evidence of the occult. Director Osgood Perkins (son of "Psycho" actor Anthony Perkins) has shown a skill for mood and atmosphere with previous films of his such as "The Blackcoat's Daughter" and "Gretel & Hansel," and based on this film's multiple eerie teasers, that remains the case here.

'Twisters' (July 19)

The sequel to the 1996 weather disaster film "Twister" introduces a new cast of stars including Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos. It also has an intriguing choice of director in Lee Isaac Chung, who previously helmed the 2020 Oscar-winning family drama "Minari," with a story by Joseph Kosinski, who himself directed the successful, decades-later sequel "Top Gun: Maverick."

'Deadpool & Wolverine' (July 26)

Masked mercenary Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and claw-wielding X-Man Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) team up in what's far from their first on-screen appearance, but does mark each character's Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, as well as the MCU's first R-rated movie. The 2017 film "Logan" was such a fitting farewell for Jackman's portrayal of Wolverine that perhaps it should've been left as the final one. But it's always fun to see Jackman in the role especially since — like "Logan" — he'll be let loose by an R rating here.

'Harold and the Purple Crayon' (Aug. 2)

The 1955 children's book about a boy whose magic purple crayon can create whatever he draws gets a modern-day movie adaptation featuring a grown-up version of Harold, played by "Shazam!" star Zachary Levi. "Harold and the Purple Crayon" is directed by Carlos Saldanha, known for his work on the "Ice Age" and "Rio" movies, as well as fellow animated films "Robots" and "Ferdinand."

'Borderlands' (Aug. 9)

The latest video game film adaptation follows a group comprising outlaw Lilith (Cate Blanchett), former mercenary Roland (Kevin Hart), demolitionist Tiny Tina (Ariana Greenblatt), her protector Krieg (Florian Munteanu), scientist Tannis (Jamie Lee Curtis) and robot Claptrap (Jack Black) as they battle alien monsters and bandits in search of a missing girl. While "Borderlands" has a strong (one might say overqualified) cast, it's also had a troubled history that includes years of release date delays, weeks of reshoots and screenwriter Craig Mazin taking his name off the film.

'Cuckoo' (Aug. 9)

"Euphoria" actress Hunter Schafer stars in this horror film as an American teenager who relocates to a German Alps resort her father has just moved into, growing unnerved by her new surroundings and her father's boss (Dan Stevens, having a busy year between this, "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" and "Abigail.") "Cuckoo" premiered at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, screening at South by Southwest soon after.

'It Ends with Us' (Aug. 9)

This film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel — which experienced a revival in interest in the 2020s thanks to TikTok's #BookTok community, becoming the best-selling book of both 2022 and 2023, according to Publishers Weekly — follows a woman (Blake Lively) whose parents had an abusive relationship as she starts to see signs of that same behavior in her own relationship with a neurosurgeon (Justin Baldoni.) Baldoni also directs the adaption of the novel that, since he optioned the project, now has a sequel, 2022's "It Starts with Us."

'Trap' (Aug. 9)

M. Night Shyamalan's latest film stars as Josh Hartnett as a father who takes his daughter to see a concert by pop star Lady Raven (Shyamalan's own musician daughter, Saleka), only to learn the event is a police trap to catch a serial killer known as The Butcher and, as the trailer suggests, the father is The Butcher. This being a M. Night Shyamalan movie, though, don't be surprised if there's another twist or two from there.

'Alien: Romulus' (Aug. 16)

The latest entry in the sci-fi/horror franchise takes place between the events of the original "Alien" and its sequel "Aliens," with a cast led by "Priscilla" star Cailee Spaeny. While none of the franchise's later films have reached the heights of Ridley Scott's "Alien" and James Cameron's "Aliens," it's always fun to see a new director's take on the material, and "Alien: Romulus" director Fede álvarez — who, in his "Evil Dead" remake and "Don't Breathe," displayed a penchant for scares and gross-outs — seems like a solid choice.

'Blink Twice' (Aug. 23)

Actress Zo? Kravitz makes her directorial debut with this film following a cocktail waitress (Naomi Ackie) who gets invited by a tech mogul (Kravitz's fiancé Channing Tatum) to visit his private island, where things start to go wrong. With an intriguing premise and a strong cast that also includes Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Kyle MacLachlan, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis and Alia Shawkat, hopefully this will be a late-summer surprise in the vein of 2022's "Barbarian."

'The Crow' (Aug. 23)

This remake of the 1994 film follows a man (Bill Skarsg?rd) who's brought back from the dead to seek revenge on the criminals who killed him and his fiancée (musician FKA twigs.) While the original "The Crow" isn't perfect, it also wasn't exactly asking to be remade, especially considering how much the movie is tied to the tragic death of its lead Brandon Lee. Yet a remake was probably inevitable — it's been in the works for 16 years now, under different directors and actors — and at least this one's choice of its two leads is interesting.

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at [email protected]. Support local journalism by  subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Biggest movies hitting Florida screens this summer 2024