Summer is finally here, which is usually a strong season for the film industry. This year is no exception, and it appears some of the most anticipated films of the year will be released in cinemas, potentially signaling a comeback for movie theaters across the country. Additionally, this Summer in cinema seems to rely in part on the nostalgia factor, with sequels to classic 90s and 2000s films.
5: Superman
Scheduled to be released on July 11, Superman will be the first film in the DC Universe (DCU) produced by DC Studios and the second reboot of the Superman film series. The film stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent / Superman, alongside Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult, Edi Gathegi, Anthony Carrigan, Nathan Fillion, and Isabela Merced. Superman explores the journey of the title character as he reconciles his alien heritage with his adoptive human family.
4: Pretty Thing
Alicia Silverstone and Karl Glusm an are set to co-star in the erotic thriller film Pretty Thing, due for release in select theaters and video-on-demand (VOD) on July 4. Pretty Thing follows the story of a successful executive who struggles with a scorned young lover who takes his obsession too far. The plot may sound straight out of a Lifetime movie, but who doesn’t love a good guilty pleasure?
3: Smurfs
Produced by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies, Smurfs is scheduled to be released on July 18 and stars Rihanna as the main protagonist Smurfette, who leads the Smurfs on a mission to save Papa Smurf after he’s kidnapped by by evil wizards Gargamel and his brother Razamel. It also features an ensemble cast including James Corden, Nick Offerman, JP Karliak (in a dual role), Daniel Levy, Amy Sedaris, Natasha Lyonne, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, Octavia Spencer, Nick Kroll, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Winter, Maya Erskine, Kurt Russell, and John Goodman. Rihanna pulls double duty as a producer of Smurfs, which marks her first cinematic role since the 2019 musical film Guava Island.
2: I Know What You Did Last Summer
Due for release on July 18, I Know What You Did Last Summer is the third film in franchise of the same name, after I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998). Significantly, the upcoming slasher film will ignore the events of the direct-to-DVD I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006), and sees Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. returning to their roles. I Know What You Did Last Summer will feature an ensemble cast, including Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, and Austin Nichols.
The plot takes place 27 years after the Tower Bay murders of I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. It features a new hook-wielding killer who begins targeting a group of teenagers one year after they covered up a car accident in which they supposedly killed someone, similar to the original film. Realizing that the stalker is imitating a legendary serial killer, they seek help from survivors of the infamous Southport Massacre of 1997.
1: Freakier Friday
Last but not least, Freakier Friday is set to be released on Aug. 8 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan return in their respective starring roles as Tess and Anna Coleman, with Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Rosalind Chao, Ryan Malgarini, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Stephen Tobolowsky, and Lucille Soong reprising their respective roles from the original film. Julia Butters, Sophia Hammons, Manny Jacinto, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, and Vanessa Bayer also join the cast in this sequel. Freakier Friday marks Lohan’s return to Disney and her fifth production with the company. Significantly, it also marks Lohan’s first theatrical film release in over a decade.
A sequel to Freaky Friday (2003) and the seventh film in the Freaky Friday franchise, based on the 1972 novel of the same name by Mary Rodgers, Freakier Friday takes place 22 years after the events of the original film, following Anna and her daughter, Harper (Butters) who experience another body-switching incident, but this time with Anna’s daughter’s soon-to-be step-sister, Lily (Hammons). The girls, who don’t get along, see the body swap as a chance to break up their parents’ upcoming wedding. They even try to reunite Anna with her first love, Jake (Murray) from the original movie.
Which of these films are you most excited to see this summer? Any exciting upcoming films that we missed? For more news, visit Hustle Magazine.