With summer, many big blockbuster hits will be released in movie theaters. This summer will have a bit of everything: superheroes, dinosaurs, dragons, robots, and aliens. There will be something for everyone in movie theaters. Here are our picks for the best movies to watch this summer:
Ballerina, or From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, is an upcoming action thriller film and spin-off of the John Wick franchise, and is taking place between the third and fourth installments. The film follows Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a ballerina-assassin, begins to train in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma and sets out to exact revenge for her father’s death. The film is directed by Len Wiseman and is releasing on June 6.
The new Pixar animated movie, Elio, follows a boy who becomes an intergalactic ambassador representing Earth after making contact with aliens. The film stars Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Remy Edgerly, Jameela Jamil, Brad Garrett, and Shirley Henderson in voice roles, and is directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina. The film is releasing on June 13, 2025, over a year later from when it was originally scheduled to release on March 1, 2024, due to the writers’ strike.
The live-action remake of 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon releases on June 13. The film follows Mason Thames as Hiccup, a Viking who defies the tradition of dragon-fighting when he befriends a dragon, Toothless. The film stars Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, and Murray McArthur and is directed by Dean DeBlois.
28 Years Later, the upcoming third installment in the horror franchise 28 Days Later, is releasing on June 20. The film follows a father and son who leave their island 28 years after the Rage virus escaped from a medical research facility to find the horrors the virus has caused. The film stars Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes, and is directed by Danny Boyle.
The sequel to 2022’s M3GAN, M3GAN 2.0, releases June 27 and is directed by Gerard Johnstone. The film has Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, and Jenna Davis returning to their original roles, with Donald and Davis returning as the body and the voice of the titular character. The film shifts genre from the original film, as the first was a horror film and the sequel an action film. The film follows the titular robot having to stop another self-aware android while getting an upgrade in the process.
The seventh installment in the Jurassic Park franchise, Jurassic World Rebirth, releases July 2 and is directed by Gareth Edwards. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey as a team who are tasked to extract DNA from the remaining dinosaurs on Earth, who reside on a forbidden island that was once the Jurassic Park research lab.
James Gunn’s Superman releases July 11. The film stars David Corenswet as Clark Kent/Superman, who explores his Kryptonian heritage with his adoptive human family in Smallville. This film marks the start of the new DC film universe. Alongside Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan and Nicholas Hoult star in the film.
Eddington, Ari Aster’s new contemporary Western film, releases on July 18. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Luke Grimes, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler, and Emma Stone. Phoenix stars as a small-town sheriff during the COVID pandemic.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps releases July 25. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach star af the titular team of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, and The Thing, respectively, and the film is directed by Matt Shakman. The film follows the team as they protect the world from the planet-eating Galactus in a 1960s-inspired retro-futuristic world.
The sequel to 2003’s Freaky Friday, Freakier Friday, releases August 8 and is directed by Nisha Ganatra. The film stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as they reprise their roles from the original film as Tess and Anna Coleman. The film follows the mother-daughter duo swapping bodies again, but this time, with Anna’s daughter and soon-to-be stepdaughter.
Weapons, a new mystery horror film from director Zach Cregger, releases August 8. The film stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan. The film follows Garner as an elementary school teacher who discovers all but one student from her class has gone missing, on the same night and at the exact same time.
I am personally most anticipating the release of Eddington. I feel like Ari Aster is one of those directors who can never miss, and all of his films have become personal favorites. The star-studded cast is also a big draw for m,e and I am excited to see Joaquin Phoenix return to work with Aster.
