Now, after a couple of summers stalled by COVID, movie season returns with bona fide A-listers such as Tom Cruise, SandraBullock, TomHanks, AdamSandler, JenniferLopez, DwayneJohnson and KevinHart. Comic-book superheroes Thor and Doctor Strange are back, and even your favorite Jurassic-era dinosaurs are ready to bite.
Summer Blockbuster Movies 2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Release date In theaters May 6 Picking up in the immediate aftermath of the recent smash Spider-Man: No Way Home, the sardonic sorcerer (BenedictCumberbatch) must face the reality of meddling with time and space. His former ally Mordo (ChiwetelEjiofor) holds him responsible for the chaos, and—as seen in the trailer—the doc is handcuffed and led into a menacing chamber. Could this mean more familiar faces from Marvel movies past will also reappear? Signs point to yes. In theaters May 6
Firestarter
Release date In theaters May 13 Stephen King’s classic supernatural tale rages on! Young RyanKieraArmstrong takes over the role played by DrewBarrymore in the 1980s as the girl with the supernatural gift for turning fire into a weapon of mass destruction. Her parents (ZacEfron and SydneyLemmon) try to stop federal agents from taking advantage. In theaters May 13
Downton Abbey: A New Era
Release date In theaters May 20 The original cast from the 2010–15 PBS series and 2019 film returns for more juicy drama as the Crawley family heads to the French Mediterranean, where the Dowager Countess (MaggieSmith) has inherited a villa from someone in her past. Meanwhile, back at Britain’s Downton Abbey, a film crew takes over the house—much to the disgust of Lord Grantham (HughBonneville). In theaters May 20
Top Gun: Maverick
Release date In theaters May 27 Despite a two-year pandemic-induced delay, Tom Cruise is still eager to take your breath away in the follow-up to his 1986 classic. He reprises his role as hotshot Navy pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, now a captain teaching a new generation of aviators how to wing it. Co-stars include TG newcomer MilesTeller, who plays Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, a pilot trainee and the son of Maverick’s late friend “Goose.” ValKilmer, as “Iceman,” also returns. In theaters May 27
Hustle
Release date On Netflix June 8 This one sounds like a slam-dunk for Adam Sandler fans. He stars as a down-on-his-luck basketball scout who discovers a phenom (played by real-life pro baller JuanchoHernangómez) with a rocky past in Spain. With each other’s help, the two try to prove they both have what it takes to make it in the NBA. OnNetflix June 8
Jurassic World Dominion
Release date In theaters June 10 Dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans all over the world in the final installment of the mega-successful franchise. This delicate balance will determine once and for all whether people can share a planet with the predators. JeffGoldblum returns with fellow alums SamNeill and LauraDern as well as ChrisPratt, Bryce DallasHoward and…the velociraptor! In theaters June 10
Lightyear
Release date In theaters June 17 ChrisEvans—who says his “love for animated movies runs deep”—takes the galactic baton from TimAllen in this origin story about the spaceman who inspired the toy that ended up alongside Woody the cowboy in Toy Story. So how did Buzz Lightyear become a hero? His infinity-and-beyond journey starts when he was blasted into space and onto an alien world, where he’s pursued by robots and crazy creatures (and joined by a talking toy cat named Socks). In theaters June 17
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Release date On Hulu June 17 The incredible EmmaThompson bares all in more ways than one in a delightful comedy that earned raves at the recent Sundance Film Festival. As a mild-mannered 55-year-old widow, she decides to hire a professional sex worker who goes by the name Leo Grande (DarylMcCormack) to spice up her stagnant love life. OnHulu June 17
Elvis
Release date In theaters June 24 This biopic puts a stylish spin on the life and music of ElvisPresley (AustinButler). But it’s told through the prism of his complex relationship with his controversial and controlling manager, “Colonel” Tom Parker (a Dutch-accented Tom Hanks). Butler does his own vocals for the early-era tracks; director BazLuhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) mixed Butler’s and Presley’s voices for the later songs. In theaters June 24
Minions: The Rise of Gru
Release date In theaters July 1 Here’s your chance to learn how those mischievous little yellow creatures learned to work so diligently for their sharp-nosed master. Set in the 1970s (cue the disco music and bell bottoms!), the animated film shows Gru (SteveCarell) as a 12-year-old fanboy of a supervillain group called the Vicious 6. Along with his fresh team of Minions, he devises a scheme to become an A-list bad guy. In theaters July 1
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release date In theaters July 8 It’s hammer time! Chris Hemsworth’s golden-haired Asgardian prince—i.e., Marvel’s God of Thunder—returns for his fourth solo outing in this direct sequel to the kooky-fun Thor: Ragnarok. It features most of the Guardians of the Galaxy cast (including Chris Pratt) as well as ChristianBale as the villainous Gorr the God Butcher. Plus, NataliePortman returns as Thor’s ex, and this time around she gets some mighty powers herself. In theaters July 8
Where the Crawdads Sing
Release date In theaters July 15 Nearly four years after ReeseWitherspoon selected Delia Owens’ debut novel for her book club pick, she’s bringing the sensational coming-of-age mystery to the big screen. Didn’t read it? A young girl (British actress Daisy Edgar-Jones) abandoned by her family must find a way to survive on her own in the marshes of North Carolina. Years later, when her ex’s dead body is found in the marsh, she becomes the main suspect. In theaters July 15
The Gray Man
Release date On Netflix July 22 Could this be your new favorite thrill-ride franchise? RyanGosling is a freelance assassin and former CIA operative known as the Gray Man. After he exposes some secrets, a psychopathic former cohort (Chris Evans) is sent to track him down. With a reported $200 million budget, this adaptation of the book series from MarkGreaney is poised to pack a real punch. On Netflix July 22
Nope
Release date In theaters July 22 The story for this horror film is under wraps, which is exactly how writer-director JordanPeele (Get Out, Us) likes it. But it does star Oscar winner DanielKaluuya (Judas and the Black Messiah) and KekePalmer (Hustlers) as caretakers at a California horse ranch who encounter a mysterious, malevolent force. In theaters July 22
DC League of Super-Pets
Release date In theaters July 29 Hey, not all superheroes wear capes—or have two legs. In the animated film DC League of Super-Pets, Krypto the Super-Dog (Dwayne Johnson) must convince his pal Ace the Bat-Hound (Kevin Hart) and a ragtag group of animals to help rescue the kidnapped Justice League superheroes. In theaters July 29
Bullet Train
Release date In theaters July 29 Think Speed with a dash of QuentinTarantino: Five assassins board a bullet train in Tokyo with individual assignments. As they venture toward their respective destinations, they realize their targets are all interconnected and they’re in a contest with one another. Based on a popular Japanese novel, this one boasts a cast that includes BradPitt, Sandra Bullock, JoeyKing, BrianTyreeHenry and MichaelShannon. In theaters July 29
Secret Headquarters
Release date In theaters August 5 Here’s a high-concept PG offering about a kid named Charlie (WalkerScobell, most recently in The Adam Project alongside RyanReynolds) who discovers the secret headquarters of the world’s most powerful superhero directly beneath his house. He and his friends start to wonder: Could Charlie’s estranged dad (OwenWilson) have a double life, one that involves saving the world? In theaters August 5 Next, 21 Inspiring, Uplifting Movies on Netflix Right Now
