Summer Sci Fi Movies
May 7th marks the kick-off of the Summer Blockbuster season and we have the scoop on all of the Science Fiction and Fantasy films you can expect to see hitting the theaters from May through August (and we have even tacked on a few marginal entries that should be of interest to genre fans as well). We have included the information on all of the films that we know are currently scheduled for release during the next four months, and we will expand/update the list as new information becomes available. Also, where available, we have included links to the official sites for the movies so that you can click over and watch the trailers and get additional information. So read on and get your calendars out so that you can mark the dates for the movies you most want to see!
Download this page as a pdf file from Axiom’s Edge To Go
Read Johnny Jay’s Thoughts on What to Catch and What to Miss Among the Summer Movies
May
Iron Man 2
Cast: Robert Downey, Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow
Director: Jon Favreau
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: May 7th
The Scoop: Robert Downey Jr. dons the iron suit again and John Favreau resumes the director’s chair as this sequel blasts into theaters to kick-off the Summer Blockbuster season. In this big-money follow-up ($200 million budget) to the 2008 mega-hit ($585 million worldwide), Tony Stark must deal with the fact that the world knows that he is Iron Man and face the pressure to share his technology with the military. Expect pretty much everything that we saw in the first movie, just taken to the nth degree.
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Robin HoodCast: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Vanessa Redgrave
Director: Ridley Scott
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: May 14th
The Scoop: Yet another take on the myth of Robin Hood, this one has legendary director Ridley Scott at the helm with Russell Crowe picking up the quiver and bow to fend off the oppression of the Sheriff of Nottingham (Matthew Macfadyen). It may not really count as a Science Fiction/Fantasy movie, but its subject matter should attract many fans of those genres.
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MacGruberCast: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Val Kilmer
Director: Jorma Taccone
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: May 21st
The Scoop: Special operations agent MacGruber can handle any predicament, no matter how impossible the odds. Assuming of course that he doesn’t get distracted from the task at hand! Will Forte’s parody seems finally ready to jump from Saturday Night Live sketch to big screen production despite the legal threats from MacGyver creator Lee David Zlotoff (he apparently does not have an issue with the parody, he just wants a share of the Box Office take because his contract states that he holds the rights to a film version of MacGyver). Those anticipating this movie should mark the date in their calendar, but don’t hold your breath because its release has already been delayed several times.
Shrek Forever AfterCast: Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas
Director: Mike Mitchell
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: May 21st
The Scoop: In the fourth installment of this popular animated franchise, Shrek wishes that he could feel like an ogre again just like the old days and con-man Rumpelstiltskin takes advantage of this to create an alternate reality where Shrek’s friends and family don’t know him anymore. This one is being billed as the final chapter for Shrek, but let’s see the Box Office tally before we buy into that fairy tale.
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George A. Romero’s Survival of the DeadCast: Julian Richings
Director: George A. Romero
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: May 28th
The Scoop: This will be George A. Romero’s sixth Dead film and will actually be released on Video on Demand in April prior to its limited engagement in the theaters that begins on May 28th. Zombie fans will definitely be looking forward to this next installment from the Godfather of the Dead.
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Prince of Persia: The Sands of TimeCast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Gemma Arterton
Director: Mike Newell
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: May 28th
The Scoop: In this big screen adaptation of the video game from Ubisoft, Prince Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) must confront the evil Nizam (Ben Kingsley) and reclaim the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that allows the user to control time. Expect plenty of blockbuster-style CGI action scenes along the lines of The Mummy movies and Clash of the Titans.
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June:
Splice
Cast: Delphine Chaneac, Sarah Polley, Adrien Brody
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: June 4th
The Scoop: Vincenzo Natali, who brought us the 1997 cult classic Cube, brings us this tale of two young scientists whose experimentation with DNA goes wrong and creates a deadly winged human-chimera. Seems out of place with the other big budget, early-Summer extravaganzas but maybe this one will give us this Summer’s District 9 or Moon.
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The A-TeamCast: Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, Quinton Jackson
Director: Joe Carnahan
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: June 11th
The Scoop: You know the story: “a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune.” At least that’s the way the opening to the T.V. series went and now it’s making the jump to the big screen. Yeah, we know it’s not really Science Fiction, but we also know you want to see it!
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Jonah HexCast: Josh Brolin, John Malkovich, Will Arnett
Director: Jimmy Hayward
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: June 18th
The Scoop: The mysterious and ruthless western bounty hunter finally makes the leap from DC comic book to big screen movie. In the movie, the army offers to release Hex from the warrants on his head if he can stop a terrorist who is allegedly about to unleash “Hell on Earth”. The Jonah Hex comic has long been a fan favorite and the movie promises an army of zombies, so how can you go wrong? Then again, this is Hollywood we are talking about, so we will withdraw the question but keep our fingers crossed.
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Toy Story 3Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack
Director: Lee Unkrich
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: June 18th
The Scoop: It’s been eleven years since the last Toy Story movie, but now, for better or worse, we finally get the third installment in the franchise. In this movie, as an older Andy gets ready to go off to college, his mother throws away his old toys without his knowledge. This results in Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the rest of the gang finding themselves at a daycare where old toys tend to suffer a grim fate. This one gets the 3-D makeover, so expect them to make full use of that gimmick and also expect another decent entry from this venerable series.
Knight and DayCast: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Maggie Grace
Director: James Mangold
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: June 25th
The Scoop: In this spy/espionage flick, Tom Cruise goes on a blind date with the unlucky June Havens (Cameron Diaz) who ends up getting pulled into an attempt to protect a powerful battery that could be the key to an infinite power source. Think Mission: Impossible with more funny lines. And of course anything with Cameron Diaz is worth a look.
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The Twilight Saga: EclipseCast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Director: David Slade
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: June 30th
The Scoop: The main question for this one is whether the 12 to 13 year old girls who flocked to the theaters for the first entry in this movie series back in 2008 have since grown past the franchise (and if Mr. White’s 14 year old daughter is any indication, then the answer is yes). Well, not to worry too much because there is an endless supply of new 12 to 13 year olds ready to take their places. Expect more teen angst and drama in the third installment in this franchise based on the best-selling books from Stephenie Meyer.
July
The Last Airbender
Cast: Noah Ringer, Jackson Rathbone, Nicola Peltz
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: July 2nd
The Scoop: Can M. Night Shyamalan turn the tide of his recent box office flubs and finally reinvent himself onscreen as well as deliver a much-needed Box Office success? This movie is based on the animated fantasy series Avatar: The Last Airbender about a boy named Aang who can manipulate the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water and who is the last hope against the conquest of the evil Fire Nation. Shyamalan has picked a beloved and well-known property to fuel his comeback, so the pressure is definitely on. The early trailers looked promising, though.
PredatorsCast: Danny Trejo, Walton Goggins, Adrien Brody
Director: Nimrod Antal
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: July 7th
The Scoop: It’s been 20 years since the last Predator film (not including the two Aliens vs. Predators entries) and this one is based on a script penned by Robert Rodriguez in 1994 but which the studio passed on because they thought it would be too expensive. They have returned to that script for this movie now that they want to reboot the Predator franchise and Rodriguez describes his film as a direct sequel to the first film. Arnold Schwarzenegger may not be on board this time around, but it looks like this one could be worth a look.
Despicable MeCast: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Kristen Wiig
Director: Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: July 9th
The Scoop: In this CGI animated comedy, Steve Carell plays Gru, the world’s second greatest villain, and he is intent on stealing the moon. That is, of course, if three orphan girls who look at him as a potential father-figure don’t change his ways first. Well, we can look forward to always reliable Carell’s performance at least.
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InceptionCast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard
Director: Christopher Nolan
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: July 16th
The Scoop: This big dollar production from Christopher Nolan (Batman Returns, The Dark Knight) follows a team led by Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) who uses dream technology to enter people’s minds and steal their secrets. Expect a big promotional campaign for this one because it has a hefty price tag ($200 million) and the studio will probably be looking at it to kick off a new franchise.
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The Sorcerer’s ApprenticeCast: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Teresa Palmer
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: July 16th
The Scoop: This movie will give us a modern day, live-action re-do of the Mickey Mouse “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment from Disney’s Fantasia. Nicholas Cage takes the role of the Sorcerer and Jay Baruchel will play a college student recruited to battle the forces of darkness in Manhattan. Mickey Mouse was supposed to have a cameo appearance, but the shooting schedule conflicted with shuffleboard day at the vintage cartoon character old-folks home, so it was cut.
SaltCast: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Director: Phillip Noyce
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: July 23rd
The Scoop: Action movie mega-babe takes the lead in this super-spy movie, though interestingly enough it was originally written for Tom Cruise. She plays a CIA agent accused of being a KGB spy (wait, isn’t the Cold War over?) who ends up going on the run. Consider this the launching point for the next action movie franchise centered around Jolie.
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BeastlyCast: Vanessa Hudgens, Mary Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris, Alex Pettyfer
Director: Daniel Barnz
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: July 30th
The Scoop: In this movie based on Alex Flinn’s 2007 novel of the same name, Kyle Kingson has it all – looks, brains, money – until he finds himself on the bad side of the wrong witch. She casts a spell that makes him hideously unattractive and the only way to transform back is to find someone who will love him as he is within one year. Former child star Mary Kate Olsen tries to reboot her career as she takes on the role of the witch. (“She’s a witch!”)
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty GaloreCast: Chris O’Donnell, Jack McBrayer, Christina Applegate
Director: Brad Peyton
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: July 30th
The Scoop: It was 2001 when the first Cats & Dogs movie came out which prompts the question: did we really need a sequel to that one almost ten years later, if at all? This non-CGI movie has cats and dogs acting as furry secret agents with some sort of convoluted plot thrown in to fill up an hour and a half of screen time and provide some excuses to blow things up with cute critters flitting about. The biggest challenge? Pulling in enough receipts to cover the movie’s bloated $150 million budget.
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August:
Thru the Moebius Strip
Cast: Chris Marquette, Mark Hammill, Michael Dorn
Director: Glenn Chaika
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: tbd
The Scoop: In this Hong Kong animated production, a boy who thought his father was dead finds that he is still alive on an alien planet millions of light years away. When he goes there, he must do battle with giant aliens who believe in magic and the chivalric code. We haven’t heard too much about this movie which was originally made in 2007, but it could be worth a look.
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The ExpendablesCast: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: August 13th
The Scoop: 63 year-old Sylvester Stallone tries to find another Box Office vehicle to reboot his career before he gets shuffled off to the old-folks home for good. Sure, this film about a team of mercenaries sent to overthrow a South American despot is marginal as a genre entry, but it’s designed as an homage to the action films of the 80’s and 90’s and pulls in some cameo appearances by a lot of familiar names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, and Jet Li (and of course Stallone as well). Should provide some good, mindless fun.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the WorldCast: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Director: Edgar Wright
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: No
Hits the Theaters: August 13th
The Scoop: Here’s the rub: “Scott Pilgrim, bass guitarist for the garage band Sex Bob-omb, has just met the girl of his dreams. However, he must defeat Ramona Flowers’ seven evil exes, who are coming to kill him.” This one is based on the comic book series Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley from Oni Press.
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Piranha 3-DCast: Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O’Connell, Adam Scott, Ving Rhames
Director: Alexandre Aja
Sequel/Prequel/Re-Make/Spin-Off: Yes
Hits the Theaters: August 27th
The Scoop: This movie remakes the 1978 Roger Corman original and adds 3-D into the mix. At the height of the tourist season in Lake Victoria Arizona, a tremor causes the lake’s floor to open and out coming thousands of hungry, flesh-eating fish! Originally scheduled for release on April 16th, it got pushed all the way to August instead. Can’t say we’re too disappointed.
Date: April 28, 2010