Here are my picks for 10 major motion pictures to keep on your radar in the summer of 2024. All are theatrical releases, but you know how it is nowadays – wait a month or so and you can watch it at home.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” (May 10)
The pedigree: The 10th film in a franchise that arguably launched the concept of sci-fi screen sagas in America, “Kingdom” comes full-circle from the 1968 original, in a way. Humans encounter a planet ruled by apes, much as Charlton Heston’s Taylor did, in this story set long after Caesar led the Apes to freedom in the 2010s trilogy. Director Wes Ball comes over from the “Maze Runner” trilogy, and two of the three writers come from the 2010s “Apes” trilogy.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (May 24)
The pedigree: Continuity gurus, get out your notebooks. This is the fifth “Mad Max” film, but it takes place fourth – after “Beyond Thunderdome” and before “Fury Road,” the most lauded action film of the 2010s. Writer-director George Miller returns, while Anya Taylor-Joy adds to her outstanding resume by taking over the titular role from Charlize Theron.
“Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (June 7)
The pedigree: The writing and directing team behind “Bad Boys for Life” – the highest-grossing American movie of the pandemic year of 2020 – returns for the saga’s fourth big-screen entry. So do Martin Lawrence, cancellation-dodging Will Smith and Vanessa Hudgens.
“A Quiet Place: Day One” (June 28)
The pedigree: Speaking of sagas with confusing continuity, “A Quiet Place Part II” gave us a peek into the time before the sound-sensitive alien invasion. But this one will go slightly further back, and feature a new cast, including Lupita Nyong’o and Alex Wolff. Saga creator John Krasinski co-writes this installment but hands the directing reins to Michael Sarnoski.
“MaXXXine” (July 5)
The pedigree: Writer-director Ti West, who returned to horror prominence with the 2022 double feature of “X” and its prequel “Pearl,” continues his hopscotch from the 1970s to the 1920s to the 1980s. The style will likely be a big appeal here, along with Mia Goth’s return as the aspiring adult-film star who survives “X.”
“Longlegs” (July 12)
The pedigree: Writer-director Oz Perkins’ horror-thriller is drawing “Se7en” comparisons as it features an FBI agent’s (Maika Monroe) hunt for a serial killer via grisly clues. Nicolas Cage stars, which of course means “Longlegs” could rate anywhere from the best movie ever to the worst movie ever.
“Twisters” (July 19)
The pedigree: Lee Isaac Chung, writer-director of the Oscar-nominated “Minari” (2020), directs this follow-up to one of the biggest and best films of 1996. Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones have big shoes to fill in following Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, while the writers (among them Joseph Kosinski, director of “Top Gun: Maverick”) have a challenging case to make that there’s more story to tell.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” (July 26)
The pedigree: As the MCU gets more convoluted with its multiverse and oversaturates our screens, this third “Deadpool” film comes along to make fun of those very issues. Director/co-writer Shawn Levy is new to this saga, although he helmed the Ryan Reynolds pictures “The Adam Project” and “Free Guy.” This will be a case of Reynolds and Hugh Jackman hanging out and having fun, and I think the audience will be there with them. An intriguing co-star is Emma Corrin, who broke out last year in the much more somber TV series, “A Murder at the End of the World.”
“Trap” (Aug. 2)
The pedigree: Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan is roughly 7-for-13 at the plate dating back to “The Sixth Sense,” so we all know this entry – intriguingly set at a pop concert — could be great or terrible. It’ll be nice to see Josh Hartnett and Alison Pill, who haven’t gotten significant roles in a while.
“Alien: Romulus” (Aug. 16)
The pedigree: Set between “Alien” and “Aliens,” this ninth film in the xenomorph saga (14th if you include the “Predator”-only films) comes from the team of Fede Alvarez (writer-director) and Rodo Sayagues (writer), who gave us “Evil Dead” (2013), the “Don’t Breathe” films and the undervalued “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2022). The cast features little-known actors, which might be a sign that the filmmakers know the star is in the title.