The upcoming Summer movie season is looking, as usual, like it is chock-a-block full of fun movies for everyone. The movie offerings range from a Jon Favreau directed western sci fi, remakes of a few classics, Michael Bay and others are tossing a few robots at us, Ryan Reynolds and others are starring in a couple of superhero movies, and a couple of aliens, like one that escapes from J.J. Abrams‘ train and such.
From the sounds of things, there’s a little of something for everyone this summer at the box office.
Look over this check-list of summer 2011 movies…
Memorial Day Weekend Movies:
Thu May 26
• The Hangover Part II
• Kung Fu Panda 2
Fri May 27
• The Tree of Life (limited)
• The Abduction of Zack Butterfield
• Littlerock (Seattle International Film Festival)
• Karate-Robo Zaborgar (Seattle International Film Festival)
• Tied to a Chair
What a weird week for new movies this week.. or should I say movie. The only mainstream opening movie this Friday, April 22nd is Water for Elephants, starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson.
It’s directed by Francis Lawrence (I am Legend, Constantine) and the screenplay is written by Richard LaGravenese (P.S. I Love You).
Water for Elephants is about a veterinary student who abandons his studies after his parents are killed and joins a traveling circus as their vet. But love is afoot with another man’s lady! dOh!
This week, the new movies in theaters this week bring us the talents of Natalie Portman, James Franco, Saoirse Ronan, Helen Hunt & Russell Brand to the silver screen.
There are a couple of options this week that look interesting. Do I hit up the action thriller Hanna or go for some funny in Arthur?
Starring Danny McBride, James Franco and Natalie Portman, the movie summary says “When Prince Fabious’s bride is kidnapped, he goes on a quest to rescue her… accompanied by his lazy useless brother Thadeous.”
It’s directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express).
This week, the new movies opening in theaters this week, Friday, April 1st are looking to pack a punch of entertainment. Actors coming to the silver screen this week inlcude
Barbara Hershey,
Ellen Page,
Hugh Laurie (voice of),
Jake Gyllenhaal,
James Marsden,
Kaley Cuoco,
Kevin Bacon,
Liv Tyler,
Michelle Monaghan,
Nathan Fillion,
Rainn Wilson,
Rose Byrne,
Patrick Wilson.
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Insidious
A movie about a possessed child, as his family works at trying to protect him from evil spirits that venture forth from the realm called The Further!
It stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as the hapless parents & is directed by James Wan (Saw franchise, upcoming: Nightfaill) and written by Leigh Whannell (Saw franchise).
Judging from the creative team whose brought this together, this could be a new kind of creepy or they’re venturing outside their realm of horror traps and taking a risk! Cool. This could go either way for me.
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Source Code
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan in a time bender of a movie focused on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
If you’ve seen the trailers, you know it’s an 8-minute time travel thing. (Is Jake using the sands of time again???)
Directed by Duncan Jones (Moon) and written by Ben Ripley (Species: The Awakening).
New movies opening Friday, March 25th, include Zack Snyder‘s Sucker Punch and it looks like a great weekend for Snyder’s movie as there doesn’t seem to be any other new movies that might compete in the genre. But Sucker Punch will have to contend with last week’s Limitless. We’ll see how much “punch” he brings to the screen and if short skirts and kick-ass action will bring the money in or not.
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Sucker Punch
Starring Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Carla Gugino and more in the story of a young girl is institutionalized by her wicked stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the facility.
Directed & written by Zack Snyder (Watchmen, 300; upcoming: Superman: Man of Steel), I think if anyone can make this work, he can. If he’s learned anything from his most excellent rendition of Watchmen, I think he’ll apply it here.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
If any new movie at the box office is going to compete with Sucker Punch, it’s this one, the sequel to the first Wimpy movie.
It has Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Rachael Harris, Robert Capron and many more.
Directed by David Bowers (Astro Boy) and screenplay by Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judan (Both have worked on Diary of a Wimpy Kid; TV Series 90210)
Hey, Dollhouse‘s Fran Kranz is in this project! Cool.
This week the new movies opening in theaters for Friday, March 18th, 2011 include films with the star power of Seth Rogen, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jason Bateman, Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Matthew McConaughey, the ever timeless Marisa Tomei, Bryan Cranston, Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, J.K. Simmons & John Goodman. Wow, no animated features, but one voice powered alien CGI guy!
Check out the list of new movies coming out this Friday, 3-18-11:
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Paul
Stars Nick Frost and Simon Pegg wrote this comedic alien encounter movie about Paul, the little snarky alien guy voiced by Seth Rogan. As the synopsis puts it, “Two British comic-book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.” I presume they placed the movie in the new location of where A51 went, right? Maybe? Eh, it’s a movie.
It’s directed by Greg Mottola (Superbad).
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Limitless
This movie stars Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish and more and is a film about “A writer discovers a top-secret drug which bestows him with super human abilities.”
The movie was written by Leslie Dixon (The Heartbreak Kid, Hairspray, The Thomas Crowne Affair), based off the novel “The Dark Fields” by Alan Glynn.
The combined creative team behind this project makes it my call to the box office for this weekend and could be bumping last weekend’s fun but flat Battle: Los Angeles off the no. 1 spot in box office numbers.
See update below on official synopsis and a game associated with the movie!
This week, new movies opening at the box office include the acting talent of Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Virginia Madsen, Gary Oldman, Sean Bean, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, Imogen Poots and Judi Dench.
From aliens to werewolves from a classic tale, it promises to be an interesting weekend of new movies at the box office!
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Battle: Los Angeles
It stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Bridget Moynahan star. In this newest movie in the alien sci fi invasion genre where a Marine platoon faces off against an alien invasion in Los Angeles.
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Mars Needs Moms
Includes the voice power of Seth Green, Joan Cusack and Billy Dee Williams and is about a young boy named Milo who gains a deeper appreciation for his mom after Martians come to Earth to take her away.
This Friday, March 4th, the new movies opening in theaters include Beastly, The Adjustment Bureau, Take Me Home Tonight & Rango.
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Beastly is from CBS Films and directed by Daniel Barnz, who also wrote the screenplay.
Starring Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer, other cast members include Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause & Neil Patrick Harris.
Beastly is the modern day take or retake on the Beauty and the Beast involving a New York teen that is transformed into something a bit ugly in order to find true love.
This week’s new movies coming out in theaters this Friday, February 25th include the name-movies Drive Angry 3D & Hall Pass.
Drive Angry is about a father who manages to escape from hell who then goes on a vengeance streak going after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter.
Nicolas Cage & Amber Heard are amongst the cast of angry people. Patrick Lussier is the director / writer & editor. Mr. Lussier’s resume includes such projects as My Bloody Valentine, White Noise 2: The Light & Cursed. Those are some of the films he is credited as a director. The majority of his filmography is behind the editors desk.
New movies at the box office this Friday, February 18th, 2011 include roles from Hilary Swank & Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe, Liam Neesom and January Jones to this week’s new movies on the big screen.
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In a limited release this weekend & a national release date on March 29th, The Resident stars Hilary Swank & Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a movie about a young doctor who thinks she’s not alone in her apartment, and her landlord develops a creepy obsession with her.
Prediction: Director/writer Antti Jokinen’s best received project has been some obscure films as co-executive producer. The co-writer Robert Orr has written Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. I can’t get a read for this project unless the actors put out some powerful portrayals.
With a culmination of mediocre successes and one action oriented movie under their belts, I’m looking for a mid to mediocre reception at the box office.
I am Number Four is about a young man who discovers he’s one of nine unique individuals with unique powers. To kill them all, they need to be killed in order. He’s the fourth and a few others have already been killed. I Am Number Four stars Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer and more.
Directed by D.J. Caruso [Eagle Eye, Disturbia], and written by the team of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Spider-Man 2, Smallville) & joined by Marti Noxon (Mad Men, Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel), this is Ms. Noxon’s most recent huge silver screen effort, with the upcoming Fright Night remake coming up. [No, I'm not biased] And produced by the venerable Mr. Michael Bay, this movie does seem to have the creative lineage behind it to make it pack a punch. But will the movie goers come to see this romantic teen sci-fi film?
Have you noticed how the TV movie trailers have changed their focus on what the film is based around? At first it was all about the sci-fi powers of the youth, but this week, we suddenly started seeing this new angle, the emotional connections between characters. I tend to worry about a movie that changes up its marketing pitch a week before the release, but I’m hoping, I’m having faith. It looks fun.
The upcoming Summer movie season is looking, as usual, like it is chock-a-block full of fun movies for everyone. The movie offerings range from a Jon Favreau directed western sci fi, remakes of a few classics, Michael Bay and others are tossing a few robots at us, Ryan Reynolds and others are starring in a couple of superhero movies, and a couple of aliens, like one that escapes from J.J. Abrams‘ train and such.
