15 hottest movies of summer 2016
Sure, every summer it’s the same thing. More superheroes. More sequels. More remakes. More CGI. Just plain more.
But this year’s it’s straight-up ridiculous. The season opens with a bang this weekend with Captain America: Civil War and closes in August with Ben-Hur. Yep, you heard right, the one with the killer chariots.
In between is a whole lot of noise and spectacle — and the occasional moment of dramatic quietude for those being driven crazy by the special-effects overload.
Here are 15 movies you (and everyone you know) will be talking about this hot season. See sidebar list for even more films being released. As always, release dates are subject to change.
Money Monster
May 13
Jodie Foster returns to the role of film director — something she hasn’t done since The Beaver in 2011 — for this drama that taps into our collective economic insecurity. George Clooney plays a TV financial expert who finds himself held hostage on air by a man (Jack O’Connell) who lost his life savings thanks to the guru’s advice. Julia Roberts co-stars. View the trailer.
The Angry Birds Movie
May 20
Video games have had a tough time making a successful transition to feature film. Maybe this animated take on the gaming phenomenon will break the curse. Screenwriter Jon Vitti worked on The Simpsons, and voices are provided by a dream team of (mostly) funny people: Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage, Kate McKinnon, Sean Penn, Keegan-Michael Key, Maya Rudolph, Danny McBride and Hannibal Buress. View the trailer.
X-Men: Apocalypse
May 27
The latest addition in this generally well-regarded comic-book franchise has a lot to live up to. The last one, Days of Future Past, was a smart riff on time travel and the entire X-Men universe. There’s every reason to be hopeful. Director Bryan Singer, who did X-Men, X-Men 2 and Future Past, is back. And the all-star cast returns with a couple of newer names thrown in: Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Hugh Jackman, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Nicholas Hoult, Olivia Munn and Tye Sheridan, who until now has been known for such indies as Mud and Joe. View the trailer.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
June 3
The Lonely Island comedy trio — Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer — became a viral sensation when some of their pop-culture spoofs like Lazy Sunday aired on Saturday Night Live. Now, they’re moving into the world of the multiplex with this mockumentary about ficitional hip-hop star Conner4Real, played by Samberg. Lots of Lonely Island pals show up: Adam Levine, Snoop Dogg, Carrie Underwood, Pink, Sarah Silverman, Will Forte, Will Arnett, Simon Cowell, Seal, Bill Hader, Imogen Poots and Martin Sheen. View the trailer.
Warcraft
June 10
If there’s a director who can make a film out of a video game that transcends its origins and becomes a work of art on its own terms, it’s Duncan Jones. The maker of such knockout films as Moon and Source Code as well as the son of David Bowie, he should be able to bring an original eye to this fantasy epic about a war between two worlds. View the trailer.
Finding Dory
June 17
Thirteen years ago, Finding Nemo became a smash for Pixar, and now there’s finally a sequel. Directed by Andrew Stanton (WALL-E), this one follows sidekick Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) as she tries to reconnect with her family. Others providing voices are Albert Brooks as Marlin from Finding Nemo, Idris Elba, Kate McKinnon and Ty Burrell. If it lives up to expectations, this should be the family film of the summer. View the trailer.
Independence Day: Resurgence
June 24
Will Smith passed on returning, but Jeff Goldblum is back, as is original director Roland Emmerich, who seems to have (momentarily at least) purged the desire to do small, arty films (Anonymous, Stonewall) from his system. The aliens are back, too, and they are angrier than ever, and Liam Hemsworth — along with Bill Pullman and Vivica A. Fox — will be trying to stop them from blasting our planet to bits. View the trailer.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
June 24
A highlight at the 2016 South by Southwest film festival, this uproarious yet heartfelt comedy from director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows) showcases a breakout performance from young Julian Dennison as a kid who goes on the lam with his foster dad (Sam Neill) into the New Zealand countryside. Wilderpeople has a sweet message about family and fatherhood, but most of all, it’s hilarious. On top of that, New Zealand looks gorgeous. Wilderpeople has a similar appeal to a film like Little Miss Sunshine, which became a crossover indie hit in 2006. View the trailer.
The BFG
July 1
Last year, Spielberg was in historical thriller mode with Bridge of Spies. This year, he’s in children’s fantasy mode with this take on a 1982 novel by Roald Dahl. The movies share a star — Mark Rylance (who won the supporting actor Oscar for Spies) — but this time he’s playing a giant who becomes friends with an orphan. View the trailer.
Ghostbusters
July 15
All eyes are on this reboot with four of the era’s funniest women — Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones — tackling the iconic roles that Bill Murray and company made famous in 1984. This remake stands a good chance of comparing favorably to its predecessor since it’s co-written and directed by Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat), who has helped turn McCarthy into a star. View the trailer.
Star Trek Beyond
July 22
Idris Elba joins the “Star Trek” universe in this latest installment, directed by Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6). But unlike the other blockbuster roles he has taken — Pacific Rim and Thor, to name two — Elba is a villain this time around. Of course, being a bad guy in a “Star Trek” movie can be a good thing. Remember Ricardo Montalban’s Khan from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan? View the trailer.
Jason Bourne
July 29
There’s just one thing you need to know about this next Bourne movie: Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass have returned. The Bourne franchise lost some of its steam with the 2012 incarnation, The Bourne Legacy, with Jeremy Renner as the star and director Tony Gilroy behind the camera. With Damon and Greengrass at the helm again — along with Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander and Julia Stiles co-starring — Jason Bourne should put the franchise back on track. View the trailer.
Suicide Squad
Aug. 5
Will Smith passed on Independence Day and decided to star in this wayward-superhero story instead. He’s teamed with Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney and Common, who play a cast of DC comic-book villains all working together. The always intriguing David Ayer (Sabotage, End of Watch, Fury, Street Kings) directs. View the trailer.
Pete’s Dragon
Aug. 12
The last time we heard from North Texas director David Lowery was in 2013, when he made the well-received indie film Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. Now he’s hooked up with Disney for a remake of the 1977 film Pete’s Dragon. Shot in New Zealand, this one stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Karl Urban and Wes Bentley. View the trailer.
Ben-Hur
Aug. 19
The famous chariot-race scene in the 1959 original remains a breathless blast, but you can only imagine what it’s going to look like with the intervening 50 years’ worth of technology at director Timur Bekmambetov’s disposal. He has a distinctive style that can be used for good (Wanted) or ill (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). Morgan Freeman and Moises Arias are joined by a strong cast of international actors: England’s Jack Huston (American Hustle), Denmark’s Pilou Asbaek (A War), Holland’s Marwan Kenzari and Brazil’s Rodrigo Santoro (The 33). View the trailer.
This story was originally published May 4, 2016 at 7:33 AM with the headline "15 hottest movies of summer 2016."