Preview: 16 movies to see this summer
May
“Mad Max: Fury Road”: Rising star Tom Hardy is the new incarnation of bandit-battling hero Max Rockatansky, a part even gnarlier than his turn as Batman’s back-cracking nemesis Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Charlize Theron goes full buzz cut as Imperator Furiosa, because what else can you name a character gunning a war rig across the wasteland – Mary Sue? Makes you glad director George Miller returned to berserker society after all those Babe the pig and the “Happy Feet” penguin movies. (May 15).
June
“Love & Mercy”: This breathtaking drama about the disturbed life of Beach Boys composer Brian Wilson is directed by Bill Pohlad, who presents a remarkably touching fact-based biography. Paul Dano plays Wilson in his 20s, when his talent was beginning to be surpassed by schizophrenia. John Cusack picks up the part in his 40s, when Wilson was controlled by an unprincipled therapist (Paul Giamatti). Elizabeth Banks plays the woman whose love affair with Wilson offered him an escape route he had needed for years. (June 5)
“Spy”: Melissa McCarthy reteams with Paul Feig, director of “Bridesmaids,” for a globe-trotting espionage parody. She plays a mild-mannered deskbound CIA agent who blossoms in her first field assignment. Jude Law and Jason Statham appear as suave 007 types who don’t take her seriously. Rose Byrne is a haughty enemy gun dealer who takes her seriously enough to launch bazooka-level insult humor. (June 5)
“Jurassic World”: The fourth installment in the “Jurassic Park” saga returns us to scenic Isla Nublar 22 years after the prehistoric theme park’s unfortunate extinction-related events. Those naughty velociraptors have been domesticated by trainer Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) to be protective of humans. (June 12)
“Inside Out”: Pixar ace Pete Docter (“Up,” “Monsters Inc.”) wrote and co-directed this animated comedy. It follows 11-year-old Riley while she copes with the ever-busy emotions in her head as her family moves from their home in Minnesota to San Francisco. The stars of this journey to the center of the brain are Joy (Amy Poehler), hair-triggered Sadness (Phyllis Smith), paranoid Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and tart-tongued Anger (Lewis Black). (June 19).
“Ted 2”: The sequel promises to return audiences to a world of gross-out humor that is unforgivably hilarious. Writer/director/Ted vocalist Seth MacFarlane misses the bull’s-eye pretty often, but there’s a reason this story of a man and a doll serving as each other’s lifelong enabler of foul-mouthed mischief is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. (June 26).
July
“Magic Mike XXL”: Channing Tatum’s male stripper cautionary tale/dramedy hit of 2012 is back, this time on a road trip to Myrtle Beach. (July 1)
“Terminator Genisys”: The fifth film in the “Terminator” epic is designed as the start of a new trilogy. Arnold Schwarzenegger returns as a killer robot who has evolved into a good guy “pops” figure shielding humans. (July 1)
“Minions”: They’re small, yellow and pill-shaped, and they’re not Tylenol capsules. Those little Oompa Loompa-style henchpeople from the “Despicable Me” films are back, talking gibberish and being as adorkable as ever, probably. (July 10).
“Trainwreck”: It sounds like a big disaster, but it’s a romantic comedy. Writer/star Amy Schumer plays a writer with no appetite for any relationship beyond a bit of one-night dating, except for her meathead go-to guy (John Cena), who performs their get-togethers like sweaty workouts. When she’s assigned to profile a thoroughly decent doctor (Bill Hader), she begins moving in the direction of boring monogamy. Directed by Judd Apatow, who is very good at ramming family values full speed against great comedy. (July 17).
“Ant-Man”: If a retired inventor is going to bail a career thief out of prison to pull a big heist, he'll want to disguise him, right? As a microscopic insect! Paul Rudd plays the burglar turned itty-bitty superhero. The cast includes comedy stalwarts Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll and Judy Greer. (July 17).
“Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames battle an unknown criminal assassination ring called the Syndicate. Alec Baldwin plays the CIA head aiming to shut down the IMF superspy agency. (July 31)
August
“Fantastic Four”: The third effort to launch Marvel’s first superhero quartet will probably be better than the 1994 and 2005 attempts because, really, how could it be worse? Ever-interesting dramatic actor Miles Teller (“Whiplash”) flexes his comic-book chops as the group’s elastic leader, with Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Bell. (Aug. 7).
“Masterminds”: Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig and Owen Wilson lead a comedic cast in a story based on the real-life $17 million Loomis Fargo heist of 1997 in Charlotte. Filmed in the Asheville area. (Aug. 7).
“Ricki and the Flash”: Three Oscar winners unite as Meryl Streep stars in a musical drama scripted by Diablo Cody (“Juno”) and directed by Jonathan Demme (“The Silence of the Lambs,” “Philadelphia”). Streep plays aging rock star Ricki, who abandoned her family when she was younger to find success and celebrity in California. Given the team’s track records and Streep’s breathtaking singing skills, this sounds excellent. (Aug. 7).
This story was originally published May 15, 2015 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Preview: 16 movies to see this summer."