Dana Barbuto|The Patriot Ledger
Show Caption
The robust $57million haul from “A Quiet Place II” this past weekend loudly announces that movies are back, baby. So bring on the big screen, the blockbusters and the buttery popcorn. From musicals to action comedies to animated adventures to indie dramas, the coming weeks will deliver plenty of flicks to cause a stir:
More: Christmas movie 'Spirited' starring Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell, will shoot in Braintree
“IN THE HEIGHTS” (June 11, also streaming on HBO Max). Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (“Hamilton,” for the uninitiated) lively snapshot of Latino life in Upper Manhattan is a muy caliente spectacle ideal for shaking off the pandemic blues. “Heights” is also the last movie I saw at the cinema in March 2020, the night before theaters went dark. The Broadway version collected four Tonys, including best musical, and the screen version is so good, I can’t wait to see it again. John M. Chu, “Crazy Rich Asians,” directs.
More: At the Marshfield Drive-in: The silence is still golden in 'A Quiet Place' sequel
THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD (June 16)Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson rekindle their bromance for more action-comedy shenanigans in following up their surprise 2017 hit. Salma Hayek rounds out the titular trio.
LUCA(June 18, also on Disney+) In Pixar’s latest animated adventure, two boys (Jacob Tremblay and Jack Dylan Grazer) have one crazy summer hanging in an Italian seaside town. Pass the pasta and gelato.
FATHERHOOD (June 18, Netflix) If it weren’t for the presence of Kevin Hart, I’d be tempted to label this the downer flick of the summer. Partially filmed in Boston, the movie stars Hart as a widowed dad raising his daughter. Paul Weitz ("About a Boy") directs.
F9 (June 25) Vin Diesel, Charlize Theron, Michelle Rodriguez and the rest of the gang return for more high-octane driving stunts in the ninth chapter of the “Fast & Furious” saga. This time, the estranged brother (John Cena) of Dom (Diesel) is causing car trouble. Come for the car-nage but stay to watch Helen Mirren get behind the wheel.
THE TOMORROW WAR(July 2 on Amazon Prime Video)Chris Pratt leads a team of time-traveling soldiers into the future to ward off an alien invasion. Quincy’s Mike Mitchell co-stars with J.K Simmons and Betty Gilpin.
BLACK WIDOW (July 9, also streaming on Disney+ Premier Access) It’s been nearly two years since a Marvel movie hit theaters and fans are thirsty. Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) quenches it with a standalone story picking up after the events in “Captain America: Civil War.” Worlds collide when Natasha’s KGB assassin past catches up with her Avengers present. It also kicks off Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Little Women” scene-stealer Florence Pugh, David Harbour and Rachel Weisz co-star.
OLD (July 23)M. Night Shyamalan offers twists aplenty in a mindbender about a remote tropical beach where visitors are aging rapidly. They say the sun causes premature aging, but this is next-level stuff. Gael Garcia Bernal and Vicky Krieps ("Phantom Thread") co-star.
JUNGLE CRUISE (July 30 in theaters and on Disney+ Premium Access)Yes, it’s based on a Disney theme park ride, so what? If anyone can pull off this adventure, it’s the duo of Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson and Emily Blunt.
STILLWATER(July 30)Oscar-winner Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”) teams with Cambridge native Matt Damon for a crime drama about an Oklahoma oil worker attempting to free his daughter (Abigail Breslin) from a French prison.
THE SUICIDE SQUAD (Aug. 6 and on HBO Max) In this sequel to the 2016 dud, Margot Robbie takes Harley Quinn for another spin under the guidance of director James Gunn ("Guardians of the Galaxy"). Idris Elba and Viola Davis lend star power.
CODA(Aug. 13 in theaters and on Apple TV+) Written and directed by Cambridge’s Sian Heder, “CODA” was shot in Gloucester and Essex during the summer of 2019. The movie follows a 17-year-old singer (Emilia Jones) torn between obligation and ambition. The only hearing member in her family, Ruby must decide if pursuing her love of music is worth risking the downfall of her family’s fishing business. Cohasset’s Lance Norris and Marlee Matlin co-star.
FREE GUY (Aug. 13)The adventure-comedy, partially filmed at Union Point in Weymouth, follows a bank teller (Ryan Reynolds) discovering he’s a “nonplayer character” inside an open-world video game. Did someone say “The Truman Show”? Shawn Levy (“Night at the Museum”) directs. The cast includes “Killing Eve’s” Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery and “Jojo Rabbit’s” Taika Waititi.
RESPECT (Aug. 13)Jennifer Hudson does her own singing in playing Aretha Franklin in a biopic co-starring Forest Whitaker, Mary J. Blige, and Marlon Wayans.
THE PROTÉGÉ (Aug 20)Butt-kicker Maggie Q is a trained assassin on a mission to avenge the death of her mentor in an action-thriller with “surprise-hit” potential. Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson co-star and James Bond vet Martin Campbell ("Goldeneye," "Casino Royale") directs.
More: Reel attraction: Massachusetts is a hot Hollywood alternative
More: 'A responsibility to remember': Quincy author's family history shapes WWII book 'Unsinkable'
Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. Please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription.
Reach Dana Barbuto at dbarbuto@patriotledger.com.
