2013 Summer Movie Preview

[Mark Vader]

With the Oscars being awarded this weekend, the movie industry will move forward to the bigger titles that the year has to offer all of us. The Spring Season of movies will have it's share of hits throughout March & April, but once May rolls around, that's when the fun really starts.

 

This upcoming summer movie season will have the usual high action, big explosions, big name actors, and even bigger franchises. After last summer's "The Avengers" & "The Dark Knight Rises", audiences have shown that comic book movies are still popular, and this summer continues that trend. However there will be more added into the mix. Some movies with updated familiar brands and some with a bit of originality.

 

So here is what we have to look forward to this summer.

 

Director J.J. Abrams returns with his follow-up to the successful 2009 reboot of "Star Trek", with "Star Trek Into Darkness". After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho & Anton Yelchin all return, but the big mystery is the presence of Benedict Cumberbatch as the movie's villain.

 

Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark in "Iron Man 3". This time around Tony Stark is pitted against a foe known as The Mandarin. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. Shane Black, whose only other directorial effort was "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang", steps in for Jon Favreau. With that appears to be a much darker tale in this series. Also starring Don Cheadle, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley, Rebecca Hall & Guy Pearce.

 

After the huge success of the latest Batman trilogy, Warner Bros. & DC Comics are giving the Caped Crusader a much needed rest. Now WB moves on to DC's most famous superhero, giving him a reboot in their movie series as well, with "Man of Steel". Henry Cavill is the new Clark Kent/Superman, and Zack Snyder is in the director's chair, while Christopher Nolan produces. As was the case with Batman, Warner Bros. & DC are starting this franchise over from the beginning. Everything involving Superman's arrival from Krypton, to his growing up on the Kent farm, to discovering everything about his past, is the setup. Warner Bros & DC are doing all they can to keep up with Marvel, after the debacle of "Green Lantern", and prove that they can make more than just Batman movies. They may have found the right formula here. The big ensemble cast includes, Amy Adams, Kevin Costner, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Shannon & Russell Crowe.

 

Walt Disney Pictures & Jerry Bruckheimer team up with Johnny Depp & Armie Hammer and bring us "The Lone Ranger". A character that goes back to 1930's radio serials, now steps in to a generation who know little about this famous western character. The main plot focuses on what led John Reid to becoming the masked man and teaming up with Tonto. The cast includes Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson & Barry Pepper. Gore Verbinski directs.

 

Director Guillermo Del Toro brings us his big sci-fi/action film, "Pacific Rim". From the deeps of the Pacific Ocean, giant monsters rise up and wreak havoc and destruction on the world. The people of Earth create giant robots, piloted by humans, in order to fight the menace and save the planet. Del Toro has a very creative mind, and no doubt he will have many fan boys lined up for this outing. Starring Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day & Ron Perlman.

 

Hugh Jackman is back as "The Wolverine". In this outing, Wolverine travels to Japan to train with a samurai warrior. What more do we need to know?

 

Brad Pitt plays a U.N. employee who is tasked with taking on a zombie pandemic in "World War Z". Originally slated for December 2012.

 

Will Smith and son Jaden Smith play a father and son duo whose ship has crashed on a planet that was evacuated by humans 1000 years earlier, in "After Earth". Directed by M.Night Shyamalan.

 

Matt Damon & Jodie Foster star in the sci-fi/thriller "Elysium", directed by Neill Blomkamp. Set in the year 2159, where the very wealthy live on a man-made space station while the rest of the population resides on a ruined Earth.

 

Leonardo DiCaprio & Tobey Maguire headline the re-make of, "The Great Gatsby", directed by Baz Luhrmann. Another movie originally scheduled for December 2012.

 

There is plenty in the animation department in store for us this summer.

 

Walt Disney & Pixar shows us what life was like for Mike Wazowski & James Sullivan during their college days, in the prequel "Monsters University".

 

Universal & Illumination Entertainment bring back Gru & his minions back for "Despicable Me 2".

 

20th Century Fox & Blue Sky Studios go the adventure/fantasy route with the animated "Epic". A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place.

 

And Dreamworks & 20th Century Fox team up to bring us the snail racing movie, "Turbo".

 

Comedy will be in big demand too.

 

Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel & James Franco play themselves in "This Is the End". While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse. Emma Watson, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Michael Cera, Jason Segel & Rihanna also star as themselves.

 

The Wolfpack is back for "The Hangover Part III".

 

Owen Wilson & Vince Vaughn team up for "The Internship". Two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age find their way into a coveted internship at Google, where they must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses for a shot at employment.

 

Sandra Bullock & Melissa McCarthy star in "The Heat". Uptight FBI special agent Sarah Ashburn is paired with testy Boston cop Shannon Mullins in order to take down a ruthless drug lord. The hitch: neither woman has ever had a partner -- or a friend for that matter.

 

Jason Sudeikis & Jennifer Aniston star in "We're the Millers". A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.

 

And Adam Sandler & Co. are back in "Grown Ups 2".

 

There are plenty more sequels & prequels to spread around.

 

Vin Diesel & Dwayne Johnson and more outrageous car action continues with "Fast & Furious 6".

 

In "Kick-Ass 2", The costumed high-school hero Kick-Ass joins with a group of normal citizens who have been inspired to fight crime in costume. Jim Carrey joins the cast.

 

Frank Moses and his motley crew of retired assassins return for a second outing, in "Red 2".

 

And the Greeks and Persians continue to battle each other in "300: Rise of an Empire".

 

Channing Tatum stars in "White House Down". A Secret Service agent is tasked with saving the life of the U.S. President after the White House is overtaken by a paramilitary group.

 

FBI agents track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money, in "Now You See Me". Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Michael Caine & Morgan Freeman.

 

Finally, director Joss Whedon tackles Shakespeare, with a modern day telling of "Much Ado About Nothing".

 

Here is the calendar for the upcoming summer months. Not all movies have trailers.

 

May

 

5/3

"Iron Man 3": http://marvel.com/ironman3

 

5/10

"The Great Gatsby": http://thegreatgatsby.warnerbros.com/

 

5/17

"Star Trek Into Darkness": http://www.startrekmovie.com/

 

5/24

"Fast & Furious 6": http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2942936857/

 

"The Hangover Part III"

 

"Epic": http://www.epicthemovie.com/

 

June

 

6/7

"After Earth": http://www.afterearth.com/site/

 

"Now You See Me": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1309779737/

 

"The Internship": http://www.theinternshipmovie.com/

 

"Much Ado About Nothing"

 

6/14

"Man Of Steel": http://manofsteel.warnerbros.com/index.html

 

"This Is the End": http://thisistheend.com/

 

6/21

"Monsters University": http://monstersuniversity.com/edu/

 

"World War Z": http://www.worldwarzmovie.com/

 

6/28

"The Heat": http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3474040601/

 

"Kick-Ass 2"

 

"White House Down"

 

July

 

7/3

"The Lone Ranger": http://disney.go.com/the-lone-ranger/

 

7/5

"Despicable Me 2": http://despicableme.com/

 

7/12

"Pacific Rim": http://pacificrimmovie.warnerbros.com/index.html

 

"Grown Ups 2"

 

7/19

"Turbo": http://www.turbomovie.com/

 

7/26

"The Wolverine"

 

August

 

8/2

"300: Rise of an Empire"

 

"Red 2": http://red-themovie.com/

 

8/9

"Elysium"

 

"We're the Millers"

 

There you have it everyone. I'll have the March Movies up soon. Look forward to your comments on this.

 

Enjoy!

[Philly McButterpants]

Thanks Vader! A couple of "must see" titles in there.

[birdog1960]

out of them all, i'm most looking forward to monsters university, followed closely by the next star trek. i thought the next hunger games was coming out soon too but don't see it there.

Edited February 23, 2013 by birdog1960

[outsidethebox]

Thanks Mark, once again, great job!

 

[ChevyVanMiller]

out of them all, i'm most looking forward to monsters university, followed closely by the next star trek. i thought the next hunger games was coming out soon too but don't see it there.

 

Lionsgate has announced the release dates for the final two films in the Hunger Games saga, with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 to hit November 21, 2014 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 on track for November 20, 2015. This follows the November 22, 2013 release of Catching Fire.

[Mark Vader]

Thanks Vader! A couple of "must see" titles in there.

Thanks Mark, once again, great job!

Your welcome. Always fun to do this stuff and see what reactions are posted.

 

It'll be a fun summer, and even though there are quite a few franchise films out there, the one movie I am most excited for is "Pacific Rim".

[birdog1960]

Your welcome. Always fun to do this stuff and see what reactions are posted.

 

It'll be a fun summer, and even though there are quite a few franchise films out there, the one movie I am most excited for is "Pacific Rim".

i'm certain my wife will insist on seeing that one early and possibly often. looks good. monsters inc is one of my favorite movies so i hope the prequel does it justice. has anybody seen the 3D version of the original? Saw it on sale today and wonder if it's worth 29.99. thanks for the excellent summary.

 

Lionsgate has announced the release dates for the final two films in the Hunger Games saga, with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 to hit November 21, 2014 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 on track for November 20, 2015. This follows the November 22, 2013 release of Catching Fire.

thanks. will definitely see both.

[zevo]

Always a fan of m night shyamalan

Edited February 24, 2013 by zevo

[Mark Vader]

Always a fan of m night shyamalan

There's a love-hate relationship when it comes to him. "The Last Airbender" was a big disappointment.

 

When you watch the trailer for "After Earth", there is no mention of who the director is. Will Smith adds star-power and sci-fi is always a big genre.

[Mark Vader]

i'm certain my wife will insist on seeing that one early and possibly often. looks good. monsters inc is one of my favorite movies so i hope the prequel does it justice. has anybody seen the 3D version of the original? Saw it on sale today and wonder if it's worth 29.99. thanks for the excellent summary.

 

thanks. will definitely see both.

I think "Monsters, Inc." is good but I don't find it terribly funny. Except for the Abominable Snowman scene, "Snow cone"?

 

I don't know what to expect from the upcoming prequel, but I always have faith in Disney/Pixar.

[PaattMaann]

really hope World War Z is good...the book was awesome, but the previews have me worried with these seemingly super human zombies - could trash what was one a promising script/idea/endeavour

 

Great Gatsby should be solid too - good cast...classic story

[shrader]

Well my wallet is going to take a big hit this summer. I have high hopes for Star Trek, Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel. At the same time, I expect the Hangover 3 to be pure garbage, but I'll still be stupid and go see it.

[Fan in Chicago]

 

 

There you have it everyone. I'll have the March Movies up soon. Look forward to your comments on this.

 

Enjoy!

 

Thanx, Mark. I just updated my summer calendar based on your post. I am most excited about:

 

"World War Z" due to Brad Pitt

"Star Trek into Darkness" I think Benedict C is an upcoming star due to his intensity and versatility (Sherlock series, his turn in "Tinker Tailor..")

"Elysium" after the superb District 9

"Pacific Rim" due to the premise

"Kick ass 2" due to the fun part 1 and addition of Jim Carrey

 

Uncertain about:

"Iron Man 3" not sure how the darker theme will work

"Thor" ditto

"After Earth" After being M Night's fan, I have given up on him after the atrocious Happening and Air Bender. Anything good will be a surprise

"

[Mark Vader]

Well my wallet is going to take a big hit this summer. I have high hopes for Star Trek, Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel. At the same time, I expect the Hangover 3 to be pure garbage, but I'll still be stupid and go see it.

"The Hangover 2" made a lot of money, and people love raunchy comedies. I only saw the first "Hangover" movie and that's all I needed to see. Bradley Cooper's star power is even bigger now, so that will have a big hand in it's popularity.

 

What I find most interesting is that both this movie and the new Fast & Furious movie come out on the same day. Both movies will attract similar audiences. Somehow I think that either Universal or Warner Bros. will move either one of these films so they cannot directly compete against each other.

 

Then again it will be Memorial Day weekend so both films could coexist and the money could be spread out evenly.

[CowgirlsFan]

Thanks Mark, once again, great job!

 

I agree too!!

 

Your welcome. Always fun to do this stuff and see what reactions are posted.

 

It'll be a fun summer, and even though there are quite a few franchise films out there, the one movie I am most excited for is "Pacific Rim".

 

The scenery there looks great!

 

really hope World War Z is good...the book was awesome, but the previews have me worried with these seemingly super human zombies - could trash what was one a promising script/idea/endeavour

 

Great Gatsby should be solid too - good cast...classic story

 

 

Great Gatsby is on my list too.

 

Sounds good. I thought the first Captain America movie was very good, and I thought that was going to be the toughest of the individual Avengers characters to sell.

 

I've heard that a lot of fans are very excited about "Thor: The Dark World", and there is a lot of speculation that it could have a big tie-in to the Avengers sequel.

 

Marvel has been working long at getting Ant-Man involved with a franchise of his own, but still nothing yet. Although they do have "Guardians of the Galaxy" up and running.

 

I liked Captain America too! That's why I want to see Iron Man now.

[Mark Vader]

Thanx, Mark. I just updated my summer calendar based on your post. I am most excited about:

 

"World War Z" due to Brad Pitt

"Star Trek into Darkness" I think Benedict C is an upcoming star due to his intensity and versatility (Sherlock series, his turn in "Tinker Tailor..")

"Elysium" after the superb District 9

"Pacific Rim" due to the premise

"Kick ass 2" due to the fun part 1 and addition of Jim Carrey

 

Uncertain about:

"Iron Man 3" not sure how the darker theme will work

"Thor" ditto

"After Earth" After being M Night's fan, I have given up on him after the atrocious Happening and Air Bender. Anything good will be a surprise

"

I am mildly interested in "World War Z". Brad Pitt is definitely a draw, although it probably helps that I never read the book. As fans of the book seem highly skeptical.

 

"Star Trek Into Darkness" is a must-see. J.J. Abrams made a great accomplishment in getting people who were not Star Trek fans interested in this franchise. This movie will help put Benedict Cumberbatch into the mainstream, and have people clamoring for him in more movies. Just as "X-Men: First Class" did for Michael Fassbender.

 

The draw in "Elysium" to me is Neill Blomkamp. The star power is very good too.

 

I think "Pacific Rim" is going to be the biggest surprise of the summer. Not only is it a fan boy's dream come true(giant robots vs. giant monsters) but Guillermo Del Toro has a great delivery in his direction and the scope and scale just look awesome. Also confidence is so high in this movie, that Del Toro is already penning a sequel, and it will also be a great segue for the reboot of Godzilla in 2014. Maybe we can finally get the Robotech movie out of development hell.

 

I still have not seen "KIck-Ass", so I'll have to wait on the sequel.

 

"Iron Man 3" intrigues me. The addition of Ben Kingsley & Guy Pearce alone, is enough to get me excited.

 

"Thor" is in November, but early buzz is high.

 

I understand your feeling about Shyamalan, and I am sure it is no accident that his name is conspicuously absent from the "After Earth" trailer. I still like Syamalan and am willing to see his movies. I think Will Smith's presence helps.

[Fan in Chicago]

 

I still have not seen "KIck-Ass", so I'll have to wait on the sequel.

 

 

I understand your feeling about Shyamalan, and I am sure it is no accident that his name is conspicuously absent from the "After Earth" trailer. I still like Syamalan and am willing to see his movies. I think Will Smith's presence helps.

 

You should see Kick-Ass, it is a nice, low budget kinda movie and totally irreverent. One of the few good roles Nicholas Cage has done recently. Chloe Moretz is terrific

 

M NIght has to buy back my confidence with a solid movie. Even if it is not spectacular, a competent movie will go far in restoring my lost faith in him. He has all the skills but a giant ego (IMHO) has derailed him. Guy just doesnt seem to listen to constructive criticism and adjust his movie style. He has steadily gotten worse with the only hope that his production of "Devil" was not half bad.

[Mark Vader]

You should see Kick-Ass, it is a nice, low budget kinda movie and totally irreverent. One of the few good roles Nicholas Cage has done recently. Chloe Moretz is terrific

 

M NIght has to buy back my confidence with a solid movie. Even if it is not spectacular, a competent movie will go far in restoring my lost faith in him. He has all the skills but a giant ego (IMHO) has derailed him. Guy just doesnt seem to listen to constructive criticism and adjust his movie style. He has steadily gotten worse with the only hope that his production of "Devil" was not half bad.

I'll try to check out "KIck-Ass" soon.

 

I agree that Shyamalan has to have at least a competent movie in order to stay relevant.

[Mark Vader]

The first trailer for "The Hangover Part III" has been released.

 

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1488758297/