The 10 most anticipated movies of summer 2018

summer movies

As always, summer promises lots of exciting new releases from Hollywood, ranging from action blockbusters to amusing comedies. Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated projects that we will be able to enjoy in the next few months.

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Marvel is having a terrific year, with both Black Panther (February) and Avengers: Infinity War (April) making more than $1 billion each at the box office while earning critical praise along the way. The studio is now gearing up to release its third MCU film of the year, Ant-Man and the Wasp. The sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man will hit cinemas in July and is set between the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Directed by Peyton Reed, who also helmed the previous instalment, the movie will see Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) embark on a new mission while trying to balance his personal life with his superhero activities and Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) take on the Wasp mantle that was previously held by her mother.

Deadpool 2

After smashing all box office expectations in 2016, the irreverent Deadpool returns to cinemas this year for another R-Rated adventure in Deadpool 2. Intended to be the eleventh instalment in the X-Men film series, the movie finds its protagonist (portrayed by Ryan Reynolds) setting up the X-Force team to protect a young mutant from time travelling cybernetic mutant soldier Cable (Josh Brolin). David Leitch is in charge of the vehicle after Tim Miller exited the project due to creative differences with Reynolds who has more creative control over this sequel, so expect more raunchy comedy from the unconventional superhero this May.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Reviving the Jurassic Park franchise a decade and a half after it originally wrapped up may not have seemed like the most inspired idea when it was first announced, but it sure paid off. The resulting Jurassic World trilogy will now get its second chapter in the form of June’s Fallen Kingdom. J. A. Bayona has been handed the reins of this instalment. Chris Pratt returns as the hero, Owen, teaming up once again with Bryce Dallas Howard’s Claire, this time in an attempt to save the dinosaurs after a volcanic eruption threatens their very existence.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

We get another chance to revisit the uber-popular world of Star Wars later this month in Solo, a stand-alone prequel centred on a young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) and his adventures with his Wookiee pal Chewbacca, including their encounter with Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), the original owner of the Millennium Falcon. It would have been interesting to watch directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s take on the tale, but what we will see now will be Ron Howard’s vision as he has been in control of the movie since the duo’s firing.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Ethan Hunk (Tom Cruise) is back for another “impossible” mission in Fallout, the sixth instalment in the Mission: Impossible film series. The protagonist and his team find themselves in a race against time as they try to prevent a global catastrophe after a mission goes wrong. An impressive supporting cast – which includes Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Michelle Monaghan, Alec Baldwin, and Henry Cavill – assists Cruise in bringing this irresistible, action-packed summer blockbuster to cinematic life. The film has been directed by Christopher McQuarrie and will be out in July.

The Incredibles 2

The summer movie lineup just isn’t complete without the magic of Pixar. The animation studio’s decision to make fewer new, original projects and focus more on sequels has now led us to the long-awaited continuation of 2004’s beloved The Incredibles. Brad Bird returns as writer and director, and the movie resumes where its predecessor ended, as the superhero family struggles to maintain normal lives while Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter) fights crime and Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) takes care of the kids, and the supers end up having to fight a new villain, Screenslaver, who uses television and other screens to get people to do his bidding.

The Happytime Murders

A neo-noir puppet comedy, anyone? If you’re a fan of The Muppets, then you must be looking forward to Brian Henson’s new film, The Happytime Murders, which comes out in August. Set in a world where puppets co-exist with humans but are considered second class citizens, a disgraced former cop (Bill Barretta) has to clear his name by teaming up with his ex-partner (Melissa McCarthy) and catch the serial killer who is targeting the cast members of the iconic ’80s TV series The Happytime Gang. A decade in the making, the long-delayed movie has gone through various changes over the years, and in a few months we’ll finally find out if the project was worth the wait.

Ocean’s 8

The all-female spin-off of Steven Soderbergh’s The Oceans Trilogy comes out in June, and there’s so much to be excited about when it comes to this movie. There is no shortage of talent associated with this action comedy. Sandra Bullock stars in the lead role as Debbie Ocean, Danny Ocean’s estranged sister, who is trying to pull off the heist of the century. And the supporting cast includes the likes of Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, and Helena Bonham Carter. Plus, there are lots of cameos and hopefully some entertaining action in store for us in this Gary Ross-directed film.

The Hustle

The Ocean’s reboot isn’t the only female-led revival we’re getting this summer. We also have a female-centric remake of the 1988 comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels that originally starred Steve Martin and Michael Caine. Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway appear as two down-and-out con artists in this remake that hits cinemas in June, with Chris Addison directing the movie.

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!

Cheesy ’70s music, bad singing, awkward dancing … how can we resist that? The internet habeen having a collective meltdown ever since it became apparent that Meryl Streep is missing in much of the Here We Go Again! trailer. Is Donna alive? We finally find out in July when this sequel to the 2008 ABBA musical Mamma Mia! arrives a decade after its predecessor conquered the box office. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is having a child with fiancé Sky (Dominic Copper); Cher will show up in the role of Sophie’s grandmother; we’re going to get the back story to Streep’s character (Lily James portrays a young Donna); and we will, of course, bask in nostalgia as old characters return and older songs are re-sung.

- Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 18th May, 2018 *