In the cinematic world, there are two major release seasons for a theatrical film: The summer box office and awards season.
Blockbusters tend to occupy the former realm, while more prestigious films take the latter. This summer is proving no different, with a mixture of independent and blockbuster features that will soon grace the silver screen.
On the independent circuit, May 19 will herald the release of “Master Gardener,” the latest film from Paul Schrader, and his most recent work to deal with his concept of “God’s lonely man,” a theme focused on alienated men, which is blended with elements of existentialism. Schrader — a legendary figure of the New Hollywood movement who wrote screenplays “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull,” with directorial work including “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” and “The Card Counter” — casts Joel Edgerton in the role of Narvel Roth, a horticulturist with a dark and brutal past.
The beginning of June will see the release of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the anticipated follow-up to 2018’s highly acclaimed “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Like the last film, this one will expand on the Spider-Man mythos, featuring several variations of the famous web-slinger and voices from an all-star cast. “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” comes out on June 2.
Later that same month, “Asteroid City,” the latest film from Wes Anderson, will be released. Like his last film (2021’s “The French Dispatch”), it features him experimenting with his usual formula, with this film utilizing the science fiction genre. Starring Tom Hanks in his first collaboration with Anderson, the film takes place in the year 1955 and focuses on a Stargazer convention in an arid desert town that ends up coinciding with a cosmic event. Like his previous works, “Asteroid City” has an enormous ensemble cast, featuring frequent collaborators Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton and Willem Dafoe, along with appearances from Steve Carrell and Maya Hawke. “Asteroid City” will debut at the Cannes Film Festival, in competition for the Palme d’Or, later this month and will receive a wide theatrical release on June 23.
At the end of the month comes the release of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” the fifth and final installment of the adventure franchise, with Harrison Ford putting on the fedora for the last time as the legendary archeologist. This film focuses on an aging Indy, who must face off against an old enemy, played by Mads Mikkelsen, to save a powerful ancient relic. This film will also feature supporting performances from Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Antonio Banderas. “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” will premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and will receive a wide release on June 30.
July will also be a huge month for cinema, with the weekend of July 21 overshadowing the rest of the month. This weekend sees the release of two major films. The first of these films is Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” starring Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the theoretical physicist who was the father of the atomic bomb. This film will chronicle the Manhattan Project, which he contributed to. Along with Murphy, this film features a large supporting cast, including Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek and Emily Blunt (the latter is portraying Oppenheimer’s wife, Katherine ‘Kitty” Oppenheimer). Similar to his previous films, Nolan shot this film on IMAX large-format film, along with minimal usage of CGI, guaranteeing that this is a film that must be watched on the big screen. “Oppenheimer” comes out on July 21.
The same day as “Oppenheimer,” Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” — the first live-action adaptation of the iconic toy brand — will also premiere in theaters. Featuring Margot Robbie in the titular role and Ryan Gosling co-starring as Ken, “Barbie” features a premise that sees her traveling into the real world. Like “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie” also features a large ensemble cast, with Dua Lipa and Issa Rae portraying different variations of Barbie, and Simu Liu and Scott Evans portraying different variations of Ken.
In the sea of reboots and franchise films, this summer at the box office is proving to be an intriguing and exciting season, with new features from acclaimed directors and the return of beloved characters. One thing is certain, these are all films that I will be seated for on the opening day.
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