We Got This Covered's 2014 Summer Movie Guide

Summer is one of the best times to be out in nature, soaking up the sun and scenery, but it's also one of the most exciting times to be at the movies. Through the months of May, June, July and August, Hollywood's biggest studios pull out all the stops week after week to deliver some of the year's most spectacular, enjoyable popcorn flicks. This summer, moviegoers will be treated to a wide range of films. We've got more rabidly anticipated sequels than you can shake a stick at, big studio comedies that seem all but destined to become breakout hits, some horror films that will keep even seasoned fans of the genre shaking in their seats, and even the return of classic monster Godzilla. There are also some smaller-budget movies waiting in the wings, from buzzy biopics to Kickstarter-assisted dramedies. Make no doubt about it, it's going to be a very busy summer. Here at We Got This Covered, we want to make sure that you don't miss any of the big attractions, and so that's why we're counting off 35 films that should be on your watchlist in the coming months. We can't promise that all of them will be as good as their trailers suggest, but we're excited about each and every movie on this list for a reason. Scroll on through, and let us know which movies you're most excited about that are hitting theaters this summer! The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May 2) Most moviegoers were skeptical when it was announced that Spider-Man was getting a reboot a mere five years after Spider-Man 3, but that was all set aside when audiences first had a chance to see Andrew Garfield as everyone's favorite webslinger in The Amazing Spider-Man. Now, two years later, Garfield, director Marc Webb and much of the reboot's cast are back for the sequel, which looks to be bigger and better than ever before. While the Lizard (Rhys Ifans) was a formidable foe, he's just not nearly as dangerous as Electro (Jamie Foxx), not only in damage that can be done to the city, but also in terms of the threat towards Spidey. Throw in a few more exciting villains, like Rhino and the Green Goblin, and you can be sure that Marc Webb's sequel will have you hanging onto the edge of your seat. Don't believe us? Just check out the incredible trailer below. Plus, it's all building towards some very exciting stuff. With spin-off films planned for Venom and the Sinister Six, watching Sony continue to grow their Amazing Spider-Man universe in this summer's sequel should be a real treat, and a refreshing change of pace for those who are growing tired of Marvel's antics. - Alexander Lowe Chef (May 9) Chef was the first film I saw this year that I truly loved. Delightful every step of the way, Jon Favreau’s return to his indie roots is a delicious treat that gets better with every bite. I had the pleasure of catching it at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin back in March, and ever since I’ve been eager for its May 9th theatrical release so that I could give it a second viewing. While Chef is a mouth-watering experience, especially for foodies, it’s about so much more than just a talented chef cooking savory food. At its core, the film presents a beautiful and heartfelt story that acts very much like an allegory for Favreau’s own career. The parallels are clear to anyone who’s followed the director since his early days and, as our own Matt Donato said, Chef is really Favreau coming “full circle in his filmmaking career.” No other film this year has impressed me more than Chef, and I cannot wait to bite into it again. - Matt Joseph Neighbors (May 9) 21 Jump Street refined the formula of pairing a schlubby Apatow cast member with a modern-day sex symbol, but Neighbors takes it to a whole new level. Seth Rogen and Zac Efron are an inspired duo of rivals. The seasoned comedian plays a sweet-hearted “Papa Bear” hoping to protect his newborn from the loud, rowdy new neighbours – a fraternity headed by a filthy-mouthed Zac Efron, along with Dave Franco. Rose Byrne also has what is reportedly a scene-stealing supporting role as Rogen’s determined wife, on board with his all-out war with the college boys next door. Summer has become the go-to season for raunchy, outrageous R-rated fun, and early buzz out of SXSW was wild in all of the good ways. Neighbors has a simple comic premise with a lot of potential for uproarious jokes – the ones in early trailers have been terrific. It also has the credentials to be a big summer hit that can delight party animals, young and old. - Jordan Adler Million Dollar Arm (May 16) Sports dramas are a thoroughly mixed bag. For every Moneyball, there's a Trouble with the Curve, and it's often surprising which films connect and which ones strike out. This summer will bring another sports drama hopeful in the form of Million Dollar Arm, which focuses on a sports agent (Jon Hamm) who searches for promising pitchers throughout India. We won't know until the film releases whether director Craig Gillespie and writer Tom McCarthy have a hit on their hands, but early signs are good. McCarthy's past screenplays, including The Station Agent and The Visitor, have all been terrific, and his inspiring Win Win dealt specifically with the sports drama genre, to great effect. Meanwhile, Gillespie has showcased an ability to work well in a number of genres, from horror (Fright Night) to quirky drama (Lars and the Real Girl). Madhur Mittal, Suraj Sharma, Lake Bell, Alan Arkin and Bill Paxton will provide strong acting support for Hamm, and previews for the film have painted it as a feel-good, Disney-fied family flick - and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. - Isaac Feldberg Godzilla (May 16) The 1998 Godzilla, made by Roland Emmerich, is considered to be so horrible by fans that they’ve gone to tremendous lengths to discount its existence, even if they can’t erase it from cinematic history. In other words, Gareth Edwards and his team have nowhere to go but up in the estimation of most cinephiles. Edwards, the filmmaker behind the indie smash Monsters, has already washed the bad taste of “Zilla” out of the collective consciousness of moviegoers with trailers for his Godzilla. Not much is known about the story, although it’s been indicated that the creature’s long history will be addressed. This take on the creature, which as we’ve seen from the ads so far looks a lot more like his Toho predecessors, has been around since the '50s. American nuclear tests in the Pacific at that time were actually attempts to destroy the creature. Godzilla finds the creature returning to menace modern society, much to the horror of humans, including a nuclear physicist (Bryan Cranston), a US Navy lieutenant (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and a scientist (Ken Watanabe). Working in Edwards’ favour is the incredible cast he’s put together. In addition to Cranston, Taylor-Johnson and Watanabe, the film stars Elizabeth Olsen, David Strathairn, Juliette Binoche and Sally Hawkins. Images and clips released so far (like the one below) paint a movie ripe with dread, foreboding, and a strong visceral connection to our real world realities. With natural disasters frequently filling our news cycle from across the globe, including the 2011 meltdown of the nuclear reactors in Fukushima, it seems as though the world’s been creating the right kind of conditions to give Godzilla the most bang for our buck. But can Edwards deliver? Well, the crowd at San Diego Comic Con last year was treated to the first previews and they reacted very strongly in the affirmative, and our culture's love for Godzilla is clearly still there. Everyone’s got their fingers crossed for Edwards' film, and the excitement to cower in the wake of the King of Monsters has never been higher. Let's hope he can give us the Godzilla movie that we've been waiting for. - Adam Donaldson X-Men: Days of Future Past (May 23) Consider this the Avengers of X-Men movies, though it lacks the extensive levels of pre-planning that the Marvel production had. Still, a confluence of events has created the most exciting X-Men outing since the release of the first film back in 2000. X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine disappointed, X-Men: First Class was a pleasant surprise, and The Wolverine surpassed expectations. However, the return of Bryan Singer to the director’s chair, the combination of two generations of X-Men, and a story based on one of the comic books’ most well-known and beloved narratives is a proverbial hat trick of hype. Based on a storyline by Chris Claremont and John Byrne that appeared in The Uncanny X-Men issues #141-142 in 1981, the film begins in the future, where mutants are being hunted to extinction by robotic Sentinels. Desperate to change their fates, the X-Men (as seen in the first three films) launch a desperate plan to send the consciousness of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time to the 70s to heal the rift between younger versions of Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), re-writing the past to create a better future. Like 2011’s First Class, the story will add mutant twists to real-life historical events, like Magneto being on that grassy knoll in Dallas and mutants being used as cannon fodder in Vietnam. A lot is riding on X-Men: Days of Future Past, and by that we mean much more than what’s usually riding on a franchise film. The next sequel, X-Men: Apocalypse, is already in development and is scheduled for a 2016 release. There’s also another Wolverine movie in the works, and the ticking clock of Hugh Jackman's age. There are also spinoffs at stake, X-Force and maybe the long awaited Deadpool film among them. Twentieth Century Fox plans on creating a whole X-Universe of its own, so hopefully, for the studio's sake, Days of Future Past exceeds all expectations. - AD Maleficent (May 30) Normally, I wouldn't be that excited about a rehash of a childhood fairy tale. After all, out of all of the recent cinematic updates to those beloved classics, like Snow White and The Huntsman, Mirror Mirror, Jack the Giant Slayer and Red Riding Hood, the only one I derived any enjoyment from was Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (and with even that, half the fun was watching Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner self-consciously squirm). But there's just something totally right about Angelina Jolie taking on the role of Sleeping Beauty villainess Maleficent. In this update, Maleficent doesn't start out as purely evil. That comes later, after she's betrayed by King Stefan (Sharlto Copley). Maleficent charts the character's origins and reinterprets the story of Sleeping Beauty with the spotlight on the titular villain. Elle Fanning stars as Aurora, who grows under Maleficent's watch and becomes instrumental in the battle between Maleficent and those who betrayed her. Trailers have hinted at massive battles mixed in with the familiar story, which has certainly piqued my interest. The terrific combination of upcoming actors and seasoned pros involved with this film (including Brenton Thwaites, Juno Temple, Imelda Staunton, Sam Riley and Peter Capaldi) also bodes well for it. - IF A Million Ways to Die in the West (May 30) You either love his brand of humor or think it’s absolutely ridiculous. I’m talking about Seth MacFarlane, the controversial comedian behind hit television shows Family Guy and American Dad. In 2012, he made his feature-film debut with Ted and the results were staggering. The R-rated effort made a whopping $550 million worldwide on a $50 million budget. A sequel was rushed into production and while the director is hard at work on the follow-up, first he’ll release A Million Ways To Die In The West. A comedy western littered with signature MacFarlane humor, the film has its director appearing in front of the camera as well, alongside Charlize Theron, Neil Patrick Harris, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Sarah Silverman and Giovanni Ribisi. That’s a wicked cast, and judging by the recent red-band trailer (seen below), the jokes are going to come fast and furious in this one. If you’ve been a fan of what Seth MacFarlane has done so far, there’s a 100% guarantee that A Million Ways To Die In The West will have you in stitches. Out of all the blockbusters hitting theatres over the next few months, this is one of the films that I’m looking forward to most. - MJ Edge of Tomorrow (June 6) Think of it as Groundhog Day meets Call of Duty. In this sci-fi actioner, Tom Cruise stars as Bill Cage, a soldier dropped into a suicide mission during a brutal war against a mysterious, deadly alien race which has attacked Earth. After quickly being killed in combat, he inexplicably finds himself back at the beginning of the day, caught in a time loop. Though baffled, Cage teams up with Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), and they attempt to use the time loop to learn and overcome the aliens' tactics. There hasn't been much buzz about Edge of Tomorrow - that lame title alone might deter moviegoers. However, the film is based on Japanese light novel All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, which earned widespread acclaim and awards attention upon its release. Hopefully the writers haven't excised from their adaptation what made All You Need Is Kill such a hit. Personally, I'm mostly excited to see how Edge of Tomorrow turns out because of Doug Liman, its director. Liman is lined up to helm a Splinter Cell film next, so Edge of Tomorrow will be a useful test-run to see how the Bourne Identity helmer handles himself on a big-budget summer blockbuster. - IF The Fault In Our Stars (June 6) Young adult fiction from the last ten years has been infested with fantasy and the supernatural. However, as contemporary YA dramas go, no author has the pull of John Green. The Fault in Our Stars, Green’s 2012 bestseller, is an emblem of what makes his work so essential to YA fiction: well-rounded and original characters, a blend of humor and poignancy, and a spirit of youth that resonates with an audience beyond those in their teen years. The film adaptation of Fault has, naturally, built up a lot of excitement. It stars the captivating Shailene Woodley as Hazel Grace Lancaster, a teenage cancer patient, and relative newcomer Ansel Elgort as Augustus Waters, the courageous friend who becomes her main support base (and true love). Their chemistry has already sold the millions who have watched the very romantic trailer online, while screenwriters Scott Neudstadter and Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer and The Spectacular Now) know how to bring authentic young relationships to the big screen. If that doesn’t make the novel’s fans more excited, Green even lauded the adaptation after he saw a final cut. Expect a big gross for this low-budget drama. - JA 22 Jump Street (June 13) When 21 Jump Street became a word-of-mouth hit back in 2012, audiences immediately clamored for a sequel, despite questions of where undercover cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) could go after busting the drug dealer (Dave Franco) who had been spreading a synthetic drug throughout a high school. Returning screenwriter Michael Bacall and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller appear to have found a perfect answer to that question, by sending Schmidt and Jenko to college in this sequel. In 22 Jump Street ("Because the Koreans wanted the church back," explains Ice Cube's no-nonsense Captain Dickson), the pair infiltrate a raucous college to bust open a crime ring within one of the fraternities. But even as they work together to crack the case, Schmidt's interest in the liberal arts program and Jenko's involvement on the football team drives a wedge between the partners. With this film, we're expecting one of those rare sequels that actually tops the original, thanks to the return of Bacall, Lord and Miller, not to mention a premise that will allow 22 Jump Street to be even more raunchy and over-the-top than its predecessor. - IF How To Train Your Dragon 2 (June 13) Dreamworks Animation’s 2010 hit How To Train Your Dragon was one of the most surprising, exciting, and memorable films that the animation genre has offered, and we’re finally getting the chance to experience it all over again. When last we saw the island of Berk, Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his winged companion Toothless had successfully ushered in a new era of peace between the Viking inhabitants and the dragons they once hunted. Now, the Vikings take to the skies for Quidditch-like games with dragons and sheep, while Hiccup and Toothless explore the world at large. Their adventures take them to edges of the map they didn't know existed, bringing them face-to-face with new dragons, a shocking family secret, and a powerful dragon hunter named Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou). So, imagine all the wonderful elements of the first film, only with higher stakes and more dragon-riding action in stunning 3D. In other words: just take my money now, Dreamworks! - JG The Signal (June 13) We don't know much about The Signal, and that's part of what makes it such an interesting entry on this list. All we've really gotten by way of plot is this vague synopsis: "A group of college students are lured to the middle of the desert by a hacker." We've seen some very odd stills from the film, and it's classified as a sci-fi thriller, so the sky's really the limit for where writer-director William Eubank and his co-writers David Frigerio and Carlyle Eubank could take their story. Brenton Thwaites, who made a strong first impression in festival horror hit Oculus, stars alongside Olivia Cooke (The Quiet Ones, TV's Bates Motel), Laurence Fishburne, Lin Shaye, Robert Longstreet and Beau Knapp. I don't know about you, but I'm curious enough about the sinister tagline - R U AGITATED? - to keep an eye on The Signal. - IF Jersey Boys (June 20) Probably the finest of all the jukebox musicals to occupy Broadway over the last ten years, Jersey Boys already had fans clamouring for a terrific big-screen adaptation. However, two things should ensure this musical lives up to its fan expectations. First, several members of the original Broadway cast are on tap to reprise their roles, including Tony-winner John Lloyd Young in the role of Four Seasons frontman Frankie Valli. Second, this is director Clint Eastwood’s first time behind the camera since 2011’s J. Edgar. Although the gravelly-voiced icon of Western cinema may seem a strange fit for a movie musical, know this: the hit musical is just as much about its Jersey setting as the Four Seasons members it chronicles. Few filmmakers can create an authentically realized historical America – Flags of Our Fathers, Unforgiven, Bird – as well as Eastwood. Plus, the director showed off his vocal chops (or lack thereof) in the 1969 musical Paint Your Wagon. As long as Eastwood doesn’t storm onstage for a duet or try talking to a chair, Jersey Boys should be a toe-tapping night at the movies. - JA Transformers: Age of Extinction (June 27) At first, the giant robots tore up Los Angeles. Next, they blew up the pyramids. In their third outing, their eternal war with the Decepticons flattened Chicago. So, what can the Transformers franchise do for an encore? Well, for the fourth film in the franchise, director Micael Bay threw out almost all of the original cast members out to start from scratch. That means new human heroes, new robot bad guys, and the same old Bayhem. After taking a break between Transformers movies by making the more down-to-Earth Pain & Gain, the director is surely ready to unleash some of his characteristic frenzied action, not to mention all the gunfire and explosions you can stand. In Age of Extinction, the Transformers are robota non grata with the government and are forced to go on the run from Men in Black-type agents. Mark Wahlberg plays Cade Yeager (and yes, that is his real name), an inventor and single father who gets sucked into the world of robots when he inadvertently discovers Optimus Prime in hiding. Cade, his daughter Tessa (Nicola Peltz) and her race car driving boy friend Shane (Jack Reynor) are all drawn into a new conspiracy against the Transformers. And of course, the Autobots are called upon to join the fight once more when a new group of Decepticons descend upon human civilization. For added effect, Bay has thrown in the Dinobots, the beloved Autobots who transform into five different dinosaur robots. Glimpses of the characters have been fleeting, but the one image of Prime riding the Tyrannosaur-like Grimlock has already divided culture critics. With the idea of human-created Transformers going rogue, and the introduction of Galvatron as an all-powerful Decepticon boss, Bay looks to have set up a new trilogy of films fairly well. But what will the fans think? We all look forward to these movies, but almost instantly regret it as soon as the credits roll. Will the fourth time be the charm? I guess we’ll see. - AD Deliver Us From Evil (July 2) In a summer that boasts films like X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Transformers: Age of Extinction, why would anyone have a reason to get excited about a small little horror movie like Deliver Us From Evil? I'll tell you why: because Scott Derrickson knows how to scare the shit out of an audience. The director's previous effort, Sinister, was absolutely terrifying and managed to frighten even a jaded horror fan like myself. It was a completely chilling and extremely effective experience, and one that ranks as one of my favorite in the genre. This summer, Derrickson will be back to spook audiences once more with Deliver Us From Evil, which stars Eric Bana as a New York City cop who teams up with a renegade priest, played by Edgar Ramirez, to solve a case involving demons and paranormal forces. While the first trailer (which you can check out below) didn't send shivers down my spine like I had hoped it would, it was successful in building intrigue and an almost unmanageable level of tension. I'm usually not big into paranormal movies or any kind of horror that's not grounded in reality, but Derrickson has more than proven himself in the genre and I cannot wait to see what he brings us with his next effort. - MJ Tammy (July 2) Frankly, who isn’t highly anticipating Tammy – the directorial debut of acclaimed comedy character actor, Ben Falcone? You haven’t heard of it? Well, let me to fill you in. I’d hate for you to embarrass yourself in future conversation - because people will definitely be talking about this film. Tammy is written by husband and wife comedy team Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy, with Falcone at the helm for the first time. McCarthy takes the lead as the titular Tammy, who first finds herself fired from her job at a local fast food establishment then discovers her husband getting romantic with the neighbour. Hitting the road with “ailing” Grandma Pearl (Susan Sarandon), she quickly discovers that the old lady is less an elderly benefactor, and more an alcoholic jailbird. Having screened Tammy at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Falcone strolled away with the festival's annual ‘Director To Watch’ award – so we already know he’s done a great job on his first time out of the gate. Not only has he held the reins on a film featuring performances from both McCarthy and Sarandon – a daunting task for anybody – he has also attracted and wrangled a wider cast that includes Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Sandra Oh, Nat Faxon, Gary Cole, Mark Duplass, Kathy Bates, and – drum roll, please – Dan Aykroyd. Not highly anticipating it yet? How about this script, those performances and that cast being produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay? Now you’re paying attention. The pedigree of this film could not be higher – just counting up the Oscar and Emmy wins and nominations from those involved would take all day. The star, McCarthy, is the master of this set-up. This is exactly where her comedy excels – as seen in Bridesmaids, Identity Thief and The Heat. Insert the incredible Sarandon as her road-trip comedy sparring partner, and this is like the most bizarre and hilarious version of Thelma And Louise ever conceived. - Sarah Myles Boyhood (July 11) Richard Linklater’s newest drama is already being praised as one of the finest achievements in the history of cinema. The American independent maven returned to his hometown of Austin, Texas for a few weeks each year for the past 12 years, to shoot a couple of weeks in the life of a young boy named Mason (played by newcomer Ellar Coltrane). Boyhood looks at Mason’s life, from the age of 6 to 18, as the boy matures into a man. Along the way, he reacts to the changing lives of his separated parents, played by Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette, and his changing relationship to the world around him. Similar to Michael Apted’s Up documentary series, Boyhood is part of a rare genre of ethnographic drama. Although it is a sort of experiment, it also observes the beauty and fragility of life in ways that could be unforgettable. This accomplishment could very well be the go-to indie breakthrough of the summer. - AD Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (July 11) Set 10 years after prequel Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Dawn picks up the story of genetically evolved ape Caesar (mo-capped by Andy Serkis) and his loyal army of followers after the apes have successfully wrest control of society away from humankind. Following a deadly virus that wiped out the majority of the human population, survivors roam a devastated landscape, struggling to avoid marauding bands of apes. However, there is still one threat to Caesar’s reign – a band of humans led by the mysterious Dreyfus (Gary Oldman), who’s bent on wiping apes off the face of the Earth (good luck with that one, buddy). From what we’ve seen so far, Dawn will offer improved motion capture, thrilling battle sequences and strong acting from its talented cast. In addition to Serkis and Dreyfus, the film stars Jason Clarke, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Keri Russell as members of Dreyfus’s group, and Judy Greer, Terry Notary, Toby Kebbell and Nick Thurston as apes under Caesar’s command. Plus, baby apes! If your dream blockbuster involves simians with shotguns, morality play, and a sizable helping of Oldman-style gravitas, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has got you covered. - IF Jupiter Ascending (July 18) Nobody can claim that the Wachowskis lack for ambition. The directorial duo behind the influential Matrix series and sprawling epic Cloud Atlas have impressed time and time again with their vision for storytelling on a grand scale – even if they haven’t always nailed the execution (cough cough Speed Racer). There’s reason to believe though that the Wachowskis’ upcoming sci-fi entry, Jupiter Ascending, will be one of their best films yet. Set in a gleaming future in which gods rule over humans, Jupiter Ascending centers on Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), a human janitor who becomes the focus of an interplanetary manhunt after she’s found to be an exact genetic double of the Queen of the Universe. Though he’s sent by the nefarious King of the Universe (Eddie Redmayne) to kill Jupiter, bounty hunter Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), a wolf-human hybrid, instead abets her escape and helps her plot to end the Queen’s reign. Take one look at the trailer for Jupiter Ascending (below), and you’ll understand just how massive a canvas the directors are working on with this film. Luckily, Warner Bros. has given them a $150 million paintbrush, and all the signs are pointing to Jupiter Ascending succeeding as a visually stunning, compelling sci-fi epic. The tremendous talent on hand – also including Sean Bean, Douglas Booth, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Doona Bae – just adds to my excitement. - IF The Purge: Anarchy (July 18) Last year's surprise hit The Purge boasted a promising premise - in the future, a warped version of the U.S. government declares all crime legal for 12 hours a year to reduce overall crime rates - but failed to follow through, turning into a mediocre home invasion thriller by focusing on one unfortunate family. Luckily, returning writer-director James DeMonaco listened to the criticism, and sequel The Purge: Anarchy widens the scope to an exciting degree. Whereas the first Purge was set in an upper-class neighborhood, Anarchy centers on a group of people struggling to survive the nights on the streets of an impoverished city. Among the characters: a man (Frank Grillo) who sets out to murder the man who killed his son, a young couple (Kiele Sanchez and Zach Gilford) stranded on the streets, and a mother and daughter (Carmen Ejogo and Zoe Borde) abducted from their secure home for unknown purposes. If the first trailer is any indication, Anarchy will supply all the ultraviolence and thinly veiled social commentary that the first film merely hinted at. It should be a bloody good time at the movies. - IF Wish I Was Here (July 25) Garden State captured the ennui of young adulthood like few films before it – and this year, it turns 10 years old. So what has Zach Braff been up to since his Jersey-set romance? Well, preparing for a comedy-drama that returns to the same themes, tone and transcendent indie soundtrack of his earlier film, that's what. Braff plays a dad dealing with his father (Mandy Patinkin), whose cancer has returned. He also struggles through a difficult time in his career while trying his best to relate to his kids, played by Joey King and Looper’s Pierre Gagnon. Braff grabbed a lot of attention when he went to Kickstarter to finance Wish I Was Here, but if the colourful trailer is any indication, those who helped to fund the project will feel like it was a worthwhile investment. Few are as good as playing the good-natured underdog as Braff, and with a big ovation at Sundance earlier this year (despite mixed reviews), this should be a big indie hit this summer. You may as well pre-order the soundtrack as soon as it is announced, too. - JA Hercules (July 25) We Got This Covered's own Matt Donato decried January's The Legend of Hercules as a "monumental failure," noting that it would "take a Herculean effort" for Hercules, Brett Ratner's take on the Greek hero, to be worse. And though the film's marketing campaign has failed to generate much interest for the summer tentpole at this point, there are multiple reasons to suspect that Hercules may be worth a watch. First and foremost among those is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, returning to the loincloth and sword for the first time since his breakout role in The Scorpion King. The Fast & Furious star is in the best shape of his life, and previews have so far focused on how great Johnson looks in the part. Other actors involved, including Ian McShane, Rebecca Ferguson, Rufus Sewell, John Hurt and Joseph Fiennes, give us hope that Hercules will supply strong acting to match its sure-to-be mighty battle sequences. Meanwhile, a condensed plot (Hercules, post-labors, helps the King of Thrace and his beautiful daughter to defeat an evil tyrant) will likely hold the film together better than its messy non-starter of a competitor. Hercules is still a big question mark (are audiences still interested in swords-and-sandals epics?), but you can never count out The Rock. - IF Magic in the Moonlight (July 25) We don’t know all that much about Woody Allen’s latest, a romantic comedy set in the south of France during the 1920s, but the film’s delectable cast already has us excited. Colin Firth stars as an Englishman who is tasked with exposing a phony mystic (Emma Stone) but ends up falling for her. Marcia Gay Harden, Jacki Weaver, Hamish Linklater, and Eileen Atkins co-star. Magic in the Moonlight finds Allen returning to the same setting and timeframe of his 2011 hit Midnight in Paris, which unquestionably ranks among the director’s finest works. And with this cast, there appears to be a high probability that cinematic lightning will strike twice. - IF Sex Tape (July 25) In this star-studded, R-rated comedy, a bored married couple (Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel) decide to spice up their love life by making a sex tape - on their shiny new iPad. Unfortunately, neither truly understands the power of the mystical "cloud," and it's not long before their night of passion has been distributed across all the iPads that the pair gave their friends and family members for Christmas. Horrified at the prospect of their dirty deeds being immortalized on the web, the couple sets out to destroy each and every copy of the video. The red band trailer for Sex Tape has us thinking that the combination of Diaz, Segel and such raunchy subject matter could make the film one of the summer's biggest comedies, and an excellent supporting cast including Rob Lowe, Rob Corddry, Jack Black and Ellie Kemper is just adding to our excitement. Given the R-rating, there's a pretty high likelihood that most of the raunchier jokes are being kept out of the previews, and we can't wait to see just how much Sex Tape is going to push the envelope. - IF Lucy (August 8) The idea of being able to access more of your brain than you currently do, whether it be through the aid of dreams or drugs, has been a bit played out in recent years, so originally, Luc Besson's Lucy didn't seem all that appealing. Sure, it'd be cool to see Scarlett Johansson do some wicked smart things, but that isn't enough to make a movie a must-see. Then the first trailer hit. The trailer (below) is absolutely awesome, showing this film to be far more than your typical cerebral thriller-turned-action flick. Basically, a woman kidnapped by a mob is implanted with an experimental drug, which leaks into her system, and the superhuman things she's able to do after the fact transcend both logic and all expectations. Johansson is evolving into a top-notch action star; Captain America The Winter Solider showed that for sure, but Lucy looks like it could be the sort of film that takes her to the next level. Between the awesome action and her performance, there's no way you're going to want to miss out on this one. - AL Get On Up (August 1) Normally, biopics don't catch our attention, but this movie about the life of James Brown is brimming with potential. Star Chadwick Boseman broke out in a big way last year with Jackie Robinson biopic 42, and he's now one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actors, so his presence alone is a big plus for Get On Up. The film's trailer showcases the actor's surprisingly strong singing chops, and he'll certainly be able to supply the soulful gravitas required of such a huge role. The film also reunites The Help director Tate Taylor with his stars from that acclaimed drama, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. It's rare to feel Oscar buzz coming off a movie this early in the year, but Get On Up certainly seems to have the stuff of a major awards contender. Neslan Ellis, Jill Scott, Tika Sumpter, Keith Robinson, Lennie James, James DuMont, Dan Akyroyd , Nick Eversman and Brandon Smith co-star. - IF Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1) While the promise of an outer space superhero adventure filled with Marvel characters like Rocket Raccoon, Groot, and Star-Lord are reason enough to get excited about Guardians of the Galaxy, the most enticing thing about it is actually behind the camera: director James Gunn. Gunn is a risky, out-of-left-field choice for a movie like this, which is what makes him so perfect for the job. His past films, Slither and Super, turned their respective genres on their heads and gave us unique, fun viewing experiences. And with a cast like Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Benicio del Toro, John C. Reilly, Dave Bautista, and Vin Diesel, you know that’s exactly what we’re going to get come August 1st. The first trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy showcased the movie’s wacky tone and comedic moments, but was also peppered with some of the best action we’ve seen from Marvel Studios so far, which should make it an absolute must-see on the big screen. - JG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (August 8) Why is this adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons on the list of our most anticipated summer movies? Call it a morbid curiosity. Though director Jonathan Liebesman (Battle: Los Angeles, Wrath of the Titans) hasn't done much of anything to endear himself to us critics, and Michael Bay of the destructo-porn Transformers franchise is involved as a producer, there's still a sliver of a chance that this might not be terrible. Josh Applebaum & Andre Nemec (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol) and Evan Daughtery (Divergent) penned the script, and some of the actors on board are quite promising. William Fichtner will play the Turtles' archnemesis The Shredder, and the actors playing the Turtles (Alan Ritchson, Noel Fisher, Jeremy Howard, and Pete Ploszek with Johnny Knoxville's voice) all seem like solid choices. Will Arnett is on hand to play camerman Vernon, and Megan Fox will take on the role of April O'Neil. More than ever, Fox's acting chops will be needed, and she has assured reporters that she's a huge fan of the Turtles, so the actress will surely be bringing her A-game. To put it simply, it's too early to tell whether Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will sink like a rock or surprise everyone. So, for now, why not give it the benefit of the doubt? - IF Let's Be Cops (August 13) Though initial trailers for Let's Be Cops haven't had us rolling in our seats wuite as much as we hoped they would, there's still reason to hold out hope for this summer comedy. Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. star as two buddies who dress up like cops for a costume party, only to be mistaken for actual officers of the law. Once they realize how much power their fake badges command, the two decide to keep up the charade a while longer, only to become drawn into a treacherous web of dangerous criminals and corrupt cops. Along the way, they flirt with sorority girls, scare drug users and generally wreak mayhem throughout Los Angeles. A great supporting cast including Nina Dobrev, Andy Garcia, Keegan-Michael Key, James D'Arcy and Rob Riggle, in addition to a hard R-rating, offer more than enough reasons to keep an eye out for Let's Be Cops. - IF The Expendables 3 (August 15) As someone who absolutely loved The Expendables and The Expendables 2, you can bet your ass that I'm excited about The Expendables 3, the super-sized third outing in this testosterone-fueled series. Bringing several exciting new talents into the cast, including but not limited to Harrison Ford, Antonio Banderas and Mel Gibson, The Expendables 3 promises to be bigger and more bombastic than its two predecessors (if that's even possible). In other words, it promises to be more of the same, but that's perfectly fine by me. There's just something so immensely pleasing about seeing the action stars of yesterday, today and tomorrow gang up to kick some ass. It's mindless popcorn entertainment at its absolute best, and you'd be hard-pressed to find another film this summer that will offer up as much pure, unadulterated fun. Look, by this point, I shouldn't really have to sell you on The Expendables 3. Most people know what this series is all about, and your enjoyment of the third film will rest solely on how much fun you had with the first two. If seeing Sylvester Stallone team up with Arnold Schwarzenegger to blow up foreign countries with little regard for human life sounds like a good time, then you'd better be first in line to see this threequel. - MJ The Giver (August 15) Many fans of Lois Lowry's landmark YA novel The Giver were first stunned then horrified when news broke that Jeff Bridges was moving forward with an adaptation of the supposedly "unfilmable" work. When Brenton Thwaites signed on to play protagonist Jonas, and the character was aged up from 12 to 16, fans didn't feel any less hostile towards the film. When it arrives this August, we'll know whether they were right to be so protective of Lowry's book. I'm anticipating The Giver mostly because I'm interested to see how Bridges (who plays the title character) and director Philip Noyce handled the various challenges in adapting the book. For one, it takes place in a colorless dystopian society where only one person (called the Receiver of Memories) is saddled with the emotions, pains and pleasures of the "real" outside world. Showing the lack of feeling in the film's community will be tricky. It will also be tough for the filmmakers to communicate the largely internal hardships Jonas endures when he is chosen to become the next Receiver of Memories, training under the Giver. Working from such a potent literary classic, it's entirely possible that The Giver will be a terrific dystopian sci-fi film. Sure, there are various areas in which it could fall short, but if Bridges and Noyce have taken the time to understand the genius of Lowry's book, the potential for greatness is high. - IF If I Stay (August 22) Another hotly anticipated YA adaptation, If I Stay stars talented teen actress Chloë Grace Moretz as Mia Hall, a 17-year-old musician who faces the toughest choice of her life when a terrible car accident kills the rest of her family (including her parents and younger brother) and leaves her in a coma. Mia has a choice to make. She can wake up and mourn the loss of her family with the love of her boyfriend Adam (Jamie Blackley), or, she can decide to die, leaving the agony of her broken life behind. It's heavy subject matter, to be sure, but Gayle Forman's book didn't become a smash success by simply depressing readers. If I Stay connected with many because of the tough questions it asked about family, life, death and love, and because of the even-handed, eloquent ways in which it answered them. If screenwriter R.J. Cutler has managed the same trick for this film adaptation, we could be looking at a runaway box office hit. With stellar turns in Kick-Ass, Let Me In and Carrie, Moretz has repeatedly proven herself to be one of the best young actresses working today, so it's about time that she got a YA franchise of her own. Without a doubt this is one of the movies I'm most looking forward to seeing this summer. - IF Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (August 22) Do I really need to list the reasons to be wildly anticipating the arrival of Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, the long-promised follow-up to Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller's 2005 instant classic Sin City? For one, Rodriguez and Miller, the two men who understand the Sin City universe more than anyone, are back as directors. For another, the pair co-wrote A Dame to Kill For with another extremely talented Hollywood scribe, The Departed writer William Monahan. The cast is also sublime. Though some replacements were necessary (Dennis Haysbert takes over the role of Manute from the late Michael Clarke Duncan, Jamie Chung is replacing Devon Aoki as Miho, and Jeremy Piven will be Bob in place of Michael Madsen), the line-up is absolutely stellar, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jessica Alba, Josh Brolin, Rosario Dawson, Eva Green (as the title dame), Mickey Rourke, Stacy Keach, Rosario Dawson and Ray Liotta. Miller wrote two stories specifically for the film, and his Sin City stories "A Dame to Kill For" and "Just Another Saturday Night" are also being adapted, so there's no reason to believe that the film will have any weak links whatsoever in terms of plot. I'm totally prepared for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For to emerge as one of the year's best and most thrillingly stylized movies. - IF Jessabelle (August 29) Horror fans don't have a ton to look forward to this summer, but Jessabelle is one creepfest that may actually succeed in conjuring up some serious edge-of-your-seat scares. Jessabelle centers on a young woman (Sarah Snook) who, following a terrible car accident which leaves her without use of her legs, returns to her childhood home in Louisiana. While exploring the decrepit mansion she left behind years earlier, Jessabelle finds a box of video tapes left behind by her dead mother (Joelle Carter) and realizes that an angry spirit in the mansion has dark plans for her. Jessabelle is from Blumhouse, the same company behind Paranormal Activity, Sinister and Insidious, which should be reason enough for horror fans to investigate, and Kevin Greutert of Saw 3D is sitting in the director's chair. The first trailer was truly disturbing, and I mean that in the best possible way. It's too early to say for sure, but given Snook's talents and the pedigree involved with this production, Jessabelle could emerge as the scariest film of the summer. - IF There you have it, We Got This Covered's picks for what movies to watch out for this summer season. Did we miss any you're looking forward to? And what will be the best movie of summer 2014? Let us know what you think in the comments!