Summer blockbuster season is among the most exciting times in Hollywood, as the major studios pump out their biggest and best movies en masse. Summer 2024 is no different — it looks set to be one of the best summer movie seasons we’ve had in years.
Film fans can expect a little of everything, from action flicks, scary horror, and superhero adventures to hilarious animated shenanigans, fresh ideas, and nostalgic throwbacks.
So, let’s get into summer mode and check out the ten blockbusters you should be most excited about this year.
10. Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
Beverly Hills Cop is a beloved action-comedy franchise that began in 1984 with the movie of the same name. By 1994, when Beverly Hills Cop III hit theaters, it had admittedly gone a little sour. On July 3, a long-awaited fourth film — Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F — hits Netflix.
The movie will see Eddie Murphy reprising his role as the eponymous Axel Foley, as the Detroit detective returns to Beverly Hills to protect his estranged defense attorney daughter (Taylour Paige) with the help of old friends John Taggart (John Ashton) and Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and franchise newcomers Bobby Abbott (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Cade Grant (Kevin Bacon).
Hopefully, it’ll provide a better blast of nostalgia than Murphy’s 2021 return in Coming 2 America.
9. Despicable Me 4
Thus far, the animated comedy franchise Despicable Me has comprised three main installments and two Minions spin-offs. The next installment, Despicable Me 4, hits theaters on July 3. Returning cast members include Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, and Steve Coogan. They’ll be joined by franchise newcomers Will Ferrell, Sofia Vergara, and Joey King.
The story will chronicle Ferrell’s French-accented supervillain, Maxime Le Mal, and his girlfriend, Vergara’s Valentina, seeking revenge on Gru (Carell) after escaping prison. It should be an absolute hoot.
8. Borderlands
Based on the video game series of the same name (albeit loosely, apparently), Borderlands is a sci-fi action-comedy flick with a tremendous cast. It’s coming on August 9, and the impressive ensemble includes Cate Blanchett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Edgar Ramírez, and Gina Gershon.
The movie will follow Blanchett’s Lilith, a renowned outlaw with a mysterious past, as she returns to her home planet, Pandora, with some hesitation, searching for the daughter of the most powerful man in the cosmos. It has an incredible aesthetic and looks like it’ll be as funny and action-packed as any live-action video game adaptation.
7. The Crow
The Crow superhero movie franchise peaked in 1994 with the brilliant original eponymous installment. Brandon Lee, whose tragic accidental death during filming haunts every scene, was fantastic in the lead role. The three subsequent installments — 1996’s The Crow: City of Angels, 2000’s The Crow: Salvation, and 2005’s The Crow: Wicked Prayer, paled in comparison. It’s exciting, therefore, that a solid-sounding reboot/remake is coming on August 23.
Bill Skarsgård will star as the eponymous Eric Draven, and the film will follow a familiar plot. After Eric and his soulmate Shelly are murdered, Eric is mysteriously resurrected by a crow and seeks revenge. The stellar main cast also includes FKA Twigs and Danny Huston. It looks deliciously brutal and hopefully will compare favorably to the original.
6. A Quiet Place: Day One
Both movies in the A Quiet Place series have been fantastic so far. 2018’s A Quiet Place received acclaim for its originality and intelligence, and its 2020 sequel, A Quiet Place Part II, garnered praise for maintaining its predecessor’s heart. Both installments have been commended for their scariness. Therefore, the imminent prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One, coming June 28, is highly anticipated.
It takes place in New York City as the alien invasion depicted in the first two films begins. The fantastic Lupita Nyong’O stars as Sam in the lead role, with Joseph Quinn and Alex Wolff in supporting roles. Djimon Hounsou also reprises his role as Henri from the second film. With a top cast and a great platform to build on, there’s no doubt it’s expected to be excellent, and some exciting reveals about the aliens’ origins should occur.
5. Trap
M. Night Shyamalan always delivers interesting movies, and his upcoming psychological thriller Trap is no different. It’s set for an August 2 release and stars Josh Hartnett as Cooper, a serial killer nicknamed “The Butcher,” Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, and Alison Pill.
The plot follows Cooper as he attends a pop concert with his daughter, Riley (Donoghue), where pop megastar Lady Raven (Saleka) performs. However, he soon realizes the whole event is a trap to identify and apprehend him for his heinous crimes. The concept is unique, intriguing, and bound to trigger a big reaction from fans and critics.
4. MaXXXine
Ti West’s slasher series X has delivered emphatically so far. In 2022, the eponymous opening installment offered a fresh take on the classic genre formula and was followed by an equally brilliant prequel, Pearl, later the same year. On July 5, MaXXXine, a direct sequel to X, hits theaters.
It will star Mia Goth as the titular character, reprising her role from the previous film. After surviving the massacre depicted in X, adult actress Maxine Minx heads to Los Angeles in the 1980s in an attempt to become a mainstream star. However, the serial killer known as the Night Stalker has her on his radar. In addition to Goth, MaXXXine’s all-star cast includes Elizabeth Debicki, Bobby Cannavale, Halsey, Lily Collins, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon. It’ll be superb if it maintains the standards of X and Pearl.
3. Alien: Romulus
We’re long overdue for a genuinely brilliant Alien movie, and hope is high that Alien: Romulus delivers on August 16. The seventh installment in the franchise is set between the events of the first and second films, 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens, and it stars Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, and Spike Fearn.
This sci-fi horror will follow a young team of space colonists who board a derelict space station to scavenge supplies but find themselves fighting for their lives as they encounter the deadly Xenomorphs. The trailer provides real hope that it’ll rival the original films, as the tone is on point, and the feeling of dread is almost palpable.
2. Twisters
1996’s Twister is one of the best high-concept disaster movies ever made. Anchored by brilliant performances from Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, its thrills and tension were visceral. 28 years later, on July 19, a long-awaited standalone sequel hits theaters. The simplistically but intriguingly named Twisters stars Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Anthony Ramos.
Little has been revealed about this one, but it will follow a new team of thrillseeking storm chasers amidst a “once in a lifetime tornado outbreak” as they attempt to learn more about the destructive weather phenomenon. Few movies have felt more like they could go either way on the critical spectrum than this, but it’s a fascinating prospect nonetheless.
1. Deadpool & Wolverine
Without a doubt, the movie generating the biggest buzz this summer is Deadpool & Wolverine. The Marvel Studios offering will bring the iconic pairing of Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. They’ll be joined by Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Matthew Macfadyen, and several familiar faces from previous Marvel multiverse movies.
The movie, coming on July 26, will follow the buddy genre formula and see the Time Variance Authority — previously only seen in the Loki series on Disney+ — recruit the eponymous duo for a mission that could save all of reality. It’s bound to be action-packed, bloody, downright hilarious, and teeming with fun cameos. Everyone should be excited about and expect big things from this one.