Find re-releases, reboots and new adventures on the big screen for the whole family this summer.
It could be a long, hot summer. Maybe an expensive one as well. But the family can still sit in the air-conditioned comfort of a movie theater — now with reclining seats! — and watch a movie on the big screen together.
The summer movie season should be an interesting one with its fair share of sequels, remakes or reboots, and re-releases, but plenty of promise in store. Plan your indoor vacations with some of these below.
May
Animal Farm (May 1)
George Orwell’s classic allegory is a tale many of us read in school. While the original tale is certainly more accessible to older kids, this animated film is designed for even broader audiences, with touches of comedy, adventure and mile-a-minute energy. Directed by actor and motion-capture icon Andy Serkis, with a 21st century update, the film features the celebrity voices of Seth Rogen, Glenn Close, Woody Harrelson and Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo.
The Sheep Detectives (May 8)
The mystery comedy film is based on the novel Three Bags Full about a flock of sheep setting off to solve the mystery of who murdered their friendly shepherd. The book is darker and a bit more adult than the film — which combines live actors and computer-generated characters — is likely to be, but still designed for families to enjoy and cheer for. Starring Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Bryan Cranston.
The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22)
The first Star Wars film in seven years is essentially the fourth season of The Mandalorian. The TV series by actor/filmmaker Jon Favreau (who got the Marvel Cinematic Universe off the ground with Iron Man and Iron Man 2) gets a big screen blow-up starring Orange County’s Pedro Pascal returning as the titular bounty hunter. As imperial warlords continue to threaten the galaxy, Mando and his young ward, Grogu — aka “Baby Yoda”— now work for the New Republic in this new adventure. Sigourney Weaver also joins the Star Wars universe as a colonel for the New Republic. Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) is also featured as Rotta the Hutt.
June
Toy Story 5 (June 19)
The toys are back for another run, with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returning as Woody and Buzz Lightyear. The story picks up shortly after where Toy Story 4 left off. Woody has left little Bonnie to help abandoned toys find new owners. In the meantime, Jessie has become the leader of Bonnie’s room, and Buzz is her second-in-command. But the now 8-year-old Bonnie has become enchanted with her new frog-like tablet named Lilypad. The film examines the dilemma of kids not really playing with toys anymore and what all that screen time means for kids.
July
Minions & Monsters (July 1)
A prequel to Despicable Me and a sequel to Minions: The Rise of Gru, the new film takes place in the 1920s, as the Minions try to find just the right monsters to star in their monster movie. The film features the voices of Trey Parker, Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch and Oscar winners Allison Janney, Christoph Waltz and Jeff Bridges.
Moana (July 10)
The live-action remake of Disney’s 2016 animated musical film — of course this Moana features the same story of the young Hawaiian receiving a summons from the ocean, leaving her island home of Motunui and traveling beyond the barrier reef with the help of demigod Maui in hopes of restoring the well-being of her village. Dwayne Johnson reprises the role of Maui he previously played in animated form.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31)
Marvel’s latest superhero blockbuster is the sequel to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Four years after Dr. Strange made the world forget that Peter Parker exists, Parker is protecting New York City as the mysterious Spider-Man. The crusade is creating a physical evolution in him while he fights off the latest big threat. The film stars Tom Holland and Zendaya.
August
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (Aug. 2)
The re-release of the 1971 musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s 1964 novel gives people a great opportunity to see the now-popular film on the big screen for the first time. The movie tells the story of a poor kid named Charlie Bucket who finds a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar and wins the chance to visit Willy Wonka’s magical chocolate factory along with four other kids. Dahl wrote the screenplay, but changes were later made leading to him disowning the film. Nevertheless, the film was a minor success on its release and features a classic performance by Gene Wilder. It has since become a classic and was added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2014.
Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie (Aug. 14)
Based on the TV series Paw Patrol, the new movie is a sequel to Paw Patrol: The Movie and Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie. This tale is based on a sub-theme of the show, and should be familiar to most kids and features the voices of Carter Young as Marshall, and Mckenna Grace, Jennifer Hudson, Snoop Dogg, Bill Nye, Paris Hilton, Terry Crews and Jameela Jamil.
The End of Oak Street (Aug. 14)
Not much is yet known about the film, but the sci-fi adventure takes place in the 1980s and follows a family, led by Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, who notice weird happenings in their neighborhood.
Air Bud Returns (Aug. 21)
The 15th film in the franchise, but the first to be released in theaters since 1998 seems to be something of a re-boot, where young Jacob, coping with his father’s death, finds an old VHS copy of Air Bud, and bonds with a stray golden retriever named Buddy and other local kids on a basketball team that competes for a championship. According to Variety, golden retrievers Charlie and Summer were selected from more than 5,000 dogs to double as Buddy in certain sequences.
Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone (Aug. 27)
The re-release of the 2001 mega-hit and first in the film franchise should give a generation of kids a chance to see this movie on the big screen for the first time.
Coyote vs. Acme (Aug. 28)
The animated/live-action film is actually based on a 1990 New Yorker magazine article in which Wile E. Coyote sues the Acme Corporation for repeatedly selling him faulty products. The film features John Cena and Will Forte, with cameos by Tweety, Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and Foghorn Leghorn.
September
Forgotten Island (Sept. 25)
Not much is known about the movie yet, other than it’s a comedy where characters find themselves on a magical island rooted in Philippine mythology.
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (Sept. 18)
The third in the Shaun the Sheep franchise finds disaster striking Mossy Bottom Farm as Halloween approaches. Shaun and the rest of the flock must find the Farmer and the mysterious beast roaming the woods in this spooky, but family-friendly adventure.
By Shawn Price
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