Summer is right around the corner, bringing the heat and blockbuster movie season with it. Just this month, fans have already gotten a sneak peek at what’s to come with the release of trailers for films like Bad Boys: Ride or Die and Deadpool & Wolverine. Those two titles are a small glimpse into what the next few months have to offer on the big screen. There are also plenty of sequels, prequels, and remakes to come, like Inside Out 2 and The Quiet Place: Day One. But summer is not just for action, as Trap and Alien: Romulus are also in store for horror and sci-fi fans.
While most people prefer to spend the warmer months outdoors, real movie lovers know that this is the best time for some of the hottest, most talked-about releases of the year. Fall is for award show contenders, but summer is for fun-loving action fans. It’s also not talked about enough how a chilly movie theater is the perfect reprieve to escape the high temperatures. Some flicks are arriving directly to streaming services like Netflix, which means not having to face the heat at all.
We have compiled a list of some of the most exciting new releases that will hit theaters this season. While summer doesn’t officially kick off until June 21, there are a few major releases in early June that are worthy enough to be on this list. Check out the films below to see which ones are must-watch this summer.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
When: June 7
Where: In theaters
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back with another installment of their nearly 30-year journey with 2024’s Bad Boys: Ride or Die. The actors will reprise their popular roles as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett and pick up where 2020’s Bad Boys for Life left off. The story will follow as their late police captain gets accused of being connected to drug cartels and working with them during his tenure, so the dynamic duo of Miami cops set out on a dangerous mission to clear his name. The buddy cop action comedy is directed by Adil and Bilall, written by Chris Bremner, and also stars Vanessa Hudgens and Alexander Ludwig. Sony released the trailer last month, and it promises the same intensity, chemistry, and laugh-out-loud humor that has made the franchise so beloved by fans for all these years.
Ballerina
When: June 7
Where: In theaters
Ballerina is the first spinoff of the John Wick franchise. The film, starring Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, and Keanu Reeves, is set to take place somewhere between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4. Reeves’ character died in Chapter 4 but is set to return for this one. Ballerina follows a ballerina-turned-assassin named Rooney (Ana de Armas), who is seeking revenge for her family’s murder. The spin-off will belong to one of the most successful action franchises in recent memory and will be packed with just as much thrill and excitement as the first four. Lee Chung-hyeon, who directed the Netflix thriller The Call, will also direct Ballerina.
Hit Man
When: June 7
Where: Netflix
Professional killer Gary Johnson breaks protocol to help a desperate woman who is trying to flee an abusive husband and finds himself falling for her. Inspired by a true story, Gary (Glen Powell), a straight-laced professor, discovers that he has a hidden talent to pose as a fake hit man. Gary begins taking on false identities to catch criminals for the local police. The situation quickly changes when sparks between the fake hitman and his prospective client Madison (Adria Arjona) fly immediately, but the secrets between them become a challenge for their romance. Not only does Powell star in the film, but he also co-wrote the new noir comedy directed by Richard Linklater.
Inside Out 2
When: June 14
Where: In theaters
Inside Out premiered in 2015 and followed a young Riley as she dealt with the emotions when she moved with her parents from the Midwest to San Francisco. Following the move, Riley goes through all the characterized emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, as she adjusts to her new life. The sequel will follow the original five emotions as they deal with all that comes with being a teenager, including Anxiety and Embarrassment, which take over Riley’s mind now that she’s 13 years old and heading to hockey camp. Maya Hawke will star as Anxiety, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui a.k.a. boredom, and Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment.
A Quiet Place: Day One
When: June 28
Where: In theaters
On top of being summer 2024’s first big offering, A Quiet Place: Day One might also be one of the year’s most anticipated films. Following the release of the original 2018 film and 2020 sequel starring John Krasinski (who also directed) and Emily Blunt, the new movie is a prequel to the first two and will follow a whole set of new characters. The prequel follows the events of the first day the extraterrestrial creatures from the first two films came to Earth and unleashed absolute chaos in New York City, attacking anyone and anything that made any kind of noise. The film stars include Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff, and Djimon Hounsou.
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
When: July 3
Where: Netflix
Eddie Murphy is returning to Netflix just in time for the Fourth of July and the 40th anniversary of his beloved comedy Beverly Hills Cop. Murphy will be filling the role of Detective Axel Foley for the fourth time, and this film will see him back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy. The film was produced by Murphy, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Chad Oman, and directed by Mark Molloy. Beverly Hills Cop came out in 1984, II came out in 1987 and III dropped in 1994, 10 years after the original.
Twisters
When: July 19
Where: In theaters
Glen Powell is having one hell of a year. A month after starring in Netflix’s Hit Man, he will head back to theaters as the lead in the new Twisters movie, which is the standalone sequel to the 1996 hit, Twister. The sequel is also about tornadoes but its not like the original. Powell told Vogue in December 2023 that the film is not quite a remake and it would be a whole new story, and said the characters from the original would not be returning.
Powell stars as a social media personality and self-proclaimed “Tornado Wrangler” named Tyler Owens, who chases storms for thrills. Meanwhile, Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who is a fearful storm tracker who prefers studying meteorology from the safety of behind her computer screen in New York City, gets convinced by her friend Javi (Anthony Ramos) to test out new technology on tornadoes in Oklahoma. The screenplay was written by The Revenant’s Mark. L Smith and the film was directed by Minari’s Lee Isaac Chung.
Deadpool & Wolverine
When: July 26
Where: In theaters
Deadpool & Wolverine is ready to heat things up this summer. Marvel had a bit of a rocky 2023 and a slow start to 2024, aside from the hit X-Men ’97. That means there is a lot of pressure resting on Deadpool 3’s shoulders. Ryan Reynolds will make his MCU debut in the third installment of his superhero franchise as Wade Wilson aka Deadpool, and the film will also mark the first time a Marvel film has been rated R. Wolverine is recovering from his injuries when he crosses paths with the loudmouth, Deadpool. There is no word yet on how Wolverine will be introduced into the picture, but rumor is that the multiverse is involved. Deadpool and Wolverine will team up to defeat a common enemy, reportedly Cassandra Nova, played by Emma Corrin, who has been confirmed to be the lead villain.
Trap
When: August 2
Where: In theaters
M. Night Shyamalan is back at it again with another thriller. Trap is about a man and his teenage daughter attending a pop star’s concert when they realize that they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event. The father, played by Josh Hartnett, is told by a man working a merch stand that the police have set up a trap for a known serial killer who was believed to be attending the concert. The trailer reveals in the most chilling way that the trap was put in place to catch the girls’ dad. This one is a must-see.
Alien: Romulus
When: Aug. 16
Where: In theaters
Alien: Romulus is the eighth film in the Alien franchise. The movie is directed by Fede Álvarez and stars Cailee Spaeny, Isabela Merced, Archie Renaux, and David Jonsson. Romulus will focus on a group of 20-something space colonizers and scavengers in a distant world. While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, they find themselves confronting the most terrifying life form in the universe, a Xenomorph. Romulus takes place in between the events of 1979’s Alien and 1986’s Aliens and it reportedly ties in to those films. Romulus was originally slated to be a Hulu, release but the studio shifted to theatrical release at the start of production.