2022 SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW

It has been two years since I have done a summer movie preview, largely due to anxious studios reluctant in committing to release movies in an uncertain climate. With the world settling closer to normalcy, there now seems like there will be an actual summer movie season that will finally take place. And while the number of releases still doesn't appear to be nearly as robust as summer seasons past, I have managed to find a number of movies that I'm looking forward to see over the next few months.

All release dates are subject to change:

"FIRE ISLAND"

Release date: June 3, 2022

With a gay twist on "Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen, comedian Joel Kim Booster stars and wrote the screenplay for "Fire Island", a romantic-comedy set in the hedonistic gay vacation destination off Long Island. Two best friends (Kim and his real-life buddy, Bowen Yang of "Saturday Night Live") head to Fire Island for a week looking for love and adventure with their small group of friends. Andrew Ahn directs with Conrad Ricamora and Margaret Cho co-starring.



"LIGHTYEAR"

Release date: June 17, 2022

"Lightyear" is a spin-off of the "Buzz Lightyear" action figure in the "Toy Story" animated franchise. This movie creates the origin-story of the movie in which the toy is based upon. With this adventure, Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans) attempts to rescue his crew after being stranded on a hostile planet yet winds up time travelling years into the future and must find a way to return home. Keke Palmer, Uzo Aduba, Taika Waititi and James Brolin also lend their voices to the film.



"MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON"

Release date: June 24, 2022

"Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" was originally a series of whimsical short films created by Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate about a cute seashell with a single googly eye who wears a pair of little shoes. They have come together to create a live-action/animated feature film with Fleischer-Camp directing and Slate (who voices Marcel) and Nick Paley co-writing the screenplay with him. In this story, Marcel decides to search for his family with the help of a documentary filmmaker who follows the shell on the journey.



"THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER"

Release date: July 8, 2022

After having made 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok" stand out by delivering a solid super-hero adventure with plenty of unexpected humor, actor/director, Taika Waititi has returned to direct the follow-up, "Thor: Love and Thunder". In this film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), struggling with a mid-life crisis, is forced to return as a hero with Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), his former girlfriend-turned-the Mighty Thor, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop Gorr, the God Butcher (Christian Bale) with his plan to destroy all gods.



"MRS HARRIS GOES TO PARIS"

Release date: July 15, 2022

Lesley Manville, who received a well-deserved Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her brilliant turn in "Phantom Thread", has a leading role in the comedy-drama, "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris". Set in 1950's London, she plays a widowed cleaning lady who becomes obsessed with owning a Dior dress and after receiving some unexpected funds, embarks on an adventure to Paris to have one custom-made for her. Anthony Fabian directs and co-wrote the screenplay with Carroll Cartwright which is adapted from the novel by Paul Gallico.



"BULLET TRAIN"

Release date: August 5, 2022

Based on the Japanese novel "Maria Beetle" by Kōtarō Isaka, the action-comedy, "Bullet Train" follows a trained assassin named "Ladybug" (Brad Pitt) who wants out of the profession yet is pulled in to complete another job involving the collection of a briefcase on a train from Tokyo to Kyoto. However there are a large number of shady and deadly characters on board also trying to get their hands on this bag. The impressive cast includes Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon and musician, Bad Bunny. Stuntman-turned-filmmaker, David Leitch directs.