Summer officially starts on the 21st of June but, in film world, summer traditionally kicks off on Memorial Day weekend which is the last Monday of May (even though summer releases have been trickling out earlier and earlier in recent years). Below, we list for you the big releases of the summer in the US and try to map out the likelihood of each film getting a simultaneous release here in Dubai.
May 2010
Iron Man 2
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Done Cheadle, and Mickey Rourke
Director: Jon Favreau
Distributor: Paramount
US Release date: 7th of May
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai?: Releases on the 29th of April, a full week before it hits US screens!
The first Iron Man was a gigantic hit back in 2008, grossing $585 million worldwide, which would explain why Marvel rushed to release this sequel. If the early marketing is any indication, they should have another equally gigantic hit on their hands (there’s little doubt about this). The film has a bit of everything that could be considered right: big name stars, a passionate director, continuation of the exciting setup from the first film – but the real standouts from the trailer seem to be Mickey Rourke and those great action scenes featuring War Machine. Expectations are high.
Robin Hood
Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Mark Strong, and William Hurt
Director: Ridley Scott
Distributor: Universal
US Release Date: 14th of May
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? Official release date is 13th May 2010, a full day before official US opening.
This is director Ridley Scott’s take on the classic story of the Prince of the Thieves. The film will open Cannes Festival on the 12th of May and heading the stellar cast is Scott’s favorite collaborator, Russell Crowe. The buzz around the film is almost non existing, and both the director and the star have not made the best choices with their last few projects. We anticipate that the film will be good and might because we need Scott and Crowe to get their groove back together once again. The films trailer focuses perhaps a bit too much the action probably to draw in the younger audience. Only time will tell whether this works or not.
Shrek Forever After
Starring (the voices of): Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and Antonio Banderas.
Director: Mike Mitchell
Distributor: DreamWorks/Paramount
US Release Date: 21st of May
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? Official release date for UAE is 27th May, a full week after US release.
If there one mega movie franchise that embodies the concept of diminishing returns, its the Shrek series. The first Shrek opened to rave reviews and huge commercial success, winning the Oscar for best animated feature by beating Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. Shrek 2 came, though a bigger hit never reached the heights of the first film and its reception was lukewarm at best. Shrek the 3rd, released worldwide in 2007, made loads of money but but was perhaps the least watchable of the trilogy thus far. Therefore, apart form making money, there seems little reason to make this fourth film, proof of this being terrible trailer, but that shouldn’t prevent this film from being one of the biggest hits of the summer. Oh, and one more thing, its going to be in 3D (like we haven’t had enough of it already…).
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Kingsley, Alfred Molina, and Gemma Arterton
Director: Mike Newell
Distributor: Disney
US Release Date: 28th of May
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? Releases here on the 20th of May, a full week before the US
Despite having a big name director, with several successful films in his resume, and the star studded cast, this film has so much going against it, the biggest problem being that its based on a video game. The jump from games to cinema rarely translates into cinematic success, and more often than not we end up with terrible films ala Uwe Boll’s Alone in The Dark, House of The Dead, and BloodRayne (to name just a few!). Prince of Persia was screened to some critics in advance and the overall buzz has been less than enthusiastic. Although unlikely to be Uwe Boll bad, it will likely be a failed attempt (though we’d like to be proven wrong).
Other May wide releases: Just Wright, Letters to Juliet, MacGruber, Sex and The City2 (Editor’s note: Sex and the City was not released in Dubai because of content and that lovely title, so chances of its sequel are also moot.)
June 2010
Get Him To The Greek
Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, and Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Distributor: Universal
US Release Date: 4th of June
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? Official release date puts it at 24th June, almost a month after it opens in the US.
This R-Rated comedy is a spin-off from the 2008 hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Jonah Hill teams up with Russell Brand who reprises his role as rock star Aldous Snow in a wacky, raunchy odd couple adventure. These buddy, road trip films have become popular in recent years, and the great success of last year’s The Hangover is testimony to this fact. The trailers might seem mediocre and not particularly great, but the stars are appealing, so will before passing final judgment.
The A-Team
Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Sharlto Copley, and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson
Director: Joe Carnahan.
Distributor: Fox
US Release Date: 11th of June
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? Simultaneous (actually a day earlier) release on the 10th of June.
Based on the popular 80′s TV series, featuring 4 highly skilled US army vet, who after being framed and hunted as outlaws, form a team of crime fighters. Team lead Hannibal is played by none other than Liam Neeson, who seems to be a total badass which ever way you look at it. The biggest concern are the rest of the team who are not exactly on the same level and the preposterous, downright silly action junkie scenes from the trailers have us a little puzzled, but that could mean great popcorn entertainment for the masses.
Toy Story 3
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, and Michael Keaton
Director: Lee Unkrich
Distributor: Disney
US Release Dates: 18th of June
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? A week later, with a 24th June release date, but that’s not so bad.
This is third installment of the beloved Pixar series, it comes 11 years after the second film, and it is old School Pixar. The characters are part of pop culture and you can trust Pixar to make something magical every time. The plot revolves around Woody, Buzz, and the rest of their toy friends who are dumped in a day-care center after their owner, Andy, departs for college, and their subsequent attempt to escape. The trailer humorously exciting and the film will be released in 3D as well.
Knight and Day
Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, and Paul Dano
Director:James Mangold
Distributor: Fox
Release Date: 25th of June
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? July 1st release date, a week after US.
Tom Cruise’s big persona has taken a big hit in the public eye in recent year, which is a shame given how good an actor he is (not to mention uber-celebrity who people love to throng). That might explain why there is virtually no anticipation about his action comedy Knight and Day, despite fairly decent trailers and being the work of director James Mangold, the man behind hits such as Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma. This film will probably determine whether Cruise regains a spot at the top or not, and Cameron Diaz could really use a non-Shrek hit too.
Other June wide releases: Killers, Maramduke, Splice, The Karate Kid, Jonah Hex, and Grown Ups.
July 2010
The Last Airbender
Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Cliff Curtis, and Nicola Peltz
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Distributor: Paramount
Release Date: 30 of June (Wednesday)
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? No official release date, but should be within a week or two of US release.
This is based on a popular Anime series about a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must put his childhood ways aside and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations. The early look of the film has intrigued audiences , and this may just turn out to be the film that makes Shyamalan relevant again, though it was troubling to learn that Paramount is following in the footsteps of WB’s Clash of The Titans debacle and converting the film into 3D even though short timescale conversions have proven to not be a success.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, and Dakota Fanning
Director: David Slade
Distributor: Summit
US Release Date: 30 of June (Wednesday)
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? Definitely! (but don’t hold us to it…)
This time around British director David Slade, who made the creepy Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night is in charge. He has done some interesting work before but the problem with this franchise was never one of the directors, but rather the silly source material. Despite how poorly the previous installments have been received by critics and cynics alike, the first two adaptations of the Twilight books have turned out to be huge amongst the teen girls and their mothers demographic, and just like its predecessor, the third film will likely (and rather unfortunately) be a mega hit.
Predators
Starring: Adrian Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, and Alice Braga
Director: Nimrod Antal
Distributor: Fox
US Release Date: 9th July
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? No official release date, but can’t be too far behind the US.
The film is a remake of the 1987 horror/sci fi actioner about a team of commandos who have to battle a ruthless aliens species known only as predators. This remake lacks the gravitas that came with the presence of someone as larger than life as Arnie. Still, director Nimrod Antal’s pervious outings (Kontroll, Vacancy, and Armored) proved that he has a keen eye for visuals, so this may turn out to be decent after all.
Inception
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, and Michael Cane
Director: Christopher Nolan
Distributor: Warner Bros.
US Release Date: 16th of July
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? Official release date is 15th of July, one day before the US!
Not only it is the most anticipated film of the summer, but perhaps of the entire year. This star studded vehicle from the director of Memento and The Dark Knight looks stunning and hopefully will live up to the to the anticipation. If there any impediment to the likely success of this films, its that apart from what we’ve saw in that fantastically weird trailer, we know very little (almost nothing actually), about the film. This could be considered good teasing, but we just hope it doesn’t backfire against the film and its makers.
Salt
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Liev Schreiber, and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Director: Phillip Noyce
Distributor: Sony/Columbia
US Release Date: 21st of July
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? No official release date yet, but same week or next seem likely.
Jolie is back kicking ass and taking names in this female Bourne style action pic, and you can always count on Angelina Jolie to be a believable badass. Jolie plays an agent who is suspected of being an undercover Russian spy plotting to kill the President. The trailers makes it seem like a crossover between Bourne and Enemy of The State even if the director isn’t the films biggest draw (though his resume boasts some excellent films) the rest of the setup should be enough to grab viewers attentions.
The Adjustment Bureau
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Daniel Day Kim, and Terence Stamp
Director: George Nolfi
Distributor: Universal
US Release Date: July 30th
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? If the buzz is good, it will probably show up close to its US release date.
The lead here is Matt Damon who is a big star. It is a Sci-Fi romance adapted from a short story by Phillip K. Dick who wrote Minority Report, Blade Runner, and Total Recall. Leading this project is first time director George Nolfi, who worked before with Damon as the writer of The Bourne Ultimatum. The film has no trailer out yet, not even a poster, but we assume we’ll get those soon. We believe in you Matt Damon!
Other July wide releases: Despicable Me, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Dinner for Schmucks, Ramona and Beezus, Beastly, Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore.
August 2010
The Other Guys
Starring: Mark Walhberg, Will Farrell, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dwayne Johnson
Director: Adam McKay
Distributor: Sony/Columbia
US Release Date: 6th of August
Is it getting a simultaneous release in Dubai? Not likely.
Team Will Farrell and Adam McKay strike again with this action comedy. The two have had their share of successes, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, but also some painful failures too; Step Brothers. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of their work then you will probably like this film. The difference this time round, compared with their previous films were mainly comedy, is this one looks more of a buddy comedy action film, not too different from Pineapple Express. Given Will Farrell recent films, may be turn out to be a good thing!
The Expendables
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Steve Austin, and Mickey Rourke
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Distributor: Lions Gate
US Release Date: 13th of August
Is it getting a simultaneous release in the Dubai? Unlikely since Ramadan starts on the 11th of August, but might turn out to be an Eid release.
Stallone is in enjoying a resurgence of sorts in recent years, after the humiliation of watching his films become direct to video releases. He’s found out that catering to the nostalgia of the children of the 80’s works, hence The Expendables, a film that reeks of that decade, from its stars, to its stylistic action, to the music, and even the narration of the trailer. If that is not enough, you get cameos from Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and even two other 80′s B-movies action stars (Dollph Lundgren, and Eric Roberts) are thrown in the mix. Too bad they didn’t get Van Damme to sign in because that would have been awesome. Anyhow, The excitement is overwhelming, and we can hardly wait.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, and Jason Schwartzman
Director: Edgar Wright
Distributor: Universal
US Release Date: 13th of August
Is it getting a simultaneous release in the Dubai? Unlikely but it might be an Eid release.
Based on a popular series of graphic novels, this is the film that every geek and fanboy is waiting for. The buzz online is high especially with the unorthodox trailer. Edgar Wright is a great director and both his previous films (Shaun of The Dead and Hot Fuzz) were a mixture of homage while still being legitimate entries into their respective genres. Here’s hoping Scott Pilgrim is just as successful.
Other August wide releases: Step Up-3D, Eat Pray Love, Lottery Ticket, Nanny McPhee Returns, Takers, Going The Distance, The Last Exorcism, Piranha 3-D
Ready for summer then? See you at the movies!
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