Welcome back to another edition of ‘Monthly Must-Sees’. Before we get into what June has in store for cinephiles everywhere, let’s recap how this works:
In this monthly post, you are provided a summary of the top five offerings coming to theater each month. Granted, this is an opinion piece and a chance for this movie fan to connect with other movie fans. If you think other movies should be on the list, the comments are open below…
As we approach the end of May, it’s time to look ahead and see what next month will bring. June has quite the selection. The top five is filled with sequels and reboots (shocker) but offers a nice variety to make sure that there’s something for everyone. From the next chapter in a story about some toys to some legendary alien fighting secret agents, let’s dive in and see what June has to offer!
5. The Secret Life of Pets 2
The follow-up to 2016’s The Secret Life of Pets follows Max (Patton Oswalt who replaced Louis C.K.) as he adjusts to the changes happening in his house as his owner Katie is now married and with a baby. All the usual voices are back (e.g., Eric Stonestreet, Lake Bell, Hannibal Buress, Ellie Kemper). Of course, the hilarious Kevin Hart is returning to voice Snowball the bunny and now we add Harrison Ford as ‘Rooster.’
The first film was a massive success for Illumination Studios, making a whopping $875 million worldwide against a $75 million budget. The studio will be hoping for a similar performance from the sequel. And, with not a kid-friendly title around for weeks, the sequel should clean up nicely.
Release Date: June 7
4. Annabelle Comes Home
The Conjuring Universe is by far the most successful cinematic universe since the MCU. The Annabelle films are a perfect example of how effectively they have been able to spin films off within this universe. This is the third Annabelle film, and only gotten scarier with each one. Annabelle 2 is one of the scariest films I have ever seen!
Annabelle Comes Home changes up the formula a little bit. The first two films showed the origins of the doll, but this third film will take place within the house of Ed and Lorraine Warren as Annabelle begins to wreak havoc on the family after escaping the glass prison she was locked away in. Look for this to be another solid entry into the Conjuring Universe.
Release Date: June 28
3. MIB International
This will be a very interesting film to keep an eye on. The original trilogy starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones is beloved universally. The combination of the witty, wise-cracking Smith and the straight face, emotionless Jones made those films comedic classics. Having neither of those legends in this new chapter might hurt its box office chances.
However, having the presence of Chris Hemsworth, fresh off his scene-stealing performance as the God of Thunder in the massively successful Avengers: Endgame, should help balance things out. The film also stars Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson and Emma Thompson, so it’s not lacking in star power.
This isn’t a remake or reboot, but rather a new entry into the already existing world. That could totally intrigue audiences to go see it, namely since there is a real possibility to get a cross-over with Hemsworth and Smith!
Release Date: June 14
2. Dark Phoenix
This is it. The last one. The FOX X-Men will officially be over after this. We can all let out a collective sigh of relief since the mutants are finally going to be back home. After this Phoenix goes dark, we–the audience and fans–will finally get the adaptation we deserve.
Don’t get me wrong. There are some quality X-Men films, such as X-Men: Days of Future Past, Logan, and Deadpool 1 & 2. The issue wasn’t FOX not producing quality films; the issue was that the continuity made absolutely no sense.
With X-Men: Apocalypse, it felt like the franchise took a step backward towards The Last Stand days. Dark Phoenix needs to be good. This is the franchise’s last chance to leave the audience with a favorable opinion of the series once it’s gone. The Dark Phoenix storyline was previously adapted (poorly) in The Last Stand, so on the bright side, it shouldn’t be too hard to at least be better than that. Fingers crossed!
Release Date: June 7
1. Toy Story 4
Isn’t this film completely unnecessary? Wasn’t the end of the third Toy Story kind of the perfect conclusion to the story? Seems like a cash grab right? The answer to all three of those questions is yes.
That said, do I care? Absolutely not.
Toy Story is a staple in many of our childhoods. Simply put, this is one the best film series (not just animated) of all time. I, like a lot of you, will always be up for an adventure with Woody, Buzz, and the gang.
Yes, the third film was the perfect ending (or so we thought) to the story. In fact, I don’t think you could have ended it any better, but the box office numbers for Toy Story 3 probably influenced things a little bit. When your film makes more than $1 billion and interest appears to be at an all-time high, you’re more than likely going to attempt to capitalize on that.
The trailers and marketing promise another fun and emotional adventure for our favorite toys, so…could this be the final one we get to take with them? We’ll see how this one ends (or just continues).
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