Part of the reason the summer movie season is perennially popular is because it truly offers something for everyone — and this year is no exception. From macho to Nacho, from snakes to worms and from Adam Sandler to the Antichrist (some would argue they’re one and the same), this year’s slate should help keep the box office out of those ditches in which it’s increasingly finding itself.
After all, it’s hard to bet against the Boys of Summer, guys like Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp and even the overexposed Tom Cruise. Superheroes are always a safe commodity, and this summer we get Superman flying solo and the X-Men fighting together. And don’t forget the comedies, always a sound investment when such summer crashers as Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn are involved. Locally, of course, the most excitement centers around the debuts of two NASCAR-related flicks, both of which have regional ties: One was shot here, the other will premiere here.
But enough idling; now it’s time to wave that checkered flag. Below are 50 films scheduled for release between the beginning of May and the end of August, as well as a checklist of a half-dozen limited releases that might reach us during these hot-weather months. As always, dates are subject to change, though in most cases, I wouldn’t count on it.
MAY 5
HOOT
Plot: A young boy (Logan Lerman) leads the good fight to save endangered owls.
Talking Points: This is based on the novel by Carl Hiaasen … Not only did Jimmy Buffett compose the film’s music score, but he also produced the picture and appears in a supporting role as a science teacher.
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III
Plot: This time, it’s personal, as agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) goes after the criminal mastermind (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who threatened to kill Hunt’s girlfriend (Michelle Monaghan).
Talking Points: Despite Cruise’s tiresome off-screen antics and the disappointing 2000 sequel, this merits a look-see since it’s directed and co-written by the talented J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost) … Ving Rhames returns as Hunt’s comrade-in-arms Luther Stickell, while cast newbies include Keri Russell and Laurence Fishburne.
THE PROMISE
Plot: A princess (Cecilia Cheung) harboring a secret curse becomes entangled with a general (Hiroyuki Sanada) and a slave (Dong-Kun Jang).
Talking Points: The latest from Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine) opens in limited release May 5, with Charlotte atypically expected to be included in that opening salvo … This is the most expensive film in Chinese history, though it’s already proven to be a potent earner internationally.
MAY 12
GOAL! THE DREAM BEGINS
Plot: A Mexican-American kid (Kuno Becker) is given a shot at playing for a British soccer team.
Talking Points: Director Danny Cannon is best known as a driving force on the various CSI TV series … Due to the international popularity of soccer, this has been playing around the rest of the globe since last September.
JUST MY LUCK
Plot: A college graduate (Lindsey Lohan) who experiences nothing but good luck shares a quick kiss with a mysterious man (Chris Paine) who has nothing but bad luck, and suddenly their lives’ fortunes are reversed.
Talking Points: Two summers ago, the Olsen Twins opened New York Minute opposite Van Helsing, so why shouldn’t another teen actress — one with more theatrical clout — try her hand at similar counter-programming? (Note: New York Minute died a horrible death at the box office.) … Umm, didn’t Lohan already go a similar route with the Freaky Friday remake?
POSEIDON
Plot: After a wave capsizes a luxury cruise ship, the survivors struggle to make their way to the surface in order to escape.
Talking Points: Those familiar with the 1972 version (also based on Paul Gallico’s novel) may be surprised to find a different roster of passengers, including ones portrayed by Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss and The Phantom of the Opera’s Emmy Rossum … Wolfgang Peterson is no stranger to water, having previously directed The Perfect Storm and Das Boot.
MAY 19
THE DA VINCI CODE
Plot: A murder at the Louvre in Paris plunges a Harvard professor (Tom Hanks) into a labyrinthine mystery that brings up secrets from the distant past.
Talking Points: The colossal success of Dan Brown’s book insures that this will be the one summer film that adult audiences will want to see, if only to gauge if director Ron Howard and scripter Akiva Goldsman got it right or screwed it up … The high-powered cast also includes Ian McKellen and Amelie’s Audrey Tautou.
OVER THE HEDGE
Plot: Led by a mischievous raccoon (voice of Bruce Willis), various furry critters discover the joys — and dangers — of life in the suburbs.
Talking Points: Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner and the Best In Show/A Mighty Wind team of Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara are among those lending their vocal chords to the cause … The trailer is terrible, but regardless of quality, it’s difficult for an animated feature not to rake in the dough these days (anybody catch those Hoodwinked grosses?).
SEE NO EVIL
Plot: A psychotic killer bumps off teenagers at a dilapidated hotel.
Talking Points: This gore flick arrives courtesy of Lions Gate, the same studio that brought us Hostel, Saw and The Devil’s Rejects — and, oh yeah, the Oscar-winning Crash.
MAY 26
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND
Plot: A cure for mutancy has been discovered, but mutant leaders Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) disagree on how to accept this information, potentially leading to an all-out war. Meanwhile, the late Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) rises Phoenix-like from the ashes.
Talking Points: While it once looked like this cinematic franchise had no end date (especially considering the rich history of its comic source), this chapter is being billed as the final part of the trilogy — though talks have already begun concerning a spin-off for Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) … Nightcrawler (Alan Cumming) won’t be back, but new to the fray are Beast (Kelsey Grammer) and Angel (Ben Foster) … Ellen Page, who appears as teen hero Kitty Pryde, is currently dazzling audiences in Hard Candy.
JUNE 2
THE BREAK-UP
Plot: A quarrelling couple (Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston) decides to call it quits; unfortunately, neither wants to vacate the condo, leading to a series of obnoxious pranks orchestrated to drive the other person out.
Talking Points: After a rough 2005 — we’re talking purely on-screen, of course (Rumor Has It, Derailed) — Aniston hopes to bounce back with the critical success of Friends With Money (that’s working out nicely) and the commercial success of this comedy (to be determined) … Vaughn, on the other hand, had a spectacular 2005 thanks to Wedding Crashers (a supporting role in Mr. and Mrs. Smith didn’t hurt, either), and this picture should see his stock rise even higher.
JUNE 6
THE OMEN
Plot: In this remake of the 1976 horror classic, there’s hell to pay when young Damien (Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick) is revealed to be the Antichrist.
Talking Points: Fox is releasing this on 6/6/06, proving someone in the marketing department has a wicked sense of humor … Doubtless under the assumption that today’s young audiences wouldn’t respond to a thriller with veteran leads — the 1976 original starred 60-year-old Gregory Peck and 40-year-old Lee Remick — this casts 38-year-old Liev Schreiber and 25-year-old Julia Stiles as the diplomat couple who adopt Damien.
JUNE 9
CARS
Plot: A cocky race car (voiced by Owen Wilson) discovers the pleasures of small-town life as he becomes acquainted with rural folks — er, automobiles.
Talking Points: The latest Pixar-Disney feature will hold its world premiere at Lowe’s Motor Speedway … The vocal cast also includes Bonnie Hunt, Richard Petty and real-life race fan Paul Newman.
A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION
Plot: The talents behind a radio show cope with the fact that their series has been cancelled.
Talking Points: This is a fictionalized account of the shutdown of Garrison Keillor’s long-running radio program, with Keillor himself providing the script (and essaying the central role) and Robert Altman assuming the director’s chair … The star-studded cast includes Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline and Lindsay Lohan.
JUNE 16
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS:
TOKYO DRIFT
Plot: An American street racer (Lucas Black) moves to Tokyo and learns all about the underground sport of Japanese drift racing.
Talking Points: Vin Diesel left after one F&F film, and Paul Walker jumped ship after two, meaning this is basically an in-name-only sequel (the director and writer are also new to the party) … Moviegoers will recognize the talented Black from such features as Sling Blade, Cold Mountain and Jarhead.
GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES
Plot: In this sequel to the modest 2004 hit, the fat cat travels to London and gets mistaken for a feline belonging to royalty.
Talking Points: The first Garfield flick was ghastly beyond measure, and one presumes this will be more of the same … Bill Murray again provides the cat’s voice.
THE LAKE HOUSE
Plot: A doctor (Sandra Bullock) and an architect (Keanu Reeves) fall in love while exchanging letters, but they eventually realize that they’re actually living two years apart.
Talking Points: It may sound like a time-abbreviated remake of Somewhere In Time, but this is actually a remake of the 2000 Korean release Il Mare … It’s been 12 years since Reeves and Bullock displayed strong chemistry together in Speed.
NACHO LIBRE
Plot: A cook (Jack Black) at an impoverished Mexican orphanage decides to raise money by working the wrestling circuit.
Talking Points: Concocted by the director of Napoleon Dynamite (Jared Hess) and the writer of School of Rock (Mike White), this quirky comedy has the potential to be one of this summer’s unexpected hits — if The Break-Up hasn’t already stolen its comic thunder … Leading Mexican actress Ana de la Reguera makes her English-language debut as a nun.
JUNE 23
CLICK
Plot: Tired of the pressures of everyday life, a family man (Adam Sandler) discovers a remote control that fast forwards through the less appealing points of his existence.
Talking Points: Director Frank Coraci previously worked with Sandler on The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy … Christopher Walken appears in one of his patented eccentric roles, as the inventor who gives Sandler’s character the remote.
WAIST DEEP
Plot: An ex-con known as 02 (Tyrese Gibson) hopes that his unscrupulous cousin (Larenz Tate) and his hustler friend (Meagan Good) will help him rescue his son from the clutches of gang leader Meat (played by rapper The Game).
Talking Points: Writer-director Vondie Curtis-Hall previously shot 1997’s Gridlock’d, one of two Tupac Shakur films released after the rapper’s murder.
JUNE 30
THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
Plot: Fresh out of college, a young woman (Anne Hathaway) learns the ropes from her new boss, the tempestuous editor of a fashion magazine (Meryl Streep).
Talking Points: This is based on Lauren Weisberger’s best-selling novel … Director David Frankel is best known for his extensive TV work (Entourage, Sex and the City, Band of Brothers).
SUPERMAN RETURNS
Plot: After mysteriously disappearing for several years, the Man of Steel (Brandon Routh) returns to Earth, where he tries to rekindle the flames of romance with Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth); unfortunately, he also has to prevent Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) from destroying him.
Talking Points: For my money, 1978’s Superman remains the greatest superhero film ever made; fellow fan (and Returns director) Bryan Singer also adores that movie, which bodes well for this latest chapter … In a game of musical directors, Singer left the X-Men franchise (after helming the first two flicks) to direct this picture; Brett Ratner, at one point attached to Superman Returns, jumped over to make X-Men: The Last Stand … The supporting cast includes Frank Langella, Parker Posey and James Marsden (X-Men’s Cyclops).
JULY 5
LITTLE MAN
Plot: A criminal dwarf (Marlon Wayans) gets adopted by a couple (Shawn Wayans and Kerry Washington) who mistakes him for a baby.
Talking Points: Talking points? Frankly, I’m left speechless.
JULY 7
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST
Plot: Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) matches wits with Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), with Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) again coming to his aid.
Talking Points: Depp returns in the role that earned him his first Oscar nomination … As with The Matrix sequels, both this second installment and an upcoming third part were filmed back-to-back.
A SCANNER DARKLY
Plot: A government agent (Keanu Reeves) is ordered to report on his friends’ drug activities.
Talking Points: As he did with Waking Life, writer-director Richard Linklater employs the rotoscoping technique (filming actors and then tracing over them) for this animated feature … This is based on the book by Philip K. Dick, whose other works were filmed as Blade Runner, Minority Report and Total Recall … The cast also includes Winona Ryder, Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson.
JULY 14
PATHFINDER
Plot: A Norse warrior (Karl Urban) raised by Native Americans tries to protect them when the Vikings (his former comrades) return to destroy them.
Talking Points: Urban is carving out a career as the screen go-to warrior: He previously played Eomer in the Lord of the Rings flicks and also flexed his muscles in Doom and The Chronicles of Riddick … Director Marcus Nispel has spent most of his career helming music videos for the likes of Billy Joel, Janet Jackson and Cher.
PULSE
Plot: Arguably worse than run-of-the-mill spam, a cryptic e-mail making the rounds causes the recipients to commit suicide.
Talking Points: Following The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water, this is the latest Hollywood remake of a Japanese horror flick … Kristen Bell, the star of TV’s Veronica Mars, heads the youthful cast.
YOU, ME AND DUPREE
Plot: A newlywed couple (Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon) invite his best friend (Owen Wilson), now homeless and unemployed, to crash on their couch, little realizing that he plans to make himself a permanent resident in their home.
Talking Points: Directors (and brothers) Anthony and Joe Russo are best known for their work on TV’s Arrested Development … Michael Douglas appears as Hudson’s father.
JULY 21
LADY IN THE WATER
Plot: A resident (Paul Giamatti) at an apartment complex discovers that the young woman (Bryce Dallas Howard) he’s befriended is actually a “narf,” a mythological creature who needs help to return to her world.
Talking Points: Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan, the Hitchcock wanna-be best known for his twist endings (The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Village), returns with a dark fantasy yarn he states is based on a story he used to tell his children … Bryce Dallas Howard is Ron Howard’s daughter and the star of Shyamalan’s The Village.
MONSTER HOUSE
Plot: Kids get spooked by a house that seems to be alive.
Talking Points: This CGI flick will employ animation similar to that used for The Polar Express … The cast list includes Steve Buscemi, Jason Lee and the Waiting for Guffman team of Fred Willard and Catherine O’Hara.
MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND
Plot: An amiable guy (Luke Wilson) gets more than he bargained for when he learns that his possessive ex-girlfriend (Uma Thurman) just happens to be a superheroine known as G-Girl.
Talking Points: Look for talented comedienne Anna Faris (the Scary Movie franchise, Lost In Translation) to possibly steal scenes as Wilson’s new sweetheart … The director is veteran Ivan Reitman, whose son Jason helmed the successful Thank You For Smoking earlier this year.
JULY 28
BARNYARD
Plot: The decadent behavior of an immature cow (voiced by Kevin James) causes consternation among the barnyard elders (Sam Elliott and Danny Glover).
Talking Points: Co-star Wanda Sykes is doing double-duty vocal work this summer, also spouting lines in Over the Hedge … The press material states that this is “filmed entirely in CGI” — is that a threat?
JOHN TUCKER MUST DIE
Plot: After learning that the local hunk (Jesse Metcalfe) has been dating all of them simultaneously, three high school girls exact their revenge.
Talking Points: R&B singer Ashanti co-stars as one of the jilted girlfriends … Director Betty Thomas was a regular on TV’s Hill Street Blues before turning to directing (Doctor Dolittle, Private Parts).
MIAMI VICE
Plot: Suave cops Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) are still at it, trying to take down drug dealers while sporting the best designer duds around.
Talking Points: Since creating the show back in the ’80s, Michael Mann has gone on to become an A-list director (The Insider, Collateral), so this brings him full circle … Our question: Will the theme music (omniscient back in the day) return as well?
AUGUST 4
THE ANT BULLY
Plot: A weak 10-year-old kid who takes his frustrations out on an anthill learns some valuable lessons after he’s shrunk down and forced to work in the ant colony.
Talking Points: This animated tale was co-produced by Tom Hanks … The cast talent includes Nicolas Cage, Julia Roberts, Paul Giamatti and Meryl Streep.
JET LI’S FEARLESS
Plot: The standing of Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li) as one of China’s greatest martial arts masters is cemented by his performance at a major tournament.
Talking Points: This is based on a true story … Action superstar Jet Li claims this will be his final martial arts yarn.
THE NIGHT LISTENER
Plot: A late-night radio show host (Robin Williams) enters into a troubling phone relationship with a possibly unhinged woman (Toni Collette) and her adopted son (Rory Culkin).
Talking Points: In his born-again guise as a master of dark roles, Williams has yet to disappoint (Insomnia, One Hour Photo, the underrated drama The Final Cut) … This is based on the novel by Armistead Maupin.
TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY
Plot: NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) faces formidable competition from a French rival (Sacha Baron Cohen).
Talking Points: This was largely filmed at Lowe’s Motor Speedway … Cohen is better known as his alter ego Ali G … Let’s just hope this is funnier than Ferrell’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy — our city’s rep is on the line!
AUGUST 9
WORLD TRADE CENTER
Plot: While attempting to help the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, two New York police officers (Nicolas Cage and Michael Pena) find themselves trapped in the World Trade Center rubble.
Talking Points: Given the excellence of the new release United 93 (see this issue’s Film section for a review), director Oliver Stone — coming off the career-rattling Alexander, no less — surely has his work cut out for him … Maria Bello and Maggie Gyllenhaal co-star as the officers’ wives.
AUGUST 11
ACCEPTED
Plot: Tired of college rejection letters, a high school senior (Justin Long) and his buddies create a fake university from the ground up, only to watch matters get out of hand after other kids apply.
Talking Points: This was originally slated for an April 21 release, though apparently Universal figured it would play better when the potential target audience was itself heading back to school.
THE REAPING
Plot: A specialist (Hilary Swank) in debunking religious phenomena is baffled by the strange occurrences in a Louisiana town.
Talking Points: This supernatural yarn is backed by producers Joel Silver (The Matrix) and Robert Zemeckis (Cast Away) … Co-star David Morrissey endured reams of poor reviews for his work opposite Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct 2.
ZOOM
Plot: A former superhero (Tim Allen) is called back into action to teach the trade to a bunch of kids.
Talking Points: After watching iconic superheroes all summer in the form of Superman and the X-Men — and given the success of last summer’s similar Sky High (to say nothing of The Incredibles) — will audiences be burned out on hero worship?
AUGUST 18
CLERKS II
Plot: Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and Randal (Jeff Anderson) land gainful employment at a fast-food joint.
Talking Points: Kevin Smith serves up a sequel to the movie that put him on the map 12 years ago … Smith regular Jason Lee pops up, and of course Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) are back … The film’s working title was The Passion of the Clerks.
SNAKES ON A PLANE
Plot: An FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) transporting an informant via commercial airliner learns that the Mob boss has arranged for dozens of deadly snakes to be set loose on their flight.
Talking Points: Ah, the power of the Internet: This has become the most hyped movie of late summer simply because the fanboys have ordered it so … Originally shooting for a PG-13 rating, New Line later decided to go for the gusto and ordered some reshoots to drive the film up to an R.
AUGUST 25
BEERFEST
Plot: Two Americans in Germany learn about Beerfest, “the secret Olympics of beer drinking,” and enlist other soused Yanks to help them win the competition.
Talking Points: Think Dodgeball with brews and you’ve pretty much got the concept … This arrives courtesy of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard (Super Troopers, Club Dread).
DOA: DEAD OR ALIVE
Plot: Several female fighters enter a deadly martial arts competition located on an uncharted island.
Talking Points: This is the latest screen adaptation of a video game … In addition to his extensive work as a director, Corey Yuen has also served as action choreographer on dozens of films (including X-Men and Lethal Weapon 4).
HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS
Plot: A 10-year-old boy (Luke Benward) accepts a bet to eat 15 worms in 15 days.
Talking Points: Thomas Rockwell’s popular children’s novel was previously filmed in 1985 as an animated film for CBS-TV.
IDLEWILD
Plot: A piano player (Andre Benjamin) and a singer (Antwan A. Patton) struggle to survive while working in a Southern speakeasy during the 1930s.
Talking Points: Benjamin (Andre 3000) and Patton (Big Boi) are best known as members of OutKast … The dance sequences were choreographed by Tony winner Hinton Battle, while a multitude of big stars (recent Oscar nominee Terrence Howard, Macy Gray, Patti LaBelle, Cicely Tyson) appear in small roles.
INVINCIBLE
Plot: A part-time bartender (Mark Wahlberg) tries out for his favorite football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, and amazingly lands a spot on the roster.
Talking Points: In much the same manner as Rudy and The Rookie comes another sports flick based on a real-life underdog … Greg Kinnear appears as Dick Vermeil (the Eagles coach at the time).
MATERIAL GIRLS
Plot: Two rich sisters (Hilary Duff and Haylie Duff) must learn to readjust after they lose all their wealth.
Talking Points: Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl, Rambling Rose) directs, while Anjelica Huston heads the supporting cast.
NO DATE SET
Following up their successful Ghost World, director Terry Zwigoff and writer Daniel Clowes reunite for ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL, which follows the travails of an aspiring artist (Max Minghella) as he attempts to learn from an odd assortment of teachers and artists (among them John Malkovich, Anjelica Huston and Jim Broadbent) … An LA teenager (NC native and Thirteen star Evan Rachel Wood) gets mixed up with a charming but possibly deluded cowboy (Edward Norton) in DOWN IN THE VALLEY … Narrated by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, the documentary THE HEART OF THE GAME centers on the struggles and triumphs of a high school girls’ basketball team in Washington … The documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH follows Al Gore as he delivers lectures on the threat of global warming … STRANGERS WITH CANDY is a prequel to the popular Comedy Central series, with Amy Sedaris again essaying the role of the “ex-con junky whore” … A hit at Sundance, WORDPLAY is a detailed examination of the crossword puzzle, charting its history and offering interviews with many of its devotees (including Bill Clinton, Ken Burns and Jon Stewart).
This article appears in May 3-9, 2006.
