11 Hollywood's summer movies to watch in 2024

One thing to look forward to is seeing on the big screen is Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in 'Deadpool & Wolverine'. Photo: Handout

Around this time last year, the Hollywood summer blockbuster season was buzzing with the term Barbenheimer – to indicate the simultaneous release of the films Barbie and Oppenheimer, both of which earned a lot of money at the box office.

While there isn't a single phenomenon like that this year, there's still a diverse array of films in action-adventure, animation, romance and horror genres that could become big earners for movie studios.

Plus, they could be worth making a trip to the cinema for audiences.

For those who enjoy familiar franchises, there are sequels or prequels, as well as reboots.

It began with Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes, which opened on May 9, that is set a few generations after the last film in the series, War For The Planet Of The Apes (2017).

There’s also Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga which details the backstory of Furiosa, a character originally played by Charlize Theron in 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road.

In this prequel – the fifth instalment in George Miller’s Mad Max franchise – Anya Taylor-Joy takes over the role of the younger Furiosa, with Chris Hemsworth as the main villain.

Fans of the 1980s series The Fall Guy can indulge in a bout of nostalgia with the new film adaptation starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, revolving around a down-and-out stuntman. This film, directed by former stuntman David Leitch, boasts amazing action, that were performed by actual stuntmen and women.

For those who love Garfield the grumpy orange cat, The Garfield Movie brings the lasagna-loving feline to the big screen.

In this animated feature, the cat is forced to be active in order to save the day – he plans a heist.

Want something that is not franchise-based or anything familiar? Then check out John Krasinski’s IF (which stands for Imaginary Friend).

Director Krasinski has a starring role in the movie as well, along with Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming.

Big names like Blunt, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph and the late Louis Gossett Jr all lend their voices to the many imaginary friends in the film.

Even more adventurous are films by two women, who are daughters of famous fathers.

These Hollywood (nepo) babies are making their directorial debuts this year.

With strong backing and a touch of their family legacy, they are set to make a mark in Tinseltown. Here's a hint: Kravitz and Shyamalan.

One constant this season is the presence of a Marvel movie, but with a twist.

Unlike all previous Marvel films, this offering is R-rated thanks to Deadpool.

The foul-mouthed superhero became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when Disney bought over 21st Century Fox and thus got the rights to Deadpool, and all things connected to X-Men universe.

Here are what moviegoers can look forward in the coming months at the cinemas.

The Watchers (June 6) – Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan and produced by M. Night Shyamalan, it is headlined by actress Dakota Fanning.

For her feature debut, Ishana follows in dad’s footsteps and makes a spooky film that promises to scare (and perhaps confuse) audiences.

The trailer begins with the song Never Get Old written and sung by the late Sinead O’Connor, that sounds even more haunting in this setting. The story tells of an artist (Fanning) who gets lost in a forest in Ireland.

She becomes trapped at a place where mysterious creatures lurk in the night. Co-starring Georgina Campbell, Olwen Fouere and Oliver Finnegan.

Inside Out 2 (June 13) – We check back in with Riley, the protagonist from the 2015 Pixar movie Inside Out.

She was 11 then, now she’s 13. And with that age, comes a bunch of new emotions.

Her initial emotions – namely Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith) and Anger (Lewis Black) – are now joined by Envy (Ayo Edibiri), Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Anxiety (Maya Hawke).

Needless to say, it’s going to be an emotional journey for this teenager which translates to good times for viewers of any age.

Other voice talents include Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Kensington Tallman, Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan.

Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (June 13) – Well, well, look who’s back on the big screen: the bad boy of 2022 himself, Will Smith.

This is the first major film he shot after the Oscar slap incident. For the fourth instalment, which comes four years after Bad Boys For Life, Miami's finest (Smith and Martin Lawrence) are now fugitives with a bounty on their heads.

And everyone, including the cartels, the cops and an alligator want a piece of them. Co-stars Vanessa Hudgens, Ioan Gruffudd, Eric Dane, Rhea Seehorn and Tiffany Haddish.

A Quiet Place: Day One (June 27) – The official synopsis for this movie says it all: “Experience the day the world went quiet”.

Starring Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou, this film is a prequel to writer-director John Krasinski's A Quiet Place (2018) and A Quiet Place Part II (2020).

It is written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, who collaborated on the story with Krasinski.

As the audiences know from the earlier films, the arrivals of an alien species on earth has turned the planet into one where a slightest sound can get you killed.

Despicable Me 4 (July 4) – The once-villainous Gru (Steve Carell), now an Anti-Villain agent, returns for more adventures. Since the last time, his family has gotten bigger. Besides the three little girls – Margo, Edith and Agnes – he adopted, he is now father to baby Gru Jr.

All is good for Gru as a family man, until his past catches up with him, putting his family in danger. Thanks to the presence of new nemesis Maxine Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his girlfriend, Valentina (Sofia Vergara), Gru and his family are forced to go on the run and take on new identities.

Of course, his minions are there for him – although sometimes more as a hindrance than help. Kristen Wiig returns to voice Lucy, Gru’s wife, along with Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Grier and Madison Nolan as the little girls.

New characters are voiced by Joey King, Stephen Colbert and Steve Coogan.

Fly Me To The Moon (July 11) – A comedy-drama featuring two very good-looking actors Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum.

It is set in the 1960s when the United States and Russia are competing to be the first one to put a man on the moon.

Well, just in case things don't go as planned, Nasa hires marketing executive Kelly Jones (Johansson) to fake the moon landing.

Unfortunately, this doesn't sit well with a Nasa employee, Cole Davis (Tatum). The film directed by Greg Berlanti promises to be funny and charming.

Twisters (July 18) – Official synopsis describe this movie as a "standalone sequel to the 1996 blockbuster".

But the trailer shows a lot of similarities to that original film which starred Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton... including the outfit that Daisy Edgar-Jones wears.

According to an article, the Dorothy sensors are also back and the new film make references to the fictional Muskogee State University.

Directed by Lee Isaac Chung (Minari, The Mandalorian) and produced by Steven Spielberg, Twisters also stars Glen Powell and Anthony Ramos in the roles of storm chasers.

Deadpool & Wolverine (July 25) – Ryan Reynolds reprises his role as the titular antihero in this third instalment.

And as a bonus, audiences get to see Hugh Jackman play Wolverine once again (he officially retired from the role after 2017's Logan).

For a while, it was not clear whether Deadpool would even get a movie as his personality doesn't really suit the Disney image.

Thankfully, from the trailer, it looks like Deadpool is still himself. Morena Baccarin returns as Vanessa, and newcomer Emma Corrin portrays the powerful mutant Cassandra Nova.

(From left) Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool/Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine/Logan in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios' Deadpool & Wolverine. Photo: Handout

Trap (Aug 8) – Besides producing his daughter's film, M. Night Shyamalan has been busy directing his own film too.

Josh Hartnett stars in this original thriller about a murderer at large inside a massive arena concert. That's all we get because, really, the less we know about the plot, the better.

Trap is the latest film from M. Night Shyamalan. Photo: Handout

Alien: Romulus (Aug 15) – Director Federico Alvarez (Don't Breathe) takes over the story from creator-director Ridley Scott for this outing. (Scott serves as producer.)

Setting it around the time after the first Alien (1979) film and before the second movie Aliens (1986), Romulus centres around a group of young space colonisers who scavenge space station.

While doing just that in a derelict spaceship, they come face to face with the terrifying life form that is best described as the ultimate killing machine.

Blink Twice (Aug 22) – Zoe Kravitz makes her directorial debut by recruiting known names including boyfriend Channing Tatum, Christian Slater and Haley Joel Osment.

Naomi Ackie leads the black comedy thriller as a waitress who accepts the invitation of a tech mogul for a getaway at an island.

Needless to say, the goings-on are far from conventional including the disappearance of her friend.

Blink Twice stars Channing Tatum. Photo: Handout