Summer watchlist 2019
Summer is almost here, and Hollywood has seen fit to provide us with plenty of reasons to be excited to leave the stress of exams behind and head down to the local cinema. From reboots and sequels to long-awaited directorial returns, here’s our pick of the hottest releases of the coming months.
Avengers: Endgame (April 26th)
The early release of the final instalment in Marvel’s Avengers quartet may have already disrupted revision timetables, but the hype surrounding the franchise’s final chapter looks set to continue into the summer to ensure it becomes the most successful film of the year. After the events of last year’s Avengers: Infinity War, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and co. must assemble once more to defeat Thanos and reverse his catastrophic actions. Will they manage it? We think so – they have a Hulk.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (May 3rd)
Ted Bundy has truly become something of a celebrity in recent months. Following the popular Netflix true crime series Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, Zac Efron steps into the shoes of America’s most notorious serial killer to bring the story of his crimes to the big screen. Lily Collins co-stars as Bundy’s long-time girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, who stood by his side for years and refused to believe the allegations against him. We look forward to seeing Bundy ‘Breaking Free’ when the film arrives in cinemas in May.
Toy Story 4 (June 21st)
Whether we need it or not, a fourth Toy Story instalment is fast approaching. It’s been nine years (nine!) since Woody and the gang last graced our screens, and it looks likely that the introduction of several new characters alongside old favourites will make for a typically brilliant Pixar triumph. Inside Out co-writer Josh Cooley stepped in to helm the script following original director John Lasseter’s departure, and Michael Keaton, Jordan Peele and Keanu Reeves join the star-studded voice cast. Expect emotion, humour and a deep examination of the meaning of life…as a toy.
The Lion King (July 19th)
A live-action (well, CGI) The Lion King is next on Disney’s summer release list, with the likes of Beyoncé, Donald Glover and Seth Rogen taking to the plains of Africa in a remake of the 1994 classic. Directed by seasoned actor and filmmaker Jon Favreau, this starry adaptation of the story is supposedly told in a “different way” to the original. The teaser trailer proved Disney’s most-viewed trailer debut ever, so there’s a chance that The Lion King could challenge Avengers: Endgame as the most successful film of the year. Be Prepared.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (July 26th)
It’s only been four years since Quentin Tarantino’s last film, The Hateful Eight, but for his legions of fans it will have felt like an eternity. Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie lead the line in the enigmatic Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a story of a duo’s pursuit of stardom in the Golden Age of Hollywood, 1969. The director’s famous slow-burning dialogue sequences and lashings of black humour are eagerly anticipated, with Cannes artistic director Thierry Fremaux describing the film as “magnificent”. No Nazis or Cowboys here, but one can expect moustaches aplenty.
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