– Venetia Bodanis, staff
With exams just around the corner it may be difficult to think of a life beyond school, so here are some upcoming movie releases that you can look forward to. This summer take a break from the beach to catch one of them.
Prometheus
Prometheus is the fourth installment of the hugely successful Alien franchise. Sometimes wrongly thought of as the prequel to the trilogy, Prometheus is actually a stand-alone story according to the film’s director, Ridley Scott (who also directed the original 1979 version). The film follows a team of explorers as they search for clues to the origins of mankind (obvious spoiler alert: it has something to do with aliens). Bound to be a box office success, the film stars Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender. Watch for it on June 8th.
The Amazing Spider-Man
A collective sigh of relief was heard around the world when the original plans to make a “Spider-Man 4” was scrapped in order to create a reboot of the Spider-Man franchise instead. The Amazing Spider-Man stars a buffer Andrew Garfield as the loner we all root for- Peter Parker. The film differs from the Tobey Maguire series by focusing on Peter’s first love Gwen Stacy (played by Emma Stone) rather than Mary Jane. If your spidey sense is tingling for this film, mark off July 3rd on your calendar.
Dark Knight Rises
Aside from the fact that Anne Hathaway is playing Catwoman, Christopher Nolan’s third and final installment in the Batman series looks like it’s going to be amazing. Eight years after Batman has taken the fall for Two-Face’s crimes, Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham to save the city from the new villain Bane (played Tom Hardy). You can expect plenty of explosions, twisted drama and as always some Commissioner Gordon (played by Gary Oldman) for the film’s July 20th release.
Snow White and the Huntsman
This isn’t the Disney movie you remember as kid. Snow White and the Huntsman tells a darker story focusing on the Huntsman’s journey to kill Snow White, but instead becoming her ally in an attempt to defeat the evil queen. Kristen Stewart finishes playing Bella Swan to take on the role of Snow White, while the queen is convincingly played by Charlize Theron and the Huntsman is “the soon to be type-cast” Chris Hemsworth. With a more kid-friendly Snow White film starring Julia Roberts also coming out this summer, it will be interesting to see which one comes out on top. Snow White and the Huntsman comes out June 1st.
Moonrise Kingdom
While this film probably won’t be a huge summer blockbuster like the other films on this list, Wes Anderson’s track record with films likely means Moonrise Kingdom will reach cult status in few years (The Royal Tenenbaums anyone?). With all the makings of a classic Anderson film like a setting in the 60s and an abundance of dysfunctional characters with a side of Bill Murray, Moonrise Kingdom follows two young lovers who run away from their New England town. The film is set to be released May 25th and thankfully offers a hilariously dry alternative to some of the other slapstick comedies expected this summer.
