Apparently it was Spielberg’s ‘Jaws’ in the summer of 1975 that coerced cinema audiences to use the term ‘summer blockbuster’ and the rest, they say , is history. Year after year summer gets longer: nothing to do with fabulous weather but due to the release of a number of highly anticipated films . Here are the big ten to look out for.
PROMETHEUS June 1st
Originally conceived as the prequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 masterpiece Alien, through time and development it is now not directly connected to the Alien franchise. However Scott himself has said the film shares “strands of Alien’s DNA.” Yeah I know, what does that mean? Considering it was co-written by Damon Lindelof who co-created Lost, you know we are in for one hell of a ride.
Here’s what we do know in very basic terms: it’s set in 2085 as we follow the crew of the spaceship Prometheus in search of the origins of humanity. Shrouded in secrecy, there are stories of cast members only being allowed to read the script under the supervision of Scott’s production office, going so far as one crew member flying to an undisclosed location to watch over as a cast member read the script.
The cast for this is very exciting with so many fantastic actors: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Rafe Spall and let’s not forget Michael Fassbender, who had trouble explaining to me what the film was all about. I’m particularly keen to see Logan Marshall-Green who I think is totally underestimated. It’s been a long time coming and hopefully worth waiting for.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES July 20th
Just seeing Christian Bale present an award at the Oscars recently sent me into a fury of fixation, the need and want to know as much as possible about Chris Nolan’s return to Gotham City. Set eight years after The Dark Knight, Nolan has cast Tom Hardy as terrorist leader Bane, a psychopath intent on pushing everyone and everything to their limits. But is it enough to draw Batman from his cave? Of course it is. The trailer, where the American football pitch implodes leaving a lone player looking back in search of his team as thousands of fans watch on, how amazing? And from his hospital bed, Chief Gordon pleading in what seems like his last breath to Bruce Wayne: “The Batman must come back.” He’s not going to say no.
Nolan has said that sequels don’t live up to the preceding film because people go into it with an attitude it has to be bigger and better than the last one. He’s right, and I don’t want it to be bigger or better, I just want it to be as good. For me it’s not even about Batman; it’s everyone else around him that I think will make this film the perfect way to conclude Nolan’s trilogy. With an amazing cast, I can’t think of a film I have wanted to see more.
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN July 4th
The word ‘reboot’ just makes me think of my computer when it’s crashed, waiting anxiously to see if my treasured words and photos have been wiped, or if in fact it’s done its job and left me with everything I need. In a way I really hope that The Amazing Spider-Man leaves me with everything I need from Marvel’s most iconic and popular character.
Andrew Garfield is going to be awesome, and the fact they haven’t used loads of CGI for stunts but opted for stuntmen doing it for real has me sold. Also important is Marc Webb in the director’s chair: not just for the name relevance, but I adored (500) Days of Summer and if he can bring that brilliant story-telling to the visual kaleidoscope of Spider-Man then I think he might have nailed it. There are more great things that are a win-win situation for me: I have a slight girl crush on Emma Stone where my emotions can range from envy to sheer adoration in a breath, while Rhys Ifans as the archetypal Spider-Man bad guy will, I think, finally convince the cynics of his brilliance.
And my final point on Spidey is, if the rumours are to be believed, when Garfield first donned the red and blue lycra, we’re talking tears, real tears. A superhero in touch with his inner emotions, that’s what I’m talking about.
MEN IN BLACK 3 May 25th
Do we really need another Men In Black or is it a test to see whether Will Smith is still the most bankable star in Hollywood? He hasn’t been part of the summer party since Hancock back in 2008, but he is back as Agent J, time travelling to save his partner. Back To The Future with aliens? Sounds like it. Josh Brolin is cast as the young k and when you see shots of them on set suited and booted, he could very well be related to Tommy Lee Jones. Jones, Smith and Brolin aside, there’s one thing and one thing only that I find appealing about this film: no, not the idea of a revamped Skrillex version of the title track. It’s Jemaine Clement from Flight of The Conchords cast as badass Boris. Please tell me he sings!
ROCK OF AGES June 15th
Tom Cruise in mullet alert: this could either be really really bad or really quite brilliant. I’ve not seen the stage musical that the film is based on but I’m a big fan of hair rock so I think this might be right up my street. A waitress and busboy fall in love during the rock music era of the Eighties and try to make their dreams come true. In the same way he blew me away in Magnolia, professing “obey the cock”, Tom Cruise might just be mind blowing as Stacee Jaxx, lead singer of rock band Arsenal. But it’s not all about him, or is it? We will have to wait and see.
THE BOURNE LEGACY August 17th
No Damon? No Greengrass? The fourth in the Bourne series stars Jeremy Renner, not as Borne, but as Aaron Cross/Kenneth Gidson. It’s not a reboot or a prequel but it’s been described as a ‘sidequel’. It’s what we would describe as a spin-off, with a new character, another agent in a CIA programme, whose adventures play out within the same timeframe as Bourne’s.
Written and directed by Tony Gilroy who brought us the fabulous Michael Clayton, Gilroy and Renner could be another one of those wonderful creative movie marriages like Scorsese and DiCaprio, McQueen and Fassbender, and Damon and Greengrass before them. Two men who have credibility and ability, and who could well pull this off nicely.
MOONRISE KINGDOM May 25th
Wes Anderson is a genius. As the man behind Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, Darjeeling Limited and Fantastic Mr. Fox to name but a few we wait with baited breath for his latest, Moonrise Kingdom. No-one makes films like him, no-one can really explain his sense of humour and that is why I treasure his vision and choices.
A few Anderson regulars return – Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman – and there’s also Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand. Set in the Sixties, it tells the tale of a young scout who abandons his troupe to run away with his girlfriend. Hot on their trail are the rest of the scouts and scout leaders. Welcome back Wes.
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN June 1st
Let it be known in all the interviews I have ever done, never have I witnessed a voice quite like Chris Hemsworth’s. It must register on a Richter scale somewhere in the world, so it feels fitting that he was cast as the huntsman in this dark and effects-driven take on the old fairytale.
I think it’s safe to say don’t expect the typical lame Snow with her singing rabbits doing her chores, not when you see Kristen Stewart armoured up to the nines on her stallion showcasing some exceptional swordsmanship. There’s an evil Queen played by Charlize Theron, there’s an apple, there’s a kiss, there are dwarfs. Well, kind of. Nick Frost and company are not your average dwarfs, just better at swearing!
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH August 29th
Anything with Richard Ayoade in I will watch, anything he is attached to I will watch. How the hell did he end up in a dude comedy with Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill? The story of an unlikely group of men who are members of a neighbourhood watch and uncover an alien invasion, I think this is going to be one of those breakout comedy hits. It’s written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and directed by the man who brought us the cult classic hot Rods as well as some of the best Saturday Night Live skits, Akiva Schaffer. I really hope this is like the bastard love child of Attack The Block meets Dodgeball. Fingers crossed.
MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED October 19th
Our American friends will get to see this in the summer, but we’ll have to wait to see the gang’s latest desperate bid to get back to their beloved zoo in NYC. Where do they end up this time? Europe of course, and to distract growing attention they become part of a travelling circus and much hilarity ensues. I would be slightly embarrassed to admit how many times I’ve watched the first two films. They’re not perfect but they make me laugh. Chris Rock as Marty is, I think, one of the best voiced characters ever. Just please don’t let will.i.am anywhere near ‘I Like To Move It’ ever again.
Words by Edith Bowman