May 13, 2022
Summer Movie Releases
With summer break just around the corner (phew!), perhaps the time has come to begin wondering what life might look like at a little slower pace. If you have movies on the brain, then fear not, because we have a theatrical movie release-filled summer to anticipate!Top Gun: MaverickRelease Date: May 27
The long-awaited Top Gun sequel was set to be released last fall, though it quickly changed course due to COVID-related safety measures. This Memorial Day weekend, fans of the original 1986 blockbuster will have a chance to see an older Maverick (Tom Cruise) back in the pilot seat. Maverick, a Navy test pilot with over thirty years of service, is called back by the Top Gun program, a school where the best fighter-jet pilots go to hone their skill. Maverick is tasked to train a new group of graduates for a never-before-seen, specialized mission. According to the official synopsis, Maverick’s journey will require he confront ghosts of his past and face his biggest fears. It looks like Top Gun: Maverick will be an action-packed, good time—and one that may be best seen on the big screen.ElvisRelease Date: June 24
From the director of Moulin Rouge! comes the quasi-musical biopic Elvis. The movie explores over two decades in the life of the legendary King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Moviegoers can expect glimpses into Elvis Presley’s (Austin Butler) childhood and a full-on ride to his superstardom rise. Critical to the biopic is the singer’s complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), through which Elvis’s career will be tracked. Renditions of the artist’s life have been done before, but director Baz Luhrmann hints this one will be deeper. He told Entertainment Weekly, “The great storytellers like Shakespeare, they didn’t really do biographies. They took a life, and they [used] the life as a canvas to explore a larger idea.” Elvis sounds like a promising choice for a dose of musical drama.Thor: Love and ThunderRelease Date: July 8
The release of Thor: Love and Thunder marks Thor (Chris Hemsworth) as the only MCU hero to receive a fourth standalone installment. The movie picks up in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. Thor’s on a journey to find peace but is soon interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), a vengeful galactic villain seeking the extinction of all gods. Thor needs to stop Gorr before it’s too late. He employs the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and, together, they embark on a long quest to protect the cosmos. Some fun things to look forward to: Taika Waititi directing and Natalie Portman finally wielding Thor’s magical hammer!