While Iron Man and Man of Steel slug it out mercilessly for this summer’s box-office crown, other contenders are flexing their muscles as the cinema summer season gets underway.
Among the many potential blockbusters there are a variety of films in myriad genres to look forward to
KRS Film Distributors unveiled their Summer 2013 Promo Reel, which gave us a tantalising taste of the many titles that will be released over the next few weeks. With no football or Olympics to serve as distractions, movie buffs should undoubtedly find much to draw them away from the already-impossible heat into the air-conditioned halls of our cinemas.
Many of these films will be released in 3D, whose popularity continues to grow; while an increase in the number of digital screens in cinemas has led to more films released in this format.
The summer season is usually typified by an abundance of action movies and this year is no different. Yet, among the many potential blockbusters there are a variety of films in myriad genres to look forward to.
Titles of note in the action stakes are The Hummingbird, starring Jason Statham; The Lone Ranger, starring the ever-popular Johnny Depp as Tonto opposite Armie Hammer’s Lone Ranger; big-budget monster movie Pacific Rim from cult director Guillermo del Toro; Pain and Gain from blockbuster director Michael Bay; RIPD, an action film laced with a bit of comedy as Ryan Reynolds’ recently deceased cop joins a team of undead officers; Red 2 in which veterans Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins cause mayhem; Snitch starring Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon.
Also on the list are 2 Guns which teams up Mark Wahlberg with Denzel Washington; Kick Ass 2, the further adventures of the comic superhero played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson; and White House Down which finds the titular building under attack from terrorists. Hugh Jackman is set to return as The Wolverine and the popularity of the character – and the actor who plays him – should continue unabated and give the aforementioned Iron Man and Superman a run for their money.
Slightly less action but plenty of thrills can be found in Byzantium, a modern-day vampire story set in Britain; The Iceman starring Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder and James Franco; Now You See Me, a heist movie with a magical twist; and Only God Forgives, which reunites director Nicolas Winding Refn with actor Ryan Gosling.
With kids out of school it is almost redundant to state that family fare is also prevalent. Animated features on offer include Justin and the Knights of Valour; the eagerly-anticipated Monsters University from Pixar, a sequel to the hugely popular Monsters Inc; Planes and The Smurfs 2 – which will undoubtedly repeat the success of the original two years ago.
Young teenagers and adults should look out for the surfing adventure story Chasing Mavericks and the fantasy-adventures The Mortal Instruments – City of Bones, in which young angels battle it out with demons in contemporary New York and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, which sees the son of Poseidon embarking on a quest to find the mythical Golden Fleece.
In the drama stakes, William Shakespeare’s evergreen classic Romeo and Juliet witnesses another revival. True-life drama Behind the Candelabra recounts the tempestuous relationship between the colourful and flamboyant performer Liberace (played by Michael Douglas) and his much younger lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon). Director Sofia Coppola also brings a true story to the screen with The Bling Ring in which Emma Watson leads a gang of teenagers who go on a robbery spree targeting Hollywood’s rich and famous.
Comedy titles also prevail and fans of the genre have many titles to look forward to including Girl Most Likely which stars popular comedian Kristen Wiig and Matt Dillon; Adam Sandler and friends return for Grown Ups 2; and Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy form an unlikely FBI agent /police officer pairing in The Heat.
Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn play two salesmen who hope to catch up with technology in The Internship while Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston form a fake family in order to transport a huge shipment of weed into the US from Mexico in We’re the Millers.
These titles and more will be released in cinemas across the country between July and September. Other events to look out for are National Cinema Day on Saturday, and the next Children’s Cinema Day scheduled for September 7.