BY GRACE MCQUADE
What are the makings of a summer blockbuster film?
It’s a formula movie studios invest millions of dollars in to get just right.
Summer used to be the time when movie ticket sales took a plunge, but a film that opened on June 20, 1975 changed all that, keeping people in theatre seats… and out of the water.
That movie, “Jaws,” was followed two years later with the first chapter in the “Star Wars” anthology, and the summer blockbuster film was born.
Today, given the recent release of “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Hollywood is following the same script, delivering cinema spectaculars movie fans crave during the longer days of summer.
These wow-factor films should certainly start with a rousing screenplay filled with enough heightened drama to keep audiences on the edge of their seats and strong character development to make them care.
The story then needs a visionary director at the helm to make these written scenes come alive, especially with the popularity of 3D films these days.
Casting is key, with veteran, A-list actors always a draw, along with up-and-coming talent to lure young moviegoers.
Many believe epic motion pictures should have a lot of something often heard on movie sets — action!
This typically involves heart-pounding pursuits, awe-inspiring special effects, and larger-than-life or, in some cases, out-of-this-world characters.
This summer already made a splash with the box-office behemoth “Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom,” the latest installment in one of the biggest film franchises in cinema history.
There are more thrills in store this season with a wave of films that includes prehistoric and apocalyptic worlds, genetically-engineered beings and otherworldly forces, high-tech crooks and fearless agents on their tails, and another menacing shark that will make the Great White in “Jaws” look like a guppy.
Throw in some spectacular scenery, a soaring soundtrack, and a superhero or two, and you have a summer that is sure to deliver tons of big-screen fun.
So hang on as the following action and adventure films make their way to theatres soon.
JULY
“The First Purge” (July 4; action/crime/horror; R): The prequel to “The Purge,” this Independence Day release goes back to the first sociological experiment led by one of the leaders (Marisa Tomei) of the New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA), allowing 12 hours of lawlessness for potential criminals to vent their aggression in order to curb crime. The test, however, leads to all-out anarchy and violence that spreads beyond the trial city and could plague the entire nation.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” (July 6; action/adventure/sci-fi): Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) isn’t your typical superhero as he tries to balance being Ant-Man with the responsibilities of fatherhood. But when his crime-fighting predecessor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) comes to him with an urgent new mission involving a force called The Ghost, Lang must don his superhero suit once again and team up with The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly from “Lost”) to unlock life-changing secrets from all of their pasts.
“Skyscraper” (July 13; action/crime/thriller; PG-13): “Die Hard” meets “The Towering Inferno” in this modern-day disaster film in which former FBI hostage rescuer and U.S. war veteran Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson) is on assignment in Hong Kong, assessing security at the world’s tallest building. But when the skyscraper suddenly goes ablaze and Sawyer discovers he’s been set up for the crime, he must act fast to clear his name and save his wife (Neve Campbell) and children trapped on the top floors.
“Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!” (July 20; comedy/musical; PG-13): While some consider hanging from a cliff a wild adventure, others think it’s frolicking through Greece in search of love… while singing ABBA tunes. And when it comes to leading ladies, it doesn’t get much bigger than Meryl Streep, who returns in this sequel to the 2008 hit along with the original cast. The story goes back in time to explain the seeds of the romantic relationships, with actress Lily James (Lady Rose from “Downton Abbey”) playing the younger version of Streep’s character and power-songstress Cher joining the island revelry.
“Mission Impossible – Fallout” (July 27; action/adventure/thriller): Top gun Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt in the sixth film in this popular franchise, taking the death-defying stunts to new heights as he and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg and Ving Rhames), along with familiar female allies (Rebecca Ferguson and Michelle Monaghan), join forces in a race against time after a rogue agent and former foe escapes in Paris.
AUGUST
“The Darkest Minds” (Aug. 3; sci-fi/thriller): After a pandemic kills most of America’s children, those who survive develop superpowers and are taken from their families and placed in internment camps. One of these kids, a 16 year old with telekinetic powers (Amandla Stenberg), manages to escape her camp and join a group of teens on the run from the government in this film that also stars Mandy Moore from “This Is Us.”
“The Meg” (Aug. 10; action/horror/sci-fi; PG-13): A deep-sea submersible, part of an underwater observation program, is attacked by a massive creature lying in the deepest trench of the Pacific, trapping all those inside. Rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is recruited to save the crew from the unstoppable threat – a prehistoric, 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon, one of the greatest and largest predators of all time – that becomes unleashed on beachgoers.
“Alpha” (Aug. 17; action/drama/thriller; PG-13): In this story set during the last Ice Age 20,000 years ago, a young man (Kodi Smit-McPhee) loses his tribe while on a hunt and is presumed dead. He struggles to survive the harsh terrain on his own until he comes across a lone wolf abandoned by its pack. Together, the two encounter countless dangers and overwhelming odds to find their way home.
“Replicas” (Aug. 24; crime/mystery/sci-fi; PG-13): A “Coma” for the 21st century, a synthetic biologist (Keanu Reeves) will stop at nothing to bring his deceased wife and children, who were killed in a car accident, back to life, pitting himself against a government-controlled laboratory in this futuristic story about cloning gone wrong.
“Kin” (Aug. 31; action/sci-fi; PG-13): A young man who just got out of prison (Jack Reynor) must face a vengeful criminal from his past (James Franco). His brother (Myles Truitt) will do anything to protect his older sibling, including using a mysterious weapon he found that everyone from the feds to a gang of supernatural soldiers want to get their hands on in a film also starring Dennis Quaid and Zoe Kravitz, last seen in “Big Little Lies.”
SEPTEMBER
“Peppermint” (Sept. 7; action/drama/thriller): After her husband and daughter are gunned down in a drive-by shooting, a woman (Jennifer Garner) wakes up from a coma and spends years learning to become a killing machine. On the fifth anniversary of her family’s death, she seeks justice by targeting all those she holds responsible – the gang who committed the crime, the lawyers who got them off, and the corrupt cops who enabled the murderous incidents – becoming a lauded vigilante in the process.
“The Predator” (Sept. 14; action/adventure/sci-fi): “The Predator” crash lands in theatres to close out the summer season. In this sequel to the 1987 film “Predator,” a boy (Jacob Tremblay) accidentally triggers the return of the universe’s most lethal hunters who are stronger, smarter, and deadlier than ever before. Only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race in this film starring Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane and Sterling K. Brown, also from “This is Us.”
Combining high-stakes dramas, nail-biting chases, grand visual effects, and favorite actors from the big and small screens, the movies on deck over the coming months are sure to be hot tickets this summer.
