害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� is a hard act to follow. But as Hollywood enters another summer movie season, armed with fewer superheroes and a landscape vastly altered by the strikes, it害羞草研究所檚 worth remembering the classic about what works: 害羞草研究所淣obody knows anything.害羞草研究所�

Four decades later, that still may be true. Yet one thing Hollywood has learned in releasing films through the pandemic and the strikes is how to pivot quickly.

The summer of 2023 brought a new enthusiasm for moviegoing, with the of 害羞草研究所淏arbie害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所� ,害羞草研究所� and surprise hits like 害羞草研究所� ,害羞草研究所� helping the season害羞草研究所檚 box office crack $4 billion for the first time since 2019. But before the industry could take a victory lap, there was another crisis looming with , which for months.

MOVIES FIND A WAY POST-STRIKE

In the fallout, theaters lost big summer titles like 害羞草研究所淢ission: Impossible 8,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淐aptain America: Brave New World害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淭hunderbolts害羞草研究所� to 2025. But they gained a gem in Jeff Nichols害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Bikeriders害羞草研究所� (June 21), about a 1960s Midwestern motorcycle club, as studios moved films around on the summer chessboard. 害羞草研究所淒eadpool & Wolverine,害羞草研究所� once set to kick off the summer moviegoing season on May 3 like many Marvel movies before it, is now sitting happily on July 26, patiently waiting to dominate the summer charts.

害羞草研究所淚 do love being right there in the belly of summer,害羞草研究所� said director Shawn Levy. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 a juicy moment.害羞草研究所�

The kickoff weekend instead belongs to an original film about a different kind of superhero. 害羞草研究所� ,害羞草研究所� starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, is part romantic-comedy, part action-comedy, and all love letter to the stunt performers that make movies spectacular. It害羞草研究所檚 an earnest crowd-pleaser that could jumpstart a season that feels, in some ways, like a throwback, with full-throttle spectacles (害羞草研究所淔uriosa: A Mad Max Saga,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭wisters害羞草研究所�), comedies (害羞草研究所淏abes害羞草研究所�), IMAX wonder (害羞草研究所淭he Blue Angels害羞草研究所�) and even a Kevin Costner Western.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has seen the highs and lows of summer movies over the decades, with blockbusters including 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� and the 害羞草研究所淧irates of the Caribbean害羞草研究所� movies.

This season, he has three very different offerings on the calendar, two are fourth installments in popular franchises 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淏everly Hills Cop害羞草研究所� (July 3, Netflix) and 害羞草研究所淏ad Boys害羞草研究所� (June 7, theaters) 害羞草研究所� and one was planned for streaming but tested so well that it害羞草研究所檚 getting a theatrical rollout (害羞草研究所淵oung Woman and the Sea,害羞草研究所� May 31).

害羞草研究所淧eople just want to be entertained,害羞草研究所� Bruckheimer said. 害羞草研究所淚t really comes down to us to make the right movies that they want to go see.害羞草研究所�

THE $4 BILLION GOAL POST

A Hollywood summer lasts 123 days from the first Friday in May through Labor Day Monday in September. Pre-pandemic, $4 billion was a normal summer intake and theaters could count on anywhere between 37 and 42 films to open on over 2,000 screens. The outlier was 2017, which had only 35 movies on over 2,000 screens and topped out at $3.8 billion. It makes last summer害羞草研究所檚 $4 billion haul with 32 wide releases (45% of the $9 billion domestic haul) even more impressive.

This summer should have 32 wide releases as well and over 40 movies opening in 500+ theaters. Notably only two of them are Marvel movies (害羞草研究所淒eadpool害羞草研究所� and Sony害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淜raven the Hunter害羞草研究所�) and are the only superhero movies on the calendar until the 害羞草研究所淛oker害羞草研究所� sequel in the fall.

害羞草研究所淧eople are going to see movies, not box office, and it looks like a really solid summer from a moviegoer害羞草研究所檚 perspective,害羞草研究所� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore.

REVVING UP FOR ORIGINALS

害羞草研究所淭he Bikeriders害羞草研究所� was one that planned for an awards season rollout, with a turbo boost from stellar reviews out of the Telluride Film Festival hailing star turns for and Jodie Comer. But as they inched closer to its release date it became clear that the strikes were not going to resolve in time for a press tour.

害羞草研究所淚t was kind of like walking on frozen glass for three months,害羞草研究所� Nichols said. 害羞草研究所淚 was touring around doing press and trying to build this energy on my own. Let me tell you, it害羞草研究所檚 not the same as Austin Butler.害羞草研究所�

Later in June, , Kevin Costner will begin rolling out his two-part Western epic 害羞草研究所淗orizon: An American Saga,害羞草研究所� set during the Civil War. And as always there are a slew of Sundance breakouts peppered throughout the summer, from Jane Shoenbrun害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淚 Saw the TV Glow害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淒idi害羞草研究所� to 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淕ood One.害羞草研究所�

FARE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

Family films often go into hyperdrive in the summer, capitalizing on long days out of school. This year has plenty, like 害羞草研究所淭he Garfield Movie害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淒espicable Me 4,害羞草研究所� re-releases of Studio Ghibli classics, and streaming options (害羞草研究所淭helma the Unicorn害羞草研究所�). But perhaps none has more anticipation behind it than 害羞草研究所淚nside Out 2害羞草研究所� (June 14, theaters), which meets up with Riley as she enters her teenage years as a new group of emotions crash Joy害羞草研究所檚 party, including Anxiety, Envy, Ennui and Embarrassment.

害羞草研究所淭hat age gives us everything we need and love for a Pixar film,害羞草研究所� director Kelsey Mann said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 full of drama, it has potential for a lot of heart, and I could also make it really funny.害羞草研究所�

John Krasinski is also delving into the inner world of children with his ambitious live-action hybrid 害羞草研究所淚F害羞草研究所� (May 17, theaters) about the imaginary friends that get left behind and two humans (Ryan Reynolds and Cailey Fleming) who can still see them.

THE ALLURE OF HORROR

Audiences seeking the adrenaline rush of horrors and thrillers have plenty of choices, including 害羞草研究所淢aXXXine,害羞草研究所� the conclusion to Ti West害羞草研究所檚 accidental Mia Goth trilogy (害羞草研究所淴害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所�) that debuts around the fourth of July.

Goth害羞草研究所檚 aspiring actress has made her way to Hollywood where a killer is stalking Hollywood starlets around the time of the home video boom of the 1980s.

害羞草研究所淲e recreated the sleazy side of Hollywood in a hopefully charming way,害羞草研究所� West said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 definitely a pretty wild night at the movies. A big, rockin害羞草研究所�, fun movie.害羞草研究所�

On June 26, audiences can also delve into the beginnings of 害羞草研究所淎 Quiet Place害羞草研究所� with a prequel set on 害羞草研究所淒ay One害羞草研究所� starring Luptia Nyong害羞草研究所檕 and 害羞草研究所淪tranger Things害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 Joseph Quinn. Director Michael Sarnoski said they wanted to explore the 害羞草研究所渟cope and promise害羞草研究所� of a Quiet Place movie in New York. Later, Fede 脕lvarez brings his horror acumen to 害羞草研究所淎lien: Romulus害羞草研究所� (Aug. 16), set between the first two.

M. Night Shyamalan is back as well with a thriller set at a pop concert (害羞草研究所淭rap,害羞草研究所� Aug. 9) and his daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan, makes her directorial debut with the spooky, Ireland-set 害羞草研究所淭he Watchers害羞草研究所� (June 14) with Dakota Fanning.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very suspenseful and unexpected,害羞草研究所� Ishana said. 害羞草研究所淎nd it害羞草研究所檚 very much built for the experience of being in a theater.害羞草研究所�

THE STARS ARE STREAMING

Much to the chagrin of theater owners, big summer movies have also existed off the big screen for years now. And the streamers have movie stars and spectacle with the festival favorite 害羞草研究所淗it Man,害羞草研究所� the Anne Hathaway romance 害羞草研究所淭he Idea of You,害羞草研究所� Jerry Seinfeld害羞草研究所檚 starry pop-tart movie 害羞草研究所淯nfrosted害羞草研究所� and a Mark Wahlberg/Halle Berry action comedy 害羞草研究所淭he Union.害羞草研究所�

They have franchises too: 害羞草研究所淏everly Hills Cop: Axel F害羞草研究所� (July 3) was a movie that was in and out of development since the mid-1990s, but got new life when Paramount licensed the rights to Netflix.

害羞草研究所淲e raised our hand to make sure we got the franchise right and kept the integrity and fun of the original,害羞草研究所� Bruckheimer said.

This installment adds an emotional component in which Eddie Murphy害羞草研究所檚 Axel Foley reunites with his estranged daughter (Taylour Paige). It also sees the return of Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser and Bronson Pinchot and adds Kevin Bacon and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

On Aug. 9, Apple TV+ will also have 害羞草研究所淭he Instigators,害羞草研究所� a new action-comedy starring Matt Damon and Casey Affleck as normal guys attempting a heist. 害羞草研究所淢idnight Run害羞草研究所� was one of their touchstones.

害羞草研究所淭he script was so funny and I wanted to really embrace that,害羞草研究所� Doug Liman, who directed, said.

BUT ALSO, NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING

Remember, anything can happen with summer movies.

We can pretend we knew that 害羞草研究所淏arbie害羞草研究所� would be the , but would anyone have bet that an R-rated drama about the father of the atomic bomb would have as Harrison Ford害羞草研究所檚 last ride as Indiana Jones? Or that a $14 million crowdfunded movie from a new studio about child trafficking with next to zero promotion would earn over $250 million?

害羞草研究所淣obody knows anything is right,害羞草研究所� said 害羞草研究所淭he Instigators害羞草研究所� producer Kevin Walsh. 害羞草研究所淭he movie business is so unpredictable. You never know what害羞草研究所檚 going to work and what isn害羞草研究所檛. But you have your taste. And following your taste and your instincts in this business is paramount.害羞草研究所�

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