There are things that we love about the summer. The heat (heat being a relative term in England), the long daylight hours, evenings on the beach and in beer gardens across the towns and cities, kick-abouts in the park and longboarding everywhere. Mainly though, we love the summer tentpole releases from the major studios, so here’s a little preview of what’s to come.
Iron Man 2
Released: 30 April 2010
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow
Director: Jon Favreau
Studio: Paramount
Downey returns as Tony Stark in the sequel to the highly successful Iron Man, in the last dedicated film before his appearance in The Avengers, in 2012. Promising high-octane action and special effects, this will kick off the summer in style. Come back to scifinow.co.uk next Wednesday to read our review.
Hot Tub Time Machine
Released: 7 May 2010
Starring: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Chevy Chase
Director: Steve Pink
Studio: 20th Century Fox
It’s had some fair reviews in the press so far, and our faith in Chevy Chase was recently reaffirmed by his appearance in Chuck. Besides, it’s not often that you get a major sci-fi themed comedy released, so think of it as a way to cool down after Iron Man 2’s adrenaline rush.
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Released: 7 May 2010
Starring: Jackie Earle Haley, Katie Cassidy, Thomas Dekker
Director: Samuel Bayer
Studio: Warner Bros.
We can’t escape the feeling that this is going to disappoint, despite the saturation coverage it’s currently receiving online. Or maybe because of it. Either way, it’s happening, and the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise couldn’t get more ridiculous anyway.
Prince Of Persia
Released: 21 May 2010
Starring: Jake Gyllenhall, Gemma Arterton, Sir Ben Kingsley
Director: Mike Newell
Studio: Disney
Nobody expects this film to be any good. Expect reviews to come out in the week before, or on release date. Mike Newell might be able to pull it out of the bag, but we’re distinctly pessimistic about its chances – and precedent isn’t on its side either, considering previous videogame to film adaptations.
[REC] 2
Released: 28 May 2010
Starring: Manuela Velasco, Jonathan Mellor, Oscar Sanchez Zafra
Director: Jaum Balaguero
Studio: Sony
[REC] was quite well respected as a decent zombie film (its English-language immediate remake, Quarantine, was less so), so we’ll bite. The story sounds good, and let’s be fair, there hasn’t been a huge amount of dramatic zombie films lately. Zombieland doesn’t count.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Released: 9 July 2010
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Director: David Slade
Studio: Summit
We just can’t bring ourselves to say anything nice about these films. We’re sorry, they’re poorly made, pathetically acted, and rushed in and out of production so fast that they may as well have been sweded. David Slade will not be enough to convince us to see this one other than for review.
Inception
Released: 16 July 2010
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy
Director: Christopher Nolan
Studio: Warner Bros.
Christopher Nolan’s super-top-secret-for-no-reason Inception releases in the height of the summer, featuring a cast of people he’s mostly worked with before. Still, we like Nolan’s style, and seeing him do sci-fi properly will, we imagine, be a treat.
Toy Story 3
Released: 23 July 2010
Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack
Director: Lee Unkrich
Studio: Pixar
Toy Story one and two were excellent films. Undeniably so. Although the third has received markedly cautious responses to date, we’re not hesitant about it, and we’re sure it’ll be a great laugh for all concerned. Of course, the story might essentially be a repeat of the first film, but that’s not a huge issue.
The Adjustment Bureau
Released: 30 July 2010
Starring: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Daniel Dae Kim
Director: George Nolfi
Studio: Universal
Based on Philip K Dick’s novel, this sci-fi film has an intriguing cast. Damon has been excellent in his recent roles – Invictus, Green Zone and Bourne – and we’re partial to Emily Blunt thanks to her good turn in Wind Chill. We’re happy to give it a go.
The Last Airbender
Released: 13 August 2010
Starring: Noah Ringer, Jackson Rathbone, Nicola Peltz
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Studio: Paramount
Will this be the film that redeems M Night Shyamalan, after the disastrous events of Lady In The Water, the alright-but-still-a-bit-rubbish effort in The Village, and The Film We Shall Not Speak Of Again? You know, the one with nature taking a turn for the homicidal? Maybe, maybe not. But it’s surely the last chance saloon now.
Predators
Released: 13 August 2010
Starring: Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishburne, Alice Braga
Director: Nimrod Antal
Studio: 20th Century Fox
The last three films involving Predators have, on the whole, been a load of bollocks. Quite why this will be any different, we’re not entirely sure, and we don’t hold any hope for it. We’re more than willing to be pleasantly surprised though, Mr Antal.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Released: 13 August 2010
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel, Alfred Molina
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Studio: Disney
Being a live-action reimagination of the segment from Fantasia, we can’t help but wonder if Nicolas Cage will be donning a mouse costume to batter broomsticks with, as opposed to his previous attempts at dress-up in films. Moderately interesting, nothing more.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World
Released: 27 August 2010
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin
Director: Edgar Wright
Studio: Universal
Some of us on the team can’t wait to see this film, others couldn’t care less, already cringing from the silly effects in the trailer. Still, it’s more than likely guaranteed to make a fair amount at the box office, and Edgar Wright is always an interesting director to watch.
