Worst2First: My Most Anticipated Films of Summer 2024

Worst2First:
My Most Anticipated Films of Summer 2024

 Summertime brings the big budget blockbusters to the big screen, and is the time of the year where cinemas see their highest profits. These ten films look to have audiences' butts in theater seats from May through August, and these are the ones I'm most excited to see.

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
**DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**

#10

A Quiet Place: Day One

June 28

John Krasinski shocked audiences with 2018's "A Quiet Place" which he directed, starred, and co-wrote the screenplay for. Earning a whopping $341 million dollars, the film was an instant hit and its sequel did equally as well. Now the "Quiet Place" universe is expanding with "A Quiet Place: Day One," which will be the most daring outing yet, as it's not directed by Krasinski and doesn't star him, his real-life wife Emily Blunt, or their children in the film. Instead it focuses on the beginning of the alien invasion through the eyes of Sam, played by Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o, who must escape the city while maintaining a sense of quiet as to not draw the aliens' attention. This looks like a more blockbuster outing for the franchise as opposed to the closed-off, intimate feel of the first two, and I'm hopeful they'll pull it off.

#9

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

May 10

"The Planet of the Apes" has been one of sci-fi's most beloved films for the last few decades, so when a prequel series of films debuted in 2014, audiences were wondering why it was necessary. Not only did it excel at the box office, but it added depth to the franchise no one thought was needed until realizing they did. The trilogy - "Dawn," "Rise," and "War" served as the perfect prequel trilogy to the original, and director Matt Reeves had a huge hand in it - as well as Andy Serkis, who breathed life into the ape leader Caesar. Now, 300 years later, a new group of apes continue their dominance in the world. Perverting Caesar's words, the ruthless leader of the apes wants to eradicate the remaining humans, who've now turned feral. But a chimpanzee named Noa finds a girl that's still intelligent, and sets out to destroy the leader's tyrannical rule. The motion capture effects look as stellar as ever, the story compelling, and even without Reeves and Serkis I have high hopes for this to be a new trilogy.

#8

The Bikeriders

June 21

It's rare you get Oscar-bait films in the middle of summer, but with the writers' strike last year, "The Bikeriders" was moved from the more friendly winter to the heat of the summer, but the excitement only heats up. The film is the story of the rise of the Vandals MC, a Chicago outlaw motorcycle club that evolves from local outcasts to organized crime, and how it affects the riders and their families. Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus and Boyd Holbrook offer a strong pedigree of performers in a film that'll undoubtedly be filled with suspense, dramatic action, and stellar performances.

#7

The Watchers

June 14

M. Night Shyamalan's daughter Ishana takes center stage behind the camera as well as writing this unique film that looks to be filled with tension and dread. Dakota Fanning plays Mina, an artist who gets stranded in the Irish woods and finds refuge in a strange bunker with three strangers. She's told each night creatures watch them and they can't see them, and are free to roam during the day as long as they follow the watchers' rules. Of course she's not going to do that, and it leads to terror and fear. Co-starring "Barbarian" standout Georgina Campbell, I will definitely be watching "The Watchers" in eager anticipation.

#6

Inside Out 2

June 14

The first "Inside Out" was a massive hit, and its themes of emotions and youth has even been studied in collegiate courses. The emotions of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust were played perfectly and left you with some tears in your eyes and yet also a joyful outlook on life. Now for the sequel, Riley is a teenager and as a teen experiences different emotions that come in and take over, leaving Joy and the old crew on a quest to get back to Riley before the new emotions totally take over. This once again looks to be an emotional roller coaster ride through memories of youth as well as heartfelt comedy and...well...emotions, as told only how the magicians at Pixar can do.

#5

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

May 24

George Miller's epic post-apocalyptic series "Mad Max" has been stellar hits throughout the world, and 2015's "Fury Road" re-invigorated the franchise with the addition of Tom Hardy as the titular Max (replacing Mel Gibson), and Charlize Theron as the furious Furiosa, a warrior in her own right who wishes to flee with other captives to the Green Place. The film earned $380 million worldwide and six Oscars, with word of a prequel story to Furiosa being in development. It took almost ten years, but we're finally getting that prequel with "Furiosa," once again directed by the 79-year-old Miller. Anya Taylor-Joy takes the title from Charlize Theron as a younger Furiosa who's taken from the Green Place and spends years trying to find a way back. Chris Hemsworth stars as the villainous Warlord Dementus, and this film looks to be every part as extravagant, exciting, and exhilarating as the last outing.

#4

Longlegs

July 12

Trailers nowadays tend to give away everything in the movie, but "Longlegs" is different - its trailers literally tell nothing about what the film is about, and I'm all about that. Not knowing a lot about a movie really sets the mood for an intense ride, and the only thing I know about this is that it centers on the search for a serial killer with occult ties, stars "It Follows" star Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, and is directed by the legendary Osgood Perkins. Apart from that, I'm going in blind, and I can't wait to see what awaits.

#3

I Saw the TV Glow

May 3

Speaking of trailers that don't give a lot away, A24's "I Saw the TV Glow" has that same effect. All I know about this is that it has to do with a show that teens saw when they were younger that was abruptly canceled, leading realities to blur. Justice Smith, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Helena Howard, Fred "Limp Bizkit" Durst and Danielle Deadwyler star in this coming-of-age thriller by "We're All Going to the World's Fair" director Jane Schoenbrun.

#2

MaXXXine

July 5

Director Ti West crafted A24's first horror trilogy with "Pearl," "X," and now "MaXXXine," and the first two films were knockout hits. "X" paid homage to classic slashers like "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" while also delving into the themes of aging and loss of dreams, while "Pearl" was the prequel story about the titular villain from "X" as a young woman who had her own aspirations. Mia Goth played both Maxine and Pearl in "X" and Pearl in "Pearl," as well as co-writing the script with West, and now they both return for the grand finale. After surviving the massacre in Texas, Maxine heads to Hollywood in the 1980s to become the star she's destined to become, and draws the attention of the infamous Night Stalker killer. Mia Goth is going to dominate as Maxine, and this film boasts the biggest celebrity co-stars in West's trilogy, including Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon.

#1

Deadpool & Wolverine

July 26

Ever since "Avengers: Endgame" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home," the MCU has had a rocky - to say the least - go at it in cinema and television, and all hopes for the future of the MCU lies with the Merc with a Mouth and Logan. Ryan Reynolds returns as Deadpool in the MCU's first R-rated film as he enlists the help of a different universe's Wolverine to save his own from destruction at the hands of Charles Xavier's twin sister Cassandra Nova. Hugh Jackman - long though retired from the role - returns again to bring renewed vigor to the MCU and hopefully save it as they save other universes from ultimate destruction. With raunchy humor and bloody violence.