Now that Avengers: Endgame has hit theaters, we've officially entered the summer film and TV season. Highlights include the next Spider-Man movie, an adaptation of Catch-22 coming to Hulu, an intriguing reboot for Chucky and famed director Jim Jarmusch having fun with zombies.
Looking for a blockbuster action film? We've got release dates for everything from the third and final John Wick movie to the latest installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, and everything in between (like the new Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season).
Dead to Me — on Netflix May 3
Starring Christina Applegate (Married ... With Children) and Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks), this show looks to reap success in the current trend of true crime with a dark, comedic edge. Applegate's character, Jen, is struggling to find out who's responsible for the hit-and-run murder of her husband, and she makes friends with Cardellini's Judy at a support-group meeting.
Detective Pikachu — in theaters May 10
After over 20 Pokemon movies were brought to animated life, we were a little suspicious about the rumors of a live-action-with-CGI PokeMovie. Fortunately, the trailers — which feature Ryan Reynolds as the voice of a Pikachu, who can be understood only by his partner, Tim — provided us with more than enough weirdness and laughter to buy tickets in advance.
The Hustle — in theaters May 10
This gender-flipped remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels stars Rebel Wilson as a low-level scammer who catches the eye of a veteran con artist, played by Anne Hathaway. When the pair become master and apprentice, it will likely test both of their abilities to trust.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Season 6 — coming to ABC May 10
Coulson's crew returns for another season of Marvel Cinematic Universe-adjacent adventures. In what capacity Clark Gregg will return to the show, however, appears to be a major topic, according to rumors we've heard.
John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum — in theaters May 16
One last time into the bullet-hell breach! Mr. Wick's final chapter features a $13 million hit on his well-coiffed head, thanks to his actions at the end of the preceding film. Halle Berry co-stars as a hit woman who is one of Wick's last remaining allies and one of his few lifelines for an escape from New York.
Fleabag, Season 2 — on Amazon Prime May 17
Love Killing Eve? Series creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge isn't just working on tales of international espionage, as her series Fleabag is launching its second and likely final season. Titular character Fleabag (also played by Waller-Bridge) is a screw-up who feels emotionally linked to Killing Eve's protagonists, though, working with much lower stakes, she manages a flailing love life.
Catch-22 — on Hulu May 17
George Clooney, Hugh Laurie and Kyle Chandler star in this miniseries-length adaptation of Joseph Heller's WWII novel.
Booksmart — in theaters May 24
One of the most-buzzed-about films of this year's South by Southwest festival, Booksmart is getting praised as a sharp and crude coming-of-age comedy — and the kind of film that's rarely written, covering life as a young girl. Think Lady Bird meets Superbad.
Aladdin — in theaters May 24
Disney's mad dash to adapt its classic animated movies has finally brought the studio to Aladdin and his magic carpet ride, in a film directed by Guy Ritchie. Actor Marwan Kenzari's already turning heads for making Jafar look better than ever. But if we're honest, it's Will Smith's Genie who's got us the most curious, and that's not entirely a good thing.
Ma — in theaters May 31
Ma looks to teach today's youth a valuable lesson: Don't drink when you're underage, and don't trust adults who are all too willing to aide your law breaking. Here, the titular Ma is played by Octavia Spencer. She seems to be hiding her rationale for helping a pack of dumb teens buy booze and then allowing them to turn her basement into their small town's hottest nightclub.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters — in theaters May 31
Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown is the top-billed star of this upcoming monster smash, but we all know better. Audiences are hitting theaters to watch an ultimate smack-down between Godzilla and his eternal nemeses, Mothra, Rodan and the three-headed King Ghidorah.
Rocketman — in theaters May 31
Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service) stars in this musical biopic telling the story of Elton John's rise to fame. Whether or not it will earn the adoration or controversy that the award-winning Bohemian Rhapsody received, this film looks like a solid chance to learn more about the maestro behind the sunglasses.
Deadwood: The Movie — on HBO May 31 at 8 p.m.
Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant and Molly Parker are among the cast members returning to give Deadwood a proper feature-length send-off.
When They See Us — on Netflix May 31
Director Ava DuVernay continues to take on heavy topics, as this film tells the story of the Central Park Five, a group of five young men of color who were unjustly convicted of assault about 30 years ago. While the film features little-known actors in the titular roles of the accused, the supporting cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Joshua Jackson, John Leguizamo and Michael Kenneth Williams.
The Handmaid’s Tale, Season 3 — on Hulu June 5
The perpetually depressing drama returns this summer for some incredibly not-light viewing. Elisabeth Moss' June begins the season trying to rescue daughter Hannah from the Gilead government, and reports suggest we'll see more of Samira Wiley's Moira.
Dark Phoenix — in theaters June 7
The latest X-Men film looks to tell a seriously ambitious story: Jean Grey's descent into madness that culminates in her transformation into one of the strongest Marvel characters ever. Yes, this June, weeks after we see the last of Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones on May 19, we will see what happens when actress Sophie Turner takes on an even bigger power than the Iron Throne: being the Dark Phoenix.
Late Night — in theaters June 7
Emma Thompson stars as Katherine Newbury, a late-night talk-show host struggling to keep her show afloat. Newbury may save her show by hiring its first female writer (Mindy Kaling), breaking a glass ceiling in media.
Big Little Lies, Season 2 — on HBO June 9
Story beats aren't leaking yet, but don't worry — the gang's coming back to Monterey for Season 2, as Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravtiz all return to the tense show. Oh, and Meryl Streep's joining in, to play the mother of Alexander Skarsgard's Perry.
Pose — on FX June 9
Ryan Murphy's drama series Pose is back for a second season in the downtown N.Y. drag ballrooms. This new season will continue the historical fiction vibe, beginning alongside the release of Madonna's hit single "Vogue" in 1990, placing the events right in the middle of the AIDS crisis.
Men in Black: International — in theaters June 14
Sure, Men in Black: International is the fourth film in a series about the fight to protect Earth from aliens. We're not convinced, though. Why, we ask, would you recast the hot leads of Thor: Ragnarok (Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson) in new roles, which make both stars look like they're attending a black-tie event, other than to begin a crossover between MiB and Marvel? Well, even if our theory is off, this looks like a hot property we all have to see.
The Dead Don't Die — in theaters June 14
You may have thought zombie movies died off, but we're more than happy to see the genre stay undead if it means we get movies like Jarmusch's upcoming The Dead Don't Die. This comedy-horror flick features an all-star cast, including Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Chloe Sevigny, as well as younger stars like Adam Driver, Caleb Landry Jones and Austin Butler.
Euphoria — on HBO June 16
Zendaya (Spider-Man: Homecoming) stars in this new HBO series that Drake is producing about high school life in the age of sex, drugs and social media. I've heard the new HBO series described as Riverdale but even darker, so I'm expecting something akin to Skins but with a bigger budget.
Child's Play — in theaters June 21
We're not sure who said, "We need Mark Hamill to voice the creepiest doll ever," but they should get a promotion. In even-more-tantalizing news, this summer's Child's Play will refresh the series to be tech-tinged, as the film's makers have swapped demonic possession out for AI gone wrong. The app-controlled Chucky (voiced by Hamill) isn't just spying, though, as a trailer shows the doll dragging its iconic knife along with it.
Toy Story 4 — in theaters June 21
Maybe you didn't think you needed to go back to the toy box, but we're guessing you didn't foresee Pixar's premiere franchise reexamining sentience. Toy Story 4 looks to test Woody's loyalty to the pack when an adventure to find a spork with a mind of its own — Tony Hale's Forky — leads the cowboy to old friend Bo Peep, who changes his perspective on life.
Yesterday — in theaters June 28
Danny Boyle's latest film imagines a strong "what if" scenario: What if you woke up in a world where the Beatles never existed — except in your memory? Faced with that situation, Jack (Himesh Patel) does what any musician with a good ability to imitate would do: perform the Fab Four's hits and get famous for it.
Stranger Things, Season 3 — on Netflix July 4
A new hot summer's starting in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, and it's bringing a whole lot of retro sci-fi/horror fun with it. Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride) and Jake Busey (Starship Troopers) join the cast.
Spider-Man: Far From Home — in theaters July 5
The last we heard from Peter Parker, in Avengers: Infinity War, he didn't feel too good. But that didn't stop Tom Holland from filming his next MCU movie. This outing sees Spidey travel abroad to Europe and will end Phase 3 of the Marvel movies.
Stuber — in theaters July 12
Looking at the poster for Stuber, I thought to myself, "Oh, Uber, but stupid," and I might not have been that far off. The film stars Kumail Nanjiani as Stu, a ride-hailing driver who's taken on his worst fare ever: Vic, a cop trying to track down a brutal killer. I doubt these two will make it to their destination on time, but Stu better get a seriously good tip for his trouble.
The Lion King — in theaters July 19
The circle of life isn't usually about the progression from 2D animation to ultrarealistic CGI, but it will be this summer when Donald Glover (Atlanta) lends his voice to the role of the princely Simba in this live-action retelling of the Disney classic. The cast is rounded out by James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar and Beyonce as Nala. Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen are Timon and Pumbaa, because of course.
Veronica Mars — on Hulu on July 26
Some fans are always up for giving their favorite show another chance, and Veronica Mars' fans are hoping that the third time's the charm. While the series' first and second seasons, at UPN, were beloved, its third season didn't do well enough for The CW to order more, and its Kickstarter feature film didn't thrive either. Fortunately, most of the important players are returning to Neptune, Florida, including Kristen Bell as Ms. Mars herself, Enrico Colantoni as her dad, Keith; Ken Marino as doofy PI Vinnie Van Lowe; and Jason Dohring as Logan Echolls, the brooding bad boy who's ranged from villain to love interest.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — in theaters July 26
Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in Quentin Tarantino's latest, as an actor and his stunt double, who become embroiled in the madness that led to the Manson family murders. Margot Robbie co-stars as Sharon Tate, while Al Pacino has been hired to chew scenery as Marvin Schwarz, a Hollywood producer.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw — in theaters Aug. 2
Yes, eight movies were not enough; the Fast & The Furious deserves the spinoff movies befitting a proper cinematic universe. Hobbs & Shaw focuses on a team-up between unlikely partners Luke Hobbs (Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), who do everything they can to fight Brixton (Idris Elba), a madman out for global domination. Spoiler alert for how the good guys win: family.
The New Mutants — in theaters Aug. 2
Direwolves are so 2018. As Rahne Sinclair, Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones) moves on from Arya Stark to becoming a Scottish mutant who can turn into a wolf. Little is really known about the film, except that it's needed reshoots since April 2019 and that it will probably not get those reshoots.
Midsommar — in theaters Aug. 9
Ari Aster, the crazy genius behind the haunting movie Hereditary, returns for more insanity with Midsommar, which stars Florence Pugh (Fighting With My Family), who's on vacation in a small Swedish village. The town's quirks, though, quickly look more like red flags than fun little oddities.
