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The best summer movies to watch in theaters: 10 flicks we can’t wait to see

Your guide to the best movies coming to theaters this summer

Anya Taylor-Joy is Furiosa in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga.
Warner Bros. Pictures

As much as we’re looking forward to streaming original films like Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F during the hottest months of the year, the really exciting movies are coming to theaters this summer. From a music drama biopic to out-of-this-world action, there are a lot of films to look forward to in the next few months.

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To make things easier on everyone, we’ve narrowed our list down to the 10 summer movies that we can’t wait to see. And some of them are just a few weeks away.

Back to Black

Marisa Abela as Amy Whitehouse in Back in Black.
Focus Features

Amy Winehouse passed away in 2011, but this summer, Marisa Abela will portray the late singer on the big screen in Back to Black. This long-overdue music biopic will chronicle Winehouse’s rise to stardom and her often turbulent romantic life. But for Winehouse, there was no greater struggle than the one she had with her own addictions and eating disorders. This story doesn’t have a happy ending, but it does pay tribute to the musical legacy that Winehouse left behind.

Back to Black hit theaters on May 17.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Anya Taylor-Joy in Furiosa.
Warner Bros. Pictures

Can Anya Taylor-Joy really fill step into Charlize Theron’s iconic role from Mad Max: Fury Road? We’ll find out when Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga turns the clock back a few decades when the title character wasn’t a warrior yet. Marvel’s Chris Hemsworth is co-starring as Warlord Dementus, the man who kidnapped Furiosa from her home. And if Furiosa ever wants to escape her fate as a prisoner, then she’ll have to fight for her life.

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga will hit theaters on May 24.

Hit Man

Adria Arjona and Glen Powell in Hit Man.
Netflix

It’s not often that a Netflix original film gets a theatrical release, even if it’s only for a limited time. But when Richard Linklater directs a film with one of this year’s hottest stars, Glen Powell, as the lead and co-screenwriter, then exceptions can be made.

Powell is playing Gary Johnson, an undercover operative working on behalf of the police who pretends to be a hit man in order to arrest the people that attempt to hire him. It’s a sting that works out very well until he meets Maddy Masters (Adria Arjona), a woman who truly needs his help. And Gary may risk everything to give it to her.

Hit Man will hit theaters on May 24.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Sony Pictures

If you’ve seen one Bad Boys movie, have you seen them all? To shake things up with the fourth film, Bad Boys: Ride or Die, finds Detective Lieutenants Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) looking into allegations that their late captain, Conrad Howard (Joe Pantoliano), was corrupt and working with drug cartels.

While attempting to clear Howard’s name, Mike and Marcus are also framed and forced to go on the run from the law. Fortunately, they will have some backup from their friends in the department, as well as Mike’s son, Armando Aretas (Jacob Scipio), who made a big impression in Bad Boys For Life.

Bad Boys: Ride or Die will hit theaters on June 7.

A Quiet Place: Day One

Lupita Nyong'o and Joseph Quinn in A Quiet Place: Day One.
Paramount

The old tagline for Alien is “In space, no one can hear you scream.” The key difference in the Quiet Place movies is that everyone can hear you scream. And if you scream, you’re dead. A Quiet Place: Day One depicts the first day of the invasion of the sightless alien beasts whose hearing is so acute that the slightest sound can attract them.

New York’s population is in the millions, but soon, Sam (Lupita Nyong’o) and Eric (Joseph Quinn) are two of the only people left who are even going to get a chance to escape the city… as quietly as possible.

A Quiet Place: Day One will hit theaters on June 28.

Horizon: An American Saga

Kevin Costner in Horizon.
New Line Cinema

Horizon: An American Saga is one of the big reasons why Kevin Costner may not be back for the final episodes of Yellowstone. This multi-part western is Costner’s passion project, which he directed, co-wrote, and stars in. Costner will be playing Hayes Ellison, a man who is leading a caravan of settlers west in the aftermath of the Civil War. Costner plans to make four films in this series, but only two have been finished. And they’re both coming out this summer.

Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 will hit theaters on June 28. Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2 will follow on August 16.

Twisters

The cast of Twisters.
Universal Pictures

It’s been almost three decades since the classic disaster movie Twister blew into theaters. This summer, Twisters is introducing audiences to a new generation of storm chasers: Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler Owens (Glen Powell). Story details are light at the moment, but you can be sure that there will be multiple tornados in the movie. But we’d bet against any Sharknados showing up.

Twisters will hit theaters on July 19.

Deadpool & Wolverine

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool and Wolverine.
Marvel Studios

This year’s only Marvel movie is also likely to be the biggest action comedy of the summer. Deadpool and Wolverine brings Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman back together in their comic book personas for the first time since 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Marvel has so much riding on this film that it’s the first-ever R-rated MCU film. If anything can break the box office out of its superhero slump, it’s this movie.

Deadpool and Wolverine will hit theaters on July 26.

Borderlands

The cast of Borderlands.
Lionsgate

Video game adaptations have been on a hot streak lately, and Borderlands will hopefully keep that trend going as it gives fans a sci-fi action comedy to look forward to in the later part of the summer. Director Eli Roth is better known for his horror movies, but he’s put together a very impressive cast to play a team of intergalactic mercenaries, including Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jack Black. We’re eager to see if that translates into a great movie.

Borderlands will hit theaters on August 9.

Alien: Romulus

Cailee Spaeny in Alien: Romulus.
20th Century Studios

Horror director Fede Álvarez had one mandate when helming Alien: Romulus... and that was to make the aliens scary again. The early look at the teaser trailer suggests that Álvarez succeeded. Cailee Spaeny headlines a young cast who portray colonists who have the grave misfortune of stumbling upon a xenomorph infestation. And they may not live long enough to regret it.

Alien: Romulus will hit theaters on August 16.

Blair Marnell
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Blair Marnell is a freelance writer for The Manual, Digital Trends, Fandom, Yahoo Entertainment, and more!
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