The The budgets. The ambition. The names. The stakes. This summer, Hollywood has many of the regulars on the lineup: 鈥淢inions,鈥� 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� and 鈥淭oy Story.鈥� But the most eagerly anticipated is not a superhero, toy, or franchise: It鈥檚 a 3,000-year-old epic poem.
For filmmaker , out July 17, isn’t just a story. It’s the story: A foundational piece that deserved to be done on the biggest possible scale, with all the resources modern Hollywood had to offer.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a massive amount of pressure,鈥� Nolan told The Associated Press. 鈥淎nyone taking on 鈥楾he Odyssey鈥� is taking on the hopes and dreams of people for epic movies everywhere and that comes with a huge responsibility.鈥�
It’s a familiar feeling, though. He did three Batman films after all.
鈥淲hat I learned from that experience is that what people want from a movie about a beloved story, a beloved set of characters, is they want a strong and sincere interpretation,鈥� Nolan said. 鈥淭hey want to know that a filmmaker has gone to the mat for it. I really tried to make the best film possible.鈥�
Three summers ago, 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� made . 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� has battles, gods, creatures and an army of movie stars 鈥� Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and Tom Holland included. It’s also the first movie shot entirely on IMAX film. Tickets for some showings sold out in under an hour a full year in advance.
鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� will be shorter than 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥�; Three hours is the longest they鈥檝e been able to get onto an IMAX film projector, after all.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an epic film, as the subject matter demands,鈥� Nolan said. 鈥淏ut it is shorter.鈥�
Summer movie season’s fashionable kickoff
Hollywood may not save all its blockbusters for the hottest months anymore, but the 18 week corridor running from the first weekend in May through Labor Day remains the industry鈥檚 most important, accounting for around 40% of the year鈥檚 box office. And it’s only surpassed $4 billion once since the pandemic, in 2023.
Marvel movies often kick off the season, but last year filmmaker David Frankel got a call from Disney: wasn鈥檛 going to be ready by the first weekend in May; Could 鈥淭he Devil Wears Prada 2鈥� step up?
May 1 is just days before the and it would give the movie a long runway to play, he figured. It would also require a bit of a sprint 鈥� they finished the film just weeks ago. But the enthusiasm was motivating, from fans snapping photos of Hathaway and Meryl Streep on the New York streets, to support from .
Love for 鈥淧rada鈥� isn鈥檛 the only thing that鈥檚 changed in 20 years; Magazines have also become an endangered species.
鈥淗ow does Miranda Priestly deal with this changing world and what鈥檚 her future?鈥� Frankel said. 鈥淭he same with Andy Sachs: If all your ambition has been funneled in this one direction, what happens when you have to pivot and how do you adapt?鈥�
The $4 billion question
The movie industry is also adjusting to a new paradigm. Box office is down over 20% from pre-COVID levels. The rise in streaming, the pandemic and shifting theatrical windows altered people鈥檚 moviegoing habits, perhaps permanently. And there may be one less major studio if
But, as James Cameron said, 鈥渉ope springs eternal.
鈥淲e still have a very robust theatrical industry at a time when it was kind of almost pronounced dead,鈥� Cameron said.
The gap is not widening. Studios are committing to longer exclusive theatrical windows. Original movies and premium formats are drawing crowds. And the market continues to expand globally.
Cameron is behind one of those only-in-a-theater experiences with the 3D Billie Eilish concert film (May 8). Using new technology, they used 17 camera systems to capture four nights of her Manchester shows last year.
鈥淪eeing it in 3D is astonishing,鈥� Cameron said. 鈥淵ou really feel an intimacy with her and yet you feel the scale of the spectacle.鈥�
A summer for heavyweights
Nolan isn鈥檛 Universal鈥檚 only giant of cinema on its summer roster: Steven Spielberg is also returning to one of his most beloved genres with 鈥淒isclosure Day鈥� (June 12). There are superhero movies as well, with 鈥淪upergirl鈥� (June 26), which DC Studios co-head Peter Safran said is 鈥渋s something cool and original and we haven鈥檛 seen before,鈥� and 鈥淪pider-Man: Brand New Day鈥� (July 31). The last Spidey film, which made over $1.9 billion, ended with Holland鈥檚 Peter Parker erasing himself from everyone鈥檚 memory.
鈥淭his is a blockbuster action movie with all the humor and emotion we love about Spider-Man,鈥� director Destin Daniel Cretton said. 鈥淏ut at its heart, it鈥檚 a story about learning how to reconnect with the ones you love.鈥�
A lot of power recently has shifted to . This summer has 鈥淭oy Story 5鈥� (June 19), 鈥淢inions & Monsters鈥� (July 1) and a live action 鈥淢oana鈥� (July 10), which could all very well hit a billion dollars each.
One non-franchise family friendly film is 鈥淭he Sheep Detectives鈥� (May 8), in which the animals (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston) investigate the death of their beloved owner (Hugh Jackman). Writer Craig Mazin understands the hurdle: There have been a lot of stupid talking animal movies. But this one is different, he said, it’s not just silly sheep doing silly things.
鈥淭here are some really beautiful moments and themes and things that parents can talk about with their kids,鈥� Mazin said. 鈥淎nd most importantly, it is legitimately a movie that is meant for everyone.鈥�
Then there’s 鈥淪tar Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu鈥� (May 22), which is rated PG-13 but has an impossibly cute alien going for it. It鈥檚 also one of several made for IMAX.
鈥淧eople have got great TVs at home,鈥� said director Jon Favreau. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to give them a reason to go out.鈥�
The scary movies
Movie studios also continue to lean into horror and this summer has both franchises, like 鈥淓vil Dead Burn鈥�(July 10) and 鈥淚nsidious: Out of the Further鈥� (Aug. 21) and unnerving indies, including the 鈥渃onversion therapy鈥� horror 鈥淟eviticus,鈥� 鈥淩ose of Nevada鈥� (both June 19), 鈥淏ackrooms鈥� (May 29) and a new , 鈥淭eenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma鈥� (Aug. 7).
And then there is 鈥淪cary Movie 6″ (June 5), which sees the return of Regina Hall and Anna Faris, as well as Marlon and Shawn Wayans, who haven’t been involved in the franchise they helped create since the 2001 sequel. And there were so many movies ripe for parody, like 鈥淢3GAN,鈥� 鈥淕et Out,鈥� 鈥淲eapons,鈥� the just-released 鈥淢ichael,鈥� and 鈥淪inners,鈥� which Marlon Wayans was most excited about.
鈥淢ockery is the greatest form of flattery,鈥� Wayans said. 鈥淪ending up their movie was definitely tipping our hat to them.鈥�
The festival darlings and other gems
Audiences want more than brands and blockbusters though. This year moviegoers have already proven they鈥檒l turn out when the buzz is right, whether it鈥檚 for a big crowd pleaser like or for something more challenging like 鈥淭he Drama.鈥�
One that has the potential to break through is Olivia Wilde鈥檚 鈥淭he Invite鈥� (June 26), a chamber dramedy about two very different couples (Wilde, Seth Rogen, Pen茅lope Cruz and Edward Norton) over one wine-filled night that sparked a bidding war at the Sundance Film Festival. Wilde was heartened that most studios were offering theatrical releases, and ultimately chose A24. They鈥檝e even made a 35 mm print.
鈥淭he whole project for me is really tipping my hat to Mike Nichols,鈥� Wilde said. 鈥淲e thought of the audiences that have always loved those films.鈥�
There are plenty of indies and originals to choose from throughout the summer, including Daniel Roher鈥檚 鈥淭uner,鈥� about a piano prodigy turned safecracker, Boots Riley鈥檚 colorful shoplifting movie 鈥淚 Love Boosters,鈥� (both May 22) a John Carney musical with Paul Rudd (鈥淧ower Ballad,鈥� June 5) and David Wain鈥檚 wholesomely raunchy comedy 鈥淕ail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass鈥� (July 10).
As Wilde said, there鈥檚 room for both originals and franchises.
鈥淭he audience really likes to recognize risk,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 something exciting about that.鈥�
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