When the school year ends, teenagers will be sleeping in late, splashing in the summer’s beach waters, and both succeeding and failing at getting summer jobs. However, everyone knows the most anticipated activity will be preparing for a summer lined up with big-name movies ranging from those about superheroes, princesses and aliens, and rock stars.
Released today, Snow White & the Huntsman is an action-fantasy film, which takes a spin on the classic fairytale of Snow White. This darker and more serious version stars Kristen Stewart, made (in)famous by playing Twilight’s Bella Swan, as Snow White, and Chris Hemsworth, who played the mighty god Thor of The Avengers, as the Huntsman sent to kill Snow White. Rounding off the cast is Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna, who will do anything to maintain her title as the “Fairest One of All” (screenrant.com).
Don’t worry though, because there will still be the typical princess story in Pixar’s next animated film, Brave, coming out on July 22. Kelly MacDonald will be voicing Princess Merida, “a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor.” The newest addition to the line of princesses plans to ignore the age-old customs of the princess stereotypes, determined to prove her worth instead, in which she will find a witch’s aid to change her destiny (imdb.com).
Will Princess Merida turn into the hero that she hopes to be? We’ll have to wait to see, but in the meantime, another hero’s destiny will be revealed. Director Marc Webb will be rebooting the Spider-Man film series with a new film, The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as his love-interest Gwen Stacy. According to Screen Rant’s website, come July 3, comic book fans will witness new origins of the beloved hero (screenrant.com).
With new beginnings comes the end of another superhero. Director Christopher Nolan ends his Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises, which releases on July 22. Taking place eight years after The Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) has to return to Gotham as the vigilante Batman, where he encounters the mysterious Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), as well as attempts to stop new villain Bane (Tom Hardy) who plans to destroy the city (screenrant.com).
If you’re not a fan of princesses or superheroes, maybe you’ll enjoy Prometheus, a science-fiction film set in the near future. Not a direct prequel, Director Ridley Scott said Prometheus “…will recognize strands of Alien’s DNA, so to speak,” in an interview with Reelz movie site. The film follows a crew sent on a scientific expedition to find the origins of humanity. They explore the advanced civilization of an extraterrestrial race, exposing a threat to humanity’s very existence (reelz.com).
Princesses, superheroes, aliens? None of those fictional characters can hold a candle to the ensemble cast of Tom Cruise, Russell Brand, Julianne Hough, several other A-list actors. This group of veteran actors and newer faces will come together on June 15 in Rock of Ages, a film adaptation of the 2006 Chris D’Arienzo comedy Broadway musical of the same name. We will witness the romantic story of a waitress and busboy who fall in love during the rock music era of the 1980s (screenrant.com).
Along with Princess Merida and the amazing Spider-Man, there are also ancient vampires, black op soldiers, and male strippers that will fill the screens with drama, action, and comedy. With no more studies to stress you out, get ready to enjoy a warm summer stocked with an abundance of movies that will blow your mind.