Summer Movie Preview 2020: ‘Hamilton,’ ‘Tenet,’ ‘Mulan’ and More
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The 2020 summer movie season is one like never before. With social distancing and shelter-in-place regulations shutting down theaters across the world, the film industry is in uncharted waters. What was set up to be a season for studios to unleash expensive and highly anticipated tentpoles has been truncated and diminished by frequent calendar adjustments and looming uncertainty.
Many of the films that were poised to be the biggest hits of the summer have been pushed back. Marvel’s “Black Widow,” Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and Warner Bros.’ “Wonder Woman 1984” have all staked out new release dates for later this year. Some movies, such as Universal’s “F9” and Sony’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” have been delayed as far as 2021.
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The shutdown has also led studios to experiment with digital and video-on-demand (VOD) releases for films that were originally scheduled to debut in theaters. “The King of Staten Island,” “Artemis Fowl” and “Scoob” will all be available to watch in living rooms much sooner than originally anticipated. Other movies that already had planned digital releases, such as Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods” and a recorded production of the Broadway hit “Hamilton,” stand to gain more attention due to the lockdown.
With the calendar in a constant state of flux, it’s easy to lose track of when films are launching. As of now, here are the movies that will hit theaters and streaming this summer.
MAY
“The Lovebirds” (May 22, Netflix)
Originally set to release in theaters on April 3, Paramount has since sold the rights to the Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani-led romantic comedy to Netflix. The murder mystery was directed by Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick”).
“Inheritance” (May 22, VOD)
This indie thriller follows a wife and daughter unraveling the secrets of their inheritance after the family patriarch dies. The film stars Lily Collins, Simon Pegg, Connie Nielsen, Chace Crawford, Michael Beach and Patrick Warburton.
“The Trip to Greece” (May 22, VOD)
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon reunite for a fourth time to travel through Europe’s finest landmarks and dine on its best cuisine, all while jabbering about celebrity impressions, middle age and inflated egos.
“The High Note” (May 29, VOD)
Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross share the spotlight in this music-driven comedy about a superstar examining her career forward in the Los Angeles music scene. Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ice Cube, Zoe Chao, Eddie Izzard and Bill Pullman round out the cast.
“The Vast of Night” (May 29, Amazon Prime Video; selected theater previews starting May 15)
The directorial debut of Andrew Patterson received strong praise from critics when it premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in 2019. The film follows two teenagers investigating a mysterious audio frequency coming through their radio.
JUNE
“Shirley” (June 5, Hulu)
Josephine Decker’s unconventional drama — a unique look at the life of writer Shirley Jackson (portrayed by Elisabeth Moss) — received raves when it premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
“Becky” (June 5, VOD)
Kevin James makes the jump to drama playing a neo-Nazi who invades the vacation home of a family. Lulu Wilson, Amanda Brugel, Robert Maillet and Joel McHale also star.
“Artemis Fowl” (June 12, Disney Plus)
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, the long-awaited adaptation of the series of young adult novels follows a boy genius discovering a world of dangerous fairies. It was originally set to debut in theaters in late May, but will now hit Disney Plus due to theater closures.
“Da 5 Bloods” (June 12, Netflix)
Spike Lee’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning “BlacKkKlansman” unites a cast including Delroy Lindo, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Jean Reno, Paul Walter Hauser, Jonathan Majors and many more. The film follows four African American veterans returning to Vietnam years after the war to seek the remains of their fallen leader along with the golden treasure that he hid.
“The King of Staten Island” (June 12, VOD)
The semi-autobiographical comedy centers on Pete Davidson as a slacker grieving his firefighter father’s death. Judd Apatow directed the film, which also stars Marisa Tomei, Bill Burr, Maude Apatow, Bel Powley, Pamela Adlon, Steve Buscemi.
“Babyteeth” (June 19, Limited theatrical and VOD)
The coming-of-age debut from Shannon Murphy premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year. The film follows a married couple discovering their ailing teenage daughter has fallen for a drug dealer. The cast includes Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Emily Barclay, Eugene Gilfedder, Essie Davis and Ben Mendelsohn.
“Mr. Jones” (June 19, Digital; July 3, VOD)
Set on the eve of World War II, this thriller examines the regimes of Hitler and Stalin through the eyes of a journalist investigating their propaganda machines. James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, Peter Sarsgaard and Joseph Mawle star.
“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” (Netflix, June 26)
David Dobkin directs this comedy — starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams — about two musicians attempting to prove themselves by representing their country at the world’s biggest song competition.
JULY
“Unhinged” (July 1, Wide theatrical)
The Russell Crowe vehicle is the first wide theatrical release on the calendar for the rest of 2020. The cat-and-mouse thriller follows a single mother (Caren Pisotrius) being stalked by Crowe’s character after a road rage confrontation.
“Hamilton” (July 3, Disney Plus)
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical is set to hit living rooms right before Independence Day. The release is a recording of a 2016 production featuring the original principal cast, including Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan and Anthony Ramos.
“The Truth” (July 3, Limited)
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda makes his first film outside of his native language with this drama featuring Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke.
“The Outpost” (July 3, Theaters and VOD)
Based on Jake Tapper’s best-selling book, this war movie dramatizes the true story of a platoon in Afghanistan taking part in the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War. Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, Orlando Bloom, Jack Kesy, Taylor John Smith and Milo Gibson star.
“The Old Guard“ (July 10, Netflix)
Gina Prince-Bythewood directs this superhero movie following a pack of centuries-old mercenaries forced to fight for their freedom. Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenaerts and Chiwetel Ejiofor round out the cast.
“Relic” (July 10, VOD)
This horror film about three generations of women confronting the spirits possessing their family had a buzzy debut at Sundance last year. Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcoate and Robyn Nevin star.
“The Silencing” (July 16, DirecTV; Aug. 14 Theaters and VOD)
This crime thriller, led by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Annabelle Wallis, follows a sheriff and a hunter as they seek out the kidnapper of the hunter’s daughter.
“Tenet” (July 17, Wide)
Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to his best picture nominee “Dunkirk” is still expected to release on the big screen this summer. Plot details on the time-bending espionage thriller remain closely guarded. John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh star.
“The Painted Bird” (July 17, Theaters and VOD)
Shot in 35mm black and white, this drama adapts Jerzy Koriski’s novel of the same name about a young Jewish boy seeking refuge across Eastern Europe during World War II. Petr Kotlár, Stellan Skarsgård, Harvey Keitel, Barry Pepper, Julian Sands and Udo Kier star.
“Mulan” (July 24, Wide)
Niki Caro directed the Disney’s live-action remake of its 1998 animated film, which will see Liu Yifei Chinese as the heroine who disguises herself as a man to enlist in the Imperial Army.
“Radioactive” (July 24, Amazon Prime Video )
Rosamund Pike stars in this biopic about the life of scientist Marie Curie. The movie originally premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last fall.
“The Rental” (July 24, Limited)
Dave Franco makes his directorial debut with this horror film starring Alison Brie, Dan Stevens, Sheila Vand and Jeremy Allen White. It follows two couples who suspect the owner of their Airbnb is spying on them.
“The Informer” (July 31, Limited)
The thriller based on Anders Roslund and Börge Hellström’s novel “Three Seconds” will make its U.S. premiere this year. The film, starring Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Common, Ana de Armas and Clive Owen, is about an undercover infiltration of the Polish drug trade.
AUGUST
“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” (Aug. 7, Wide)
The third movie based on the popular Nickelodeon animated series has SpongeBob attempting to save his pet snail Gary from Poseidon. The series’ regular voice cast returns, while Snoop Dogg, Keanu Reeves, Awkwafina and Reggie Watts are all confirmed to have roles in the film. Former series writer Tim Hill directed.
“The One and Only Ivan” (Aug. 14, Wide Release)
Thea Sharrock directs this fantasy drama about a gorilla, an elephant and a dog raising a baby elephant in a mall. Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Angelina Jolie, Brooklyn Prince, Danny DeVito and Helen Mirren star.
“The Secret Garden” (Aug. 14)
Colin Firth, Julie Walters and Dixie Egerickx star in this adaptation of the beloved novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
“Wonder Woman 1984” (Aug. 14, Wide Release)
The sequel to the 2017 superhero smash reunites star Gal Gadot with director Patty Jenkins as the two transport the DC Comics heroine from World War I to the mid-1980s. Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen also star.
“Antebellum” (Aug. 21, Wide)
Lionsgate’s horror film focuses on Janelle Monáe as a successful author who is mysteriously transported to a Southern plantation when slavery was legal.
“Bill & Ted Face the Music” (Aug. 21, Wide)
The long-awaited third entry reunites Alex Winer and Keanu Reeves as the two laid-back time travelers embarking on an adventure to save the universe.
“The New Mutants” (Aug. 28, Wide)
The long-delayed “X-Men” horror spin-off will finally hit theaters at the end of summer. Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Alice Braga, Blu Hunt and Henry Zaga star as a group of troubled teenagers with extraordinary powers imprisoned in a secret facility.
SEPTEMBER
“A Quiet Place Part II” (Sept. 4, Wide)
John Krasinski will help close out summer with the follow-up to his hit 2018 horror film by venturing further into its post-apocalyptic world. Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe all reprise their roles from the original, while Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou join the cast.
“The Beatles: Get Back” (Sept. 4)
Peter Jackson’s documentary about the legendary British rock band will offer a fly-on-the-wall perspective of the group rehearsing and recording songs for what would turn out to be their final album.
“Honest Thief” (Sept. 4, Wide)
Liam Neeson portrays a bank robber who falls in love just as he intends to turn himself in. The cast also includes Katie Walsh, Jai Courtney, Jeffrey Donovan, Jeffrey Wright, Anthony Ramos and Robert Patrick.
“Monster Hunter” (Sept. 4, Wide)
After capping off the “Resident Evil” series in 2017, director Paul W.S. Anderson adapts another video game franchise, taking on the popular Capcom series of the same name. Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa and Tip “T.I.” Harris star.
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