The Summer of 2016 has already spawned its first movie blockbuster. “Captain America: Civil War,” starring Sudbury’s Chris Evans as the titular superhero, has made nearly $1 billion at the box office to become the biggest hit of the year.
What other potential blockbusters does Hollywood have in store for us in the coming months? Check out this list:
“X-Men: Apocalypse”
Out May 27, the fourth installment in the franchise will feature the return of star players Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Rose Byrne and more. But the success of “Captain America” could put a damper on its box office score. How many superhero movies can the summer market support? We’ll find out….
“Finding Dory”
Out June 17, Pixar’s sequel to “Finding Nemo” is bound to be a hit with families – just like everything else the studio produces. Most of the “Nemo” talent returns for “Dory” including Ellen Degeneres as the titular fish, Albert Brooks as Marlin, and writer-director Andrew Stanton. It will make a box office splash.
“Independence Day: Resurgence”
Out June 24, the sequel to the 1996 summer extravaganza is without Will Smith. Director Roland Emmerich and Jeff Goldblum are back. So are the aliens. But can the movie score with audiences when the original hero, Smith’s Captain Steven Hiller, has been killed off? We never rule out a summer flick with a lot of CGI firepower, but the jury is out on this Resurgence.
“The BFG”
Out July 1, Steven Spielberg’s big-screen version of Roald Dahl’s beloved kids’ book is another sure-fire family hit. Recent Oscar winner Mark Rylance plays the BFG, a.k.a. Big Friendly Giant, and he’ll share the screen with Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, as well as newcomer Ruby Barnhill in the role of Sophie.
“Ghostbusters”
Out July 15, the all-gal reboot of the classic Bill Murray-Dan Aykroyd comedy horror flick has generated much controversy. Internet trolls have slammed the gender swap and the original trailer was voted the most disliked preview in the history of YouTube. The haters will stay away, but everyone else will storm the megaplexes to see Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones and director Paul Feig reboot the beloved franchise, which, BTW, was filmed in Boston.
“Star Trek Beyond”
Out July 22, this is “Star Trek” without J.J. Abrams at the helm. He departed to direct “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Can Justin Lin of the “Fast and Furious” films measure up? Casting Idris Elba as Krall and having Brit wit Simon Pegg write the script certainly won’t hurt….
“Jason Bourne”
Out July 29, Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass reunite for their first Bourne flick since 2007. Welcome back, boys. We’ll be there on opening night.
“Suicide Squad”
Out August 5, the fanboys will be lining up for what could be the summer’s biggest hit. This is DC Comics’ attempt to horn in on the Marvel superhero box office dominance with a gang of anti-superheroes. “Suicide Squad” comes with some added baggage after the “Batman v. Superman” dud. Will Smith, Margot Robbie, and Jared Leto are among its roster of bad-guys with Leto, as the Joker, proclaiming the flick is “a bunch of homicidal maniacs having a good time.” In other words, box office magic!
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