After months of stay-at-home orders confining our lives inside the four walls of our homes, gluing us to our screens for work, entertainment, and any form of (virtual) human contact, things are slowly starting to open up again. Movie theaters across the country are reopening – some at full capacity and others with social distancing restrictions and requiring moviegoers to wear their masks. According to NPR, more than 60 percent of movie theaters in the United States have reopened. And, according to the National Research Group, 70 percent of moviegoers are now comfortable returning. So, should we trade our small screen for the big one this summer?
Here is a glimpse of what you can see in theaters this summer:
A Quiet Place Part II:
In theaters on May 28. Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence.
Cruella:
In theaters on May 28. Academy Award winner Emma Stone stars in Disney’s Cruella, an all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas’ most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. Cruella is directed by Craig Gillespie (“I Tonya”).
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
In theaters on June 4. The third movie in the Conjuring series reveals one of the most sensational cases from real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. It starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.
In The Heights
In theaters on June 11. The creator of Hamilton and the director of Crazy Rick Asians invite you to a cinematic event, where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big.
F9 Fast & Furious
In theaters on June 25. F9 is the ninth chapter in the saga that has endured for almost two decades and has earned more than $5 billion around the world. F9 sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth chapters of the series.
The Forever Purge
In theaters on July 2. The Purge returns with its fifth and final chapter. This summer, all the rules are broken as a sect of lawless marauders decides that the annual Purge does not stop at daybreak and instead should never end.
Black Widow
In theaters on July 9. In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller Black Widow, Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises.
Old
In theaters on July 23. M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly…reducing their entire lives into a single day.
Jungle Cruise
In theaters on July 30. Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Jungle Cruise is an adventure-filled, Amazon-jungle expedition starring Dwayne Johnson as the charismatic riverboat captain and Emily Blunt as a determined explorer on a research mission.
The Suicide Squad
In theaters on August 6. From writer/director James Gunn comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action-adventure The Suicide Squad.
Respect
In theaters on August 13. Following the rise of Aretha Franklin’s (Jennifer Hudson) career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom, Respect is the remarkable true story of the music icon’s journey to find her voice.
This summer will be a test to see how studios will release movies in the months to come, whether it be in theaters, on streaming platforms, or both.
As Tim League, the founder of Alamo Drafthouse, said in a New York Times interview, “We’re in the business of creating the best possible viewing experience — to get lost in an amazing story and have heightened emotions around it. It’s amazing when it’s done right, and we’re in the business of doing it right. I know that people are craving a return to any kind of out-of-home experience, being with people and having a sense of rejoining the community.”
