The 50th anniversary of the summer blockbuster promises a season of not-to-miss movies

San Francisco Chronicle​

22-05-2025

On July 5, 1975, I unknowingly participated in what would become an enduring summer ritual. On that date, I happened to go to a movie theater to see 'Jaws,' the first-ever summer blockbuster.
This season marks the 50th anniversary of the summer blockbuster's release, a significant event in popular culture and in movie history.
To be clear, that history has not been all positive. Most of the blockbusters that followed weren't nearly in the same league as 'Jaws,' and that includes 'Jaws 2' (1978). But when they're done right, a good summer flick is pure fun — audacious, breezy, grand-scale and exciting.
Here are the most eagerly anticipated films of this summer movie season.
'Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning'
Tom Cruise is back for the last time as Ethan Hunt in the eighth installment of his 'Mission: Impossible' saga, which began in 1996. This time out, Hunt, who is considered something of a reckless maniac by his superiors, is charged with saving the world. If anyone can do it, he can.
In theaters May 23.
'From the World of John Wick: Ballerina'
A better title might have been, 'Don't Worry, This Isn't About Ballet: This is Another Nonstop Bloodbath.' From the trailer, it seems that Ana de Armas stars as a woman going around killing everybody. Then John Wick (Keanu Reeves) shows up and they try to kill each other, but they keep missing. Does anyone want to bet that, before the end, they team up to kill everybody else?
'The Life of Chuck'
Because this film is based on a Stephen King story and was directed by Mike Flanagan (' Ouija: Origins of Evil '), one might expect this to be a horror movie. But apparently it's not. It stars Tom Hiddleston as Chuck, and Chuck just seems to be … a normal person. Where the drama will be found in this movie is anyone's guess, but it has a strong cast (Oakland's own Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, Chiwetel Ejiofor) and seems to be an attempt to do something worth doing — that is, to celebrate normal life.
In theaters June 6.
'The Ritual'
The attempt here is to make a serious, sincere exorcism movie. Based on a real exorcism that took place in the 1930s, it stars Al Pacino as a real-life person, Theophilus Riesinger, whose performance of an exorcism in Iowa made him nationally famous. Here, Pacino is supported by Dan Stevens, who plays Riesinger's second in charge, and Abigail Cowen, who plays the afflicted woman.
In theaters June 6.
'The Materialists'
Dakota Johnson plays a successful matchmaker working for a high-end agency, who becomes torn between two men. The first, played by Perdro Pascal (who is appearing in every other movie this summer, including the Oakland-set ' Freaky Tales ') is a rich guy who lives in a $12 million apartment. The second is a working stiff played by Chris Evans. My money is on Evans, but my interest in this movie is that it places Johnson at the center of a film that looks like it just might be worthy of her. If I had to pick one movie to see this summer, this would be the one.
In theaters June 6.
'Superman'
Another 'Superman' movie? And yet another Superman? This newest reboot stars the relatively unknown newcomer David Corenswet (' Twisters ') as the renowned superhero who thinks he's a tough guy because he just happened to land on a planet where he can beat up everybody. The movie was directed by James Gunn of ' Guardians of the Galaxy ' fame, so maybe 'Superman' will be funny for once. Two names in the supporting cast are promising: Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
In theaters June 11.
'Eddington'
Taking place in a small town, at the height of the pandemic lockdown in May 2020, the movie stars Pedro Pascal (see what I mean?) as the mayor of Eddington, N.M. The mayor's clash with the town's police chief (Joaquin Phoenix) divides the town and brings about dire consequences. But the consequences are always dire in the world of director Ari Aster (' Midsommar '). The thing that's most intriguing here is the movie's pandemic setting. It was the dominant reality of our lives five years ago, and so far, only a few films have touched on it.
In theaters June 13.
'Jurassic World: Rebirth'
If any series needed a rebirth — or a swift burial — it's this series, which began in 1993 and has been running on fumes for the last decade. But the story of this one looks like it might be fun. Scarlett Johansson plays the woman leading a team tasked with bringing back DNA samples from the three biggest dinosaurs. The only problem is that these dinosaurs were 'too dangerous for the original park. … The worst of the worst were left here.' Uh-oh.
In theaters July 2.
'The Fantastic Four'
This series has always been the weak link among superhero movies. But this new movie, a reboot, seems an attempt to up the franchise's game. Four astronauts come back from space with superpowers that will come in handy when an alien entity announces the planet is 'marked for death.' Vanessa Kirby, as the Invisible Woman, and Pedro Pascal (ever heard of him?) as Mister Fantastic, play a newly married (and pregnant) couple whose desire to just stay home and relax is thwarted by their need to defend the planet.
In theaters July 25.
'The Naked Gun'
If you've ever watched a Liam Neeson action movie and wondered if Neeson actually knows he's funny, his starring in this film gives you your answer. Yes, he knows. This reboot of the 1980s and early '90s franchise that featured Leslie Nielsen stars the similarly named Neeson as Nielsen's son, an equally bumbling detective. The one-minute trailer released earlier this year has a couple of good laughs, including the sight of Neeson in a girl's school uniform, fighting bad guys with a lollipop. We'll see how the other 84 minutes stack up.
In theaters Aug. 1.
'Freakier Friday'
This is the sequel to the 2003 film, which starred Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan in a comedy about a mother and daughter who accidentally switch bodies. Some 22 years later, things get even more mixed up when their bodies and consciousnesses are spread out over three generations. It's hard to imagine all that confusion resulting in a successful movie, but stranger things have happened, and it can be nice when performers return to the same role after more than two decades.
In theaters Aug. 8.
'Americana'
Advertised as a modern Western, the film stars Sydney Sweeney and Paul Walter Hauser as people embroiled in a desperate effort to recover a valuable Native American artifact. That's about all that can be gleaned from the trailer, aside from the fact that Sweeney speaks with a stutter for this role. Sweeney has been making good choices, clearly swinging for the brass ring of real achievement over ephemeral pop stardom. We'll know soon how this film fits in with her master plan.
In theaters Aug. 22.
'The Roses'
Set in the Bay Area, this dark comedy stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as a husband and wife who gradually come to hate each other. This one looks funny, with the two stars operating at their comically outlandish best, backed by a variety of strong comedic performers (e.g. Kate McKinnon) showing up throughout. The only question is why, if it's so good, are they releasing it on one of the deadest weekends of the year — the one before Labor Day? That could be a sign, or it could simply be counter-programming.