By David Weiner
2:00 PM PDT, March 31, 2013
We've got the breakdown of 10 must-see movies of this summer, which marks the return of several major superhero favorites -- Iron Man, Superman and Wolverine; plus the intrepid Enterprise crew faces a brand-new villain; Leonardo DiCaprio as The Great Gatsby; a new Disney-Pixar release; The Wolfpack is back in what promises to be the final chapter in the Hangover trilogy and more.
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10 Must-See Popcorn Movies of Summer
Paramount Pictures
We've got the breakdown of 10 must-see movies of this summer, which marks the return of several major superhero favorites -- Iron Man, Superman and Wolverine; plus the intrepid Enterprise crew faces a brand-new villain; Leonardo DiCaprio as The Great Gatsby; a new Disney-Pixar release; The Wolfpack is back in what promises to be the final chapter in the Hangover trilogy and more.
Iron Man 3
Marvel/Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: May 3
The Plot: Robert Downey Jr. is back as brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man, who finds his personal world destroyed at the hands of a new villain, Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). With the help of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and loyal friend Rhodey (Don Cheadle), aka War Machine, can Iron Man stop the madness?
Why It's a Must-See: Promising a "good old-fashioned revenge" tale, Iron Man 3 reunites Downey with his Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black, a writer and filmmaker who is full of surprises. If they can recapture that chemistry, it looks like the third time's the charm – and will blow audiences away.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Plot: Robert Downey Jr. is back as brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man, who finds his personal world destroyed at the hands of a new villain, Mandarin (Ben Kingsley). With the help of Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and loyal friend Rhodey (Don Cheadle), aka War Machine, can Iron Man stop the madness?
Why It's a Must-See: Promising a "good old-fashioned revenge" tale, Iron Man 3 reunites Downey with his Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Shane Black, a writer and filmmaker who is full of surprises. If they can recapture that chemistry, it looks like the third time's the charm – and will blow audiences away.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Great Gatsby
Warner Bros.
Release Date: May 10
The Plot: Wannabe writer named Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) heads to New York in search of the American Dream in 1922, ending up next door to mysterious, party-giving millionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) across the bay from his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her philandering husband Tom (Joel Edgarton). Soon, Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super-rich, along with their illusions, loves and deceits.
Why It's a Must-See: Anticipation has been building for quite some time as the release date for this adaptation was pushed back from last year. Springing from the imaginative mind of Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge), F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings arrives with a brand-new, opulent-looking adaptation, promising a deliciously darker look at Fitzgerald's world that mirrors our own modern times and struggles.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Plot: Wannabe writer named Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) heads to New York in search of the American Dream in 1922, ending up next door to mysterious, party-giving millionaire Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio) across the bay from his cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan) and her philandering husband Tom (Joel Edgarton). Soon, Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super-rich, along with their illusions, loves and deceits.
Why It's a Must-See: Anticipation has been building for quite some time as the release date for this adaptation was pushed back from last year. Springing from the imaginative mind of Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge), F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic tale of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings arrives with a brand-new, opulent-looking adaptation, promising a deliciously darker look at Fitzgerald's world that mirrors our own modern times and struggles.
Watch the Trailer HERE
Star Trek Into Darkness
Paramount
Release Date: May 17
The Plot: Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the Enterprise crew are called back to Earth to battle an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization. Embarking on a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction, our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death.
Why It's a Must-See: Benedict Cumberbatch is looking like a formidable villain in this high-stakes sequel that one-ups the previous Star Trek movie at every turn. Without all the baggage of having to meet die-hard Trekkie expectations like he experienced the first time around, director J.J. Abrams is now free to play in his creative sandbox and deliver a darker, even more adventurous follow-up to his 2009 hit.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Plot: Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the Enterprise crew are called back to Earth to battle an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization. Embarking on a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction, our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death.
Why It's a Must-See: Benedict Cumberbatch is looking like a formidable villain in this high-stakes sequel that one-ups the previous Star Trek movie at every turn. Without all the baggage of having to meet die-hard Trekkie expectations like he experienced the first time around, director J.J. Abrams is now free to play in his creative sandbox and deliver a darker, even more adventurous follow-up to his 2009 hit.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Hangover Part III
Warner Bros.
Release Date: May 24
The Plot: This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) hits the road, all bets are off.
Why It's a Must-See: The first one saw the friends celebrating the nuptials of Justin Bartha's character in Las Vegas, only to find the Wolfpack retracing their outrageous steps from the night before in search of their missing friend. Part II followed a similar course in Bangkok for the wedding of Helms' character. Now, The Wolfpack is back for a third round of insanity, and director Todd Phillips says of the final chapter, "It will be a fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions." No word yet on whether or not Justin Bartha will be part of the festivities – or sidelined again. Hasn't he earned his stripes by now?
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Plot: This time, there's no wedding. No bachelor party. What could go wrong, right? But when the Wolfpack (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) hits the road, all bets are off.
Why It's a Must-See: The first one saw the friends celebrating the nuptials of Justin Bartha's character in Las Vegas, only to find the Wolfpack retracing their outrageous steps from the night before in search of their missing friend. Part II followed a similar course in Bangkok for the wedding of Helms' character. Now, The Wolfpack is back for a third round of insanity, and director Todd Phillips says of the final chapter, "It will be a fitting conclusion to our three-part opera of mayhem, despair and bad decisions." No word yet on whether or not Justin Bartha will be part of the festivities – or sidelined again. Hasn't he earned his stripes by now?
Watch the Trailer HERE
Man of Steel
Warner Bros.
Release Date: June 14
The Plot: Superman (Henry Cavill) contemplates his purpose on Earth as he takes on Kryptonian villains General Zod (Michael Shannon) and Faora (Antje Traue) while attempting to maintain his human alter ego identity, Clark Kent.
Why It's a Must-See: This one promises to think different: The Son of Krypton is back on the big screen with a sonic boom and a strong pedigree, with The Tudors star Henry Cavill taking on the title role and debuting a new look in the Zack Snyder (Watchmen) film, produced by The Dark Knight trilogy mastermind Christopher Nolan, that promises to be a darker, more psychological take on the Superman saga.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Plot: Superman (Henry Cavill) contemplates his purpose on Earth as he takes on Kryptonian villains General Zod (Michael Shannon) and Faora (Antje Traue) while attempting to maintain his human alter ego identity, Clark Kent.
Why It's a Must-See: This one promises to think different: The Son of Krypton is back on the big screen with a sonic boom and a strong pedigree, with The Tudors star Henry Cavill taking on the title role and debuting a new look in the Zack Snyder (Watchmen) film, produced by The Dark Knight trilogy mastermind Christopher Nolan, that promises to be a darker, more psychological take on the Superman saga.
Watch the Trailer HERE
Monsters University
Disney-Pixar
Release Date: June 21
The Plot: The working-class monsters in the closet are back in an all-new prequel that reveals inseparable pair Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) weren't always that chummy. In fact, they couldn't stand each other when they first attended Monsters University.
Why It's a Must-See: Showing how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends, this whimsical Disney-Pixar production has all the ingredients to be the top family movie of the summer, with plenty of humor aimed high and low. Here's hoping that this Monsters prequel has more of that Toy Story magic than that hyperactive Cars sequel.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Plot: The working-class monsters in the closet are back in an all-new prequel that reveals inseparable pair Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman) weren't always that chummy. In fact, they couldn't stand each other when they first attended Monsters University.
Why It's a Must-See: Showing how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends, this whimsical Disney-Pixar production has all the ingredients to be the top family movie of the summer, with plenty of humor aimed high and low. Here's hoping that this Monsters prequel has more of that Toy Story magic than that hyperactive Cars sequel.
Watch the Trailer HERE
World War Z
Paramount Pictures
Release Date: June 21
The Plot: Brad Pitt plays a family man and United Nations employee who faces a deadly zombie pandemic. Can he protect his loved ones and come up with a plan to stop the menace?
Why It's a Must-See: Just when you thought that the zombie genre may be starting to generate less screams and more Zzzz's, World War Z arrives with an adrenaline shot in the arm for the genre -- complete with insane special effects and a claustrophobic urgency and realism not seen since the introduction of those "speed zombies" in 28 Days Later.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Plot: Brad Pitt plays a family man and United Nations employee who faces a deadly zombie pandemic. Can he protect his loved ones and come up with a plan to stop the menace?
Why It's a Must-See: Just when you thought that the zombie genre may be starting to generate less screams and more Zzzz's, World War Z arrives with an adrenaline shot in the arm for the genre -- complete with insane special effects and a claustrophobic urgency and realism not seen since the introduction of those "speed zombies" in 28 Days Later.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Lone Ranger
Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date: July 3
The Plot: The Lone Ranger is told from the point of view of Tonto (Johnny Depp), a spirit warrior on a personal quest who joins forces in a fight for justice with John Reid (Armie Hammer), a lawman who has become a masked avenger with a belt full of silver bullets.
Why It's a Must-See: Coming from the capable hands of Johnny's Pirates of the Caribbean helmer Gore Verbinski, the new Lone Ranger is a high-minded, action-packed, dusty affair full of dynamite. Johnny has been talking up his big-screen, revisionist spin on The Lone Ranger for years, and the final product looks to be amazing.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Plot: The Lone Ranger is told from the point of view of Tonto (Johnny Depp), a spirit warrior on a personal quest who joins forces in a fight for justice with John Reid (Armie Hammer), a lawman who has become a masked avenger with a belt full of silver bullets.
Why It's a Must-See: Coming from the capable hands of Johnny's Pirates of the Caribbean helmer Gore Verbinski, the new Lone Ranger is a high-minded, action-packed, dusty affair full of dynamite. Johnny has been talking up his big-screen, revisionist spin on The Lone Ranger for years, and the final product looks to be amazing.
Watch the Trailer HERE
The Wolverine
20th Century Fox
Release Date: July 26
The Plot: Logan (Hugh Jackman), the eternal warrior and outsider, arrives in Japan. There, samurai steel will clash with adamantium claw as Wolverine confronts a mysterious figure from his past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed.
Why It's a Must-See: Out on his own without The X-Men, this promising Wolverine premise may just allow audiences to forget the overstuffed fast-food mess that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The film's storyline is inspired by the celebrated Japanese story arc featuring the Silver Samurai that's taken from the 1982 Wolverine comic book, promising a truer take on the character than previous Wolverine-involved flicks. Plus, the bone claws are back!
The Plot: Logan (Hugh Jackman), the eternal warrior and outsider, arrives in Japan. There, samurai steel will clash with adamantium claw as Wolverine confronts a mysterious figure from his past in an epic battle that will leave him forever changed.
Why It's a Must-See: Out on his own without The X-Men, this promising Wolverine premise may just allow audiences to forget the overstuffed fast-food mess that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The film's storyline is inspired by the celebrated Japanese story arc featuring the Silver Samurai that's taken from the 1982 Wolverine comic book, promising a truer take on the character than previous Wolverine-involved flicks. Plus, the bone claws are back!
Elysium
Columbia Pictures
Release Date: August 9
The Plot: Our future planet's wealthiest citizens have constructed the ultimate paradise in space where there's no poverty, illness or war. When Max (Matt Damon) attempts to infiltrate the orbiting luxury station, anti-immigration official Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster) is determined to stop him at all costs.
Why It's a Must-See: With Damon attempting to escape a diseased, polluted and overpopulated Earth for the utopian, off-world environment of Elysium, this dystopian vision written and directed by District 9's Neill Blomkamp "has a real social relevance," according to Foster, who points out to ET that "it's not a sequel, and it's not a franchise -- it's completely original, it's something new to jump on to."
The Plot: Our future planet's wealthiest citizens have constructed the ultimate paradise in space where there's no poverty, illness or war. When Max (Matt Damon) attempts to infiltrate the orbiting luxury station, anti-immigration official Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster) is determined to stop him at all costs.
Why It's a Must-See: With Damon attempting to escape a diseased, polluted and overpopulated Earth for the utopian, off-world environment of Elysium, this dystopian vision written and directed by District 9's Neill Blomkamp "has a real social relevance," according to Foster, who points out to ET that "it's not a sequel, and it's not a franchise -- it's completely original, it's something new to jump on to."