By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
With May representing the official start of the summer season in Hollywood, expect plenty of big studio blockbusters to flood the market. There will be death defying stunts, power hungry apes, Ryan Reynolds, and a pissed off woman wreaking havoc on a dystopian wasteland. If those don’t float your boat, there’s also some drama, animation, and of course a month wouldn’t be complete without some horror films. Let’s take a look at what this diversified month has to offer.
May 3rd
The month kicks off to an explosive start with two of the stars from two of the most celebrated movies last year. Ryan Gosling (“Barbie”) and Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”) join forces to star in “Fall Guy,” an action comedy about a stuntman helping his ex-girlfriend director look for the missing star of her film. David Leitch directs, a highly successful filmmaker in the action genre with productions like “John Wick” and “Deadpool 2” on his impressive resume, so it’s a pretty safe bet that “Fall Guy” will be a fun thrill ride for all audiences.
thefallguymovie.com
For the horror fans out there, who can’t go a week without a scary movie, “Tarot” also releases this day. On the surface, the plot of a tarot reading gone wrong is thin at best but add an unknown cast and a couple writers/directors who were responsible for the dismal productions of “Moonfall” and “The Expendables 4,” and this has stay away written all over it. It would be advisable to obtain your horror fix elsewhere.
tarotmovie.com
May 10th
It’s been 56 years since Charlton Heston uttered the famous line “Take your stinking paws off me, you damned dirty ape!” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is the latest film of this celebrated franchise and represents the sequel to the previous trilogy. However, this is set roughly 300 years after 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes,” so viewing the previous trilogy may not be a prerequisite. Wes Ball, who helmed the mediocre to substandard “Maze Runner” trilogy, takes over the directorial duties. Coupled with an unremarkable cast, this is one blockbuster that may be more bust than anything.
imdb.com
May 17th
Changing things up this week is a music biopic of an artist responsible for one of the greatest albums in music history. “Back to Black” charts the life of Amy Winehouse from adolescence to her untimely death. Marisa Abela portrays the iconic figure, and she certainly has her look, but whether or not she can shoulder the responsibilities as a leading lady remains to be seen. Sam Taylor-Johnson has a lot to prove as a director as well, with one of her only previous feature length films being “Fifty Shades of Grey.” At least the music will guarantee some entertainment value.
hollywoodreporter.com
What if a good family film is released on this day? What if imaginary friends were real? “IF” is written and directed by actor John Krasinski, who previously directed “A Quiet Place” and “A Quiet Place Part II.” While this may be a big departure from the horror genre, “IF” appears to be destined for box office glory with Ryan Reynolds starring along with the vocal talents of Steve Carell, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt to name just a few. This should be a winner for the whole family.
collider.com
Returning to the horror genre is a prequel to an unnerving film. “The Strangers: Chapter 1” is the third film of this horror franchise but is set before 2008’s “The Strangers,” and will kick off a brand new trilogy. Veteran filmmaker Renny Harlin directs, which is concerning, because the last decent film he directed was “Die Hard 2” in 1990. Additionally troubling is the fact that the cast is unrecognizable, making it more likely than not that this chapter will fail, and subsequent chapters will follow suit. Best to wait for a consensus of reviews on this one.
variety.com
May 24th
variety.com
The month ends the way it begins, with big budget action. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is a prequel to 2015’s wildly successful “Mad Max: Fury Road,” directed by the very same Frank Miller. Anya Taylor-Joy plays the younger version of Furiosa, which was made famous by Charlize Theron in that prior film. With Chris Hemsworth playing the main baddie, the sheer level of talent on both sides of the camera should make this a can’t miss spectacle. Expect explosive action, thrilling car chases, and a uniquely memorable score across a desert landscape.
20 years after America’s favorite comic strip cat made his film debut, he’s back, but this time in a fully animated movie. Hopefully, “The Garfield Movie” will be significantly better than that 2004 effort. It can’t hurt having the likes of Chris Pratt voicing Garfield, and a veteran animation director in Mark Dindal (“The Emperor’s New Groove”) helming the production. It remains to be seen, however, whether or not this feline character can finally move the box office needle in a positive direction.
