Disney has dominated 2016 but with only The BFG on the horizon in July, it looks like the House of Mouse is willing to let someone play in the box office sandbox this month. There are 25 movies ready to hit theaters in July and here are the trailers for all of them, ranked by anticipation:
1. The Secret Life of Pets (July 8)
The question is will The Secret Life of Pets be Despicable Me big or Minions big at the box office? Our guess is somewhere in the middle but it is more than capable of winning July. According to Box Office Pro, it should run away with the crown but stranger things can happen.
2. The BFG (July 1)
Spielberg + Disney + a big, friendly giant = Yes, please!
3. Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates (July 8)
Over the past six months, no trailer has received bigger laughs in theaters than Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates. Admittedly, I have a Zac Efron bias but Dirty Grandpa ranks as one of the worst movies of 2016 which is proof I can overcome the bias. That being said, this is one I’m really looking forward to.
4. Star Trek Beyond (July 29)
I might be the only person in the world that didn’t have a problem with the first trailer for Star Trek Beyond. Conversely, while the newer trailers have been better received, my interest has waned in the latest installment in the Star Trek series.
5. Jason Bourne (July 29)
This is likely to be the biggest threat to The Secret Life of Pets. Matt Damon’s return to the Bourne series should give the franchise a boost and from a quality standpoint, adding Alicia Vikander in a supporting role doesn’t hurt, either.
6. Ghostbusters (July 15)
Who would have thought Ghostbusters would be the most controversial movie of the summer? Are we really that unnerved by female leads that recasting the protagonists of the classic would turn the world upside down? Seriously, we should be more upset the theme song is being done by Fall Out Boy. Oh, wait! We are?
7. The Infiltrator (July 13)
Bryan Cranston still has that Breaking Bad halo around him and it’s always great to see John Leguizamo in any role. Cranston as an undercover U.S. customs agent who infiltrates some of the largest drug cartels and finds a path to Pablo Escobar sounds like a winner.
8. Bad Moms (July 29)
As much as this looks like a bad idea on paper, the cast and the trailer have me strangely intrigued. I’ll watch almost anything Mila Kunis and Kristen Bell are in so putting them together makes it a must see. I’ll probably regret it.
9. Tulip Fever (July 15)
Alicia Vikander will have a hard time topping her 2015. While her biggest role of the year is yet to come (The Light Between Oceans), Vikander playing a woman having an affair with an artist (Dane DeHaan) while trying to escape from her husband (Christoph Waltz) should be enough to hold any fan over.
10. Nerve (July 27)
Nerve could be fun or it could be grating on your nerves. The Emma Roberts/Dave Franco thriller might catch lightning in a bottle like The Shallows but could also tank considering the directing duo of Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost are responsible for Paranormal Activity 3 and 4.
11. Lights Out (July 22)
Easily, the most frightening horror trailer of the summer. It’s unlikely the film will come together into anything cohesive but it looks like one that hits all the standard horror buttons.
12. The Legend of Tarzan (July 1)
No matter how well The Legend of Tarzan is received, it’s hard to imagine it living up to that $180 million budget. The cast led by Alexander Skarsgard’s six pack abs also features Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz and Djimon Hounsou. It also proves director David Yates can do soething other than Harry Potter movies.
13. Captain Fantastic (July 8)
Viggo Mortensen is a father raising six kids off the grid. The story follows the family as Mortensen’s Ben is forced to leave his paradise in the forests of the Pacific Northwest for civilization. Director Matt Ross won best director at Cannes for the film. This one has a lot of promise.
14. Don’t Think Twice (July 22)
Love the cast (especially Keegan-Michael Key and Gillian Jacobs) and the premise as improv comedy is one of the more interesting forms of comedy there is.
15. Equity (July 29)
It’s basically being sold as the female version of The Wolf of Wall Street. At least it’s something different.
16. Our Kind of Traitor (July 1)
Ewan McGregor seems to make 2-3 movies a year that come out of nowhere and then disappear into the ether. This is likely to be one of those movies.
17. The Purge: Election Year (July 1)
Wasn’t excited about any of the previous versions of this franchise, why should I be now?
18. Cell (July 8)
Typically, Stephen King adaptations don’t get buried especially ones featuring John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. Expect the worst.
19. Fathers and Daughters (July 8)
I’m not sure about the premise but the cast is promising. Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried, Aaron Paul, Jane Fonda and Bruce Greenwood are the primary players. It’s hard to get excited about a film that might not make it to wide release though.
20. Café Society (July 15)
Woody Allen continues to churn out movies. Apparently, in this one, he asked Jesse Eisenberg to do his best Woody Allen impression. Let’s hope Eisenberg isn’t method.
21. Undrafted (July 15)
This one tests my love for all things baseball. Like Rob Dibble used to do when he provided color commentary for the Nationals.
22. The Dog Lover (July 8)
Completely under the radar until seeing the trailer and, well, it’s still under the radar.
23. Ice Age: Collision Course (July 22)
Make the bad sequels stop, please!
24. Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (July 22)
Okay, I’ll put up with the bad sequels if you stop unnecessarily converting TV shows into big screen spectacles.
25. Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party (July 15)
Ugh. (I’m not even wasting an exclamation point on this one.)
Yayyyyy so much goodness!!!! 🙂