On the calendar summer is still a ways away, but at the movies summertime is ready to roll.
This weekend’s release of “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” marks the kickoff of the summer box office season, the first true summer movie season in three years, after 2020 was wiped out entirely and 2021 was hobbled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
There are some big dogs ready to get out and play in the yard, including Marvel heavy hitters (in addition to “Strange,” there’s a new Thor movie on its way in July), marquee franchise fare (new “Jurassic Park” and “Despicable Me” entries and a “Toy Story” prequel, of sorts) and a “Top Gun” sequel that has been waiting to take off for what seems like forever.
Here’s your guide to summer’s best and brightest movies, coming soon to a theater or a streaming service near you. (Remember, dates are always subject to change.)
1. ‘Top Gun: Maverick’
We’ve been feeling the need, the need for speed since the sequel to the 1986 original was set to fly the friendly skies back in 2019. Now we’re finally ready to find out what Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell has been up to all these years, and whether or not he’s lost that lovin’ feeling. (May 27, theaters)
2. ‘Nope’
Do we know anything at all about this move other than its cast (Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and…
