After a May filled with one giant hit after another (whether worthy or not) and a June filled with mostly mediocre films and box-office numbers, it’s up to July to prove what Fast & Furious led us to believe at the very end of April — that the summer movies this year will be both great in quality and killer at the box office, or what May finds Midnight in Paris and Tree of Life suggested, that this summer can be a time for Oscar contenders as well. So which movies might stand a chance of fulfilling these high hopes? Here’s how to mark your calender for July.
Note: Likely Box Office refers to Opening Weekend in particular, unless stated otherwise
Big-Budget Popcorn Movies
July 1 – Transformers: Dark of the Moon
So, yes, technically it opens on June 29, but since it’ll be winning Fourth of July weekend, we would be remiss in omitting it in our preview of July. Still don’t know if I’ll be seeing it, though.
Likely Quality? Great for effects, awful for everything else. Although, since all of our expectations are so low after Revenge of the Fallen, who knows, maybe we’ll find ourselves having a grand ol’ time with the third installment. I actually hear it’s “the best one yet,” for whatever that’s worth.
Likely Box Office? Ginormo. Which isn’t even a real word, that’s how much money transforming robots make. Especially 3-D transforming robots.
July 15 – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two
The heart-wrenching eighth and final slice of Harry Potter, showing in both 3-D (boo! hiss!) and 2-D (huzzah!)
Likely Quality: High. Really high. Almost a shame the Oscars won’t be forced to have 10 Best Picture nominees this year, ’cause it would have been nice to see this up there as an acknowledgment of the entire series.
Likely Box Office: Huge, no doubt, though I wonder if it won’t be as big as Transformers, simply because most of us Harry nuts are opting for the less expensive 2-D. Ugh. 3-D is dumb.
July 22 – Captain America: The First Avenger
It’s all resting on this one. I felt the same way about each of the comic book movies this summer, Thor, X-Men: First Class, and Green Lantern. Enjoyed each one, had problems with each one, thought there were one or two stand-out performances in each one. Will Captain America pull an Iron Man, Dark Knight, or an X2 and be unquestionably wonderful?
Likely Quality: It seems to be testing well, but apparently Green Lantern did too. Expecting mediocre to protect my fragile, fragile heart, but hoping for fantastic
Likely Box Office: More or less exactly the same as the other three superhero movies of the summer. Unless it’s an unbelievable finished product and picks up the strongest repeat business.
July 29 – Cowboys & Aliens
Favreau and Universal have been campaigning hard for this genre mash-up, and despite pissing me off with trailers that give WAY too much away, they still have me completely on board for opening weekend.
Likely Quality: Even though all the twists and turns seem fairly obvious from the trailer, I still have faith that this movie will be delightful at worst and an instant genre classic at best.
Likely Box Office: An opening weekend somewhere between Super 8 and Green Lantern. But this is hands down one of the most interesting films to watch in terms of box office this summer as it is difficult to find anything concrete to compare it to and it is exclusively 2-D.
More categories and movies after the jump!
Kids & Family
July 1 – Monte Carlo
Two of my biggest celebrity girl crushes end up in Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez, pretending to be rich, when a necklace gets stolen and omfg! Not gonna lie … I kind of want to see it.
Likely Quality: Even if the movie itself is dumb as all hell, Leighton Meester and Katie Cassidy have never let me down with their performances, no matter how stupid the overall project may be. So it’s gotta be at least mildly enjoyable.
Likely Box Office: Maybe top 5? Yeah. Maybe top 5. Maybe.
July 8th – The ZookeeperI saw one trailer for this and it was so far from anything I would ever be interested in, that I’m pretending it doesn’t exist.
Likely Quality: Let me take a look at the Kevin James track record … oh. Low. Really low.
Likely Box Office: Let me take a look at the Kevin James track record. Ah. High. Really high. That makes sense.
July 15 – Winnie the Pooh
Hand-drawn animation! Old characters! New story! Classic class!
Likely Quality: Man, do I hope it’s great. What’s the point if it’s not great? Honestly.
Likely Box Office: Not sure how to gauge this one. I’ve seen zero marketing for it, but I’m not exactly the target audience. May be overshadowed slightly by Harry Potter its first weekend, but since it’s so unique in being hand-drawn and based on characters most everyone knows and loves, it could very well surprise us all.
July 29 – The Smurfs
I still don’t know what to make of the fact that this exists.
Likely Quality: I feel like this movie will either be terrible or randomly amazing. I just can’t fathom why this cast would get together and be a part of something that was terrible, so … is a randomly amazing Smurfs movie in our very near future?
Likely Box Office: High. While we’re all taking in double features of Cowboys & Aliens and Attack the Block, every little kid on the planet will be going to see The Smurfs. In 3-D. And if it turns out to be kind of absurd and funny, count the hipsters in as well.
Raunchy Comedies
July 8 – Horrible Bosses
Hall Pass so significantly turned me off from Jason Sudekis, this movie went completely off my want-to-see-list. But then I saw the trailer. Back on board!
Likely Quality: I earlier heard murmurs that this movie is surprisingly hilarious, so my hopes are quickly getting high that it’ll be great, though now as more reviews pour in, they seem mixed. Still, I suspect it'll be enjoyable.
Likely Box Office: I think a lot will come down to reviews, but ultimately, I predict totally decent numbers, with the outside chance of being a Bridesmaids-like word-of-mouth hit.
July 22 – Friends with Benefits
Still excited for this. Timberlake, I’m still on the fence about you, but there’s nothing fency about Mila Kunis, so sign me up.
Likely Quality: High. Right now, I trust Will Gluck. Easy A was a nice surprise and if the follow-up can match up, he will officially be a comedy force to be reckoned with.
Likely Box Office: Solid. Easy A did extremely well and this one has Justin Timberlake in it, whom I hear people like.
Romantic Dramedys
July 1 – Larry Crowne
If Tom Hanks were not in this movie, I wouldn’t even be giving it the time of day. But I loves me some Tom Hanks and he simply hasn’t been doing enough lately.
Likely Box Office: Reasonable
July 8 – One Day
Anne Hathaway putting on a British accent as she and Jim Sturgess fall in love and wear age makeup. I’m so there.
Likely Quality: Bad, but Anne Hathaway-bad like Love and Other Drugs. Would I watch it again? No. But did I mind it AS I was watching it? Not necessarily.
Likely Box Office: Meager
July 29 – Crazy Stupid Love
One of my most anticipated movies of the summer. As if the all-star cast of Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, and Marisa Tomei weren’t enough, I dig the story, I dig the creative team, and I dig the trailer.
Likely Quality: I think this movie will be good. I do.
Likely Box Office: Another one that may depend on reviews, but I think it could do rather well.
Little Sci-Fi Indies That Could
July 22 – Another Earth
I don’t know much about this one other than it’s a sci-fi drama starring Sundance It girl Brit Marling that has something to do with another Earth. And frankly, I don’t really want to know much more. I’ll let the movie speak for itself.
Likely Quality: High. Was a huge hit at Sundance and I’ve heard wonderful things.
Likely Box Office: It’s opening limited, but I’m expecting a fine per screen average. I unfortunately haven’t seen it marketed at all, so it perhaps won’t be as big as it could have been.
July 29 – Attack the Block
Aliens attack a building in a bad London neighborhood and a gang of teens works to defend it and themselves. Awesome ensues. I love this movie.
Likely Quality: High. I’ve seen it. I love it. It’s fantastic.
Likely Box Office: I’m concerned that it’s being over-screened and everyone who wants to see it will have seen it before it opens, but if not, I have hope that the per screen average for this limited release will be huge. After all, Shaun of the Dead opened limited and still managed to nab number eight opening weekend.
For more on the other films getting limited releases in July, including The Devil’s Double, Good Neighbors, and Life in a Day, head here.
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