I believe 2022 has been a rather polarising year so far, in terms of the state of cinema anyway. Films such as Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore have failed to reach the top of the box office and we’ve just had Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which seems to have divided people’s expectations. The Batman is one of the biggest successes of the year but it didn’t quite reach the $1 billion mark at the global box office. So as we look ahead at the summer releases there are some questions that need asking. Will we get any $1 billion breaking box office hits? Will the quality of films continue? And is there going to be more of a focus on fan serviced stories as opposed to creatively focused stories?
Firstly, one of the big films that will hit our screens this summer season is Top Gun: Maverick. This film has a lot of potential to be a big hit in the coming weeks. Positive early reviews and strong word-of-mouth are praising the stunt-work and the cinematic appeal of the film. Tom Cruise is such a charismatic actor and is known for pulling in a big box office, and with little competition too this is one film that could soar up the charts this early June. A few weeks later we have the final film in the Jurassic Park franchise with Jurassic World: Dominion. Back in 2015, the first film in the new trilogy, Jurassic World, broke a lot of box office records and even made more than $1 billion at the box office. Will the return of their “legacy” characters as well as their returning characters push Jurassic World: Dominion to also dominate the box office? It just might! This is all optimism on my part but these films are also eagerly anticipated with numerous delays to both films during the pandemic, but have audiences been patient enough?
Nostalgia is a big driving force at the box office but it is also nice to see original films hitting the big screen too. In July we have a Brad Pitt starring action thriller called Bullet Train which has an all-star cast that includes Sandra Bullock and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Bullet Train is not an existing franchise but sometimes it is films such as this which usually surprise us and end up making it big at the box office too. Yet again a few weeks before this releases we have the next Marvel film, Thor: Love and Thunder, which sees Natalie Portman pick up the hammer and become a Goddess herself. I think it goes without saying that Thor: Love and Thunder will likely make more money but apart from these two films there is not a lot of “big” competition in July.
It’s not all about the big-budget films either as we have films such as The Black Phone, Elvis, Lightyear, Minions 2: The Rise of Gru and DC League of Super-Pets all vying for our attention too in the coming months. Lightyear is Pixar’s first film on the big screen since the pandemic and it promises to be a large-scale action epic which will surely be a highlight this season. Then off course Minions 2: The Rise of Gru will be the family event film of the summer, with families flocking to cinema’s to keep children entertained and happy.
When looking back at last summer we had so many films to enjoy due to a large backlog of releases, so it is nice this year to have some breathing room between films. There is a film for everyone, whether you’re an action fanatic, a Marvel patriot or an animation lover. Despite the hot weather and the smell of BBQ’s in the distance, the cinematic experience is going nowhere. Spending time with your loved friends and families is important and what better way to bring everyone together than the magic of cinema.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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