The end of another semester is upon us, Skyhawks. With the temperatures rising and finals week drawing nearer with each passing day, summer only gets closer and closer with a new slew of films set for release throughout the hottest time of the year. From imaginary friends to spandex suited heroes to even a few more emotional beats along the way, The Pacer presents a small snippet of 2024’s summer movie lineup.
When most of us were small, imaginary friends often provided a sense of comfort when young minds were left to wander. Growing up means leaving them behind, but perhaps there’s some hope for them in the next generation. Directed by John Krasinski, IF follows Bea (The Walking Dead‘s Cailey Fleming), a young girl who can see imaginary friends, and her neighbor Cal (Ryan Reynolds), a middle-aged man with the same ability, as they discover more about the various imaginary friends left behind by those who have outgrown them. IF opens in theaters May 17.
Charlize Theron’s Imperator Furiosa shook up the heavy metal post apocalypse back in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road as a strong, fierce fighting force amidst a sea of slaughter. However, there was once a point where she lacked the title and gave rise to her fighting spirit. Set roughly two decades before Fury Road, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga shows just where a young Furiosa (now played by The Queen’s Gambit’s Anya Taylor-Joy) gained her infamy following her abduction by a horde of bikers led by Warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). It will be a lovely day, what a lovely day when Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga rolls into theaters May 24.
It’s been a long, rough road for Miami Police detectives Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence). Since we last saw them in 2020’s Bad Boys for Life, these two have been investigating a brand new case that may have turned both of their careers on their heads. Bad Boys: Ride or Die sees the two as fugitives from the law with others’ lives on the line and a reputation to clear. There’s nowhere to run when they come for you. Bad Boys: Ride or Die opens in theaters June 7.
Being a teenager comes with plenty of new experiences and, just as fascinating, new emotions. However, sometimes those emotions take a bit more control than expected. Set a year after the original film’s ending, Pixar’s Inside Out 2 explores how Riley’s emotions handle a shake up at the top when their headquarters is rebuilt and new emotions Anxiety (Stranger Things‘ Maya Hawke), Envy (The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri) and Embarrassment (Black Bird‘s Paul Hauser) step into take their positions as Riley moves into one of the most awkward periods of life. Inside Out 2 opens up in theaters June 14.
The Wild West is a widely explored subject across multiple works of fiction, but for one actor, it became the source of inspiration for his dream project. Kevin Costner’s newest movie returns to the early days of the American West to tell a tale of how the West was won and the costs of manifest destiny over the course of several films. Go West, young readers, when the first part of Horizon: An American Saga rolls in with the wagon train and into theaters June 28 with the second part out August 16.
Felonious Gru, better known simply as Gru and voiced by Steve Carrell, has had quite an interesting life following the end of his villainous run with a wife, their three adopted daughters, and a plethora of minions at home. Now the family’s welcoming a new member: Gru Jr., the only son of the family who harbors some frustrations with his father. Things only worsen for the newly-expanded family when villain Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) breaks out of prison and sets his sights on the family. It will feel so good to be bad again when Despicable Me 4 breaks into theaters July 3.
1996’s Twister followed a group of storm chasers chasing some of the biggest tornados on record and dealing with their emotional issues along the way. Nearly thirty years later, a brand new group of tornado chasers led by Kate Cooper (Where the Crawdads Sing’s Daisy Edgar-Jones) set out to test a brand new tornado tracking system amidst an impending collision of multiple storm systems out on the Oklahoma plains. Theatergoers best duck and cover when Twisters blows into theaters July 19.
With the X-Men back under Disney’s umbrella, it’s no wonder that the Merc with the Mouth would be reuniting with his old “friends,” with an even greater threat on the horizon. The results of such a reunion will be universe-changing. Deadpool & Wolverine sees Hugh Jackman step back into the adamantium-tipped shoes of Wolverine for the first time since 2017’s Logan and partner with Deadpool (played by returning Ryan Reynolds) on a mission that will reshape the Marvel Cinematic Universe as both the audience and they know it. Deadpool & Wolverine slashes and swears its way into theaters July 26.
