Coming Soon: A Moviegoer’s Guide to June

preview-june

After a successful start to the summer thanks to surefire hits like “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and over-performers like “Pitch Perfect 2” and “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the blockbuster movie season continues with a pair of much-anticipated sequels, the big screen debut of an HBO favorite, and a welcome return to originality from the brilliant minds at Pixar. This month also features its share of Sundance favorites, so you’ll have a hard time not finding an excuse to visit your local theater a few times throughout June.

“Entourage”

Who: Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Jeremy Piven, Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara
What: As his first piece of business as Warner Brothers’ new studio head, former super-agent Ari Gold greenlights Vincent Chase’s directorial debut.
When: June 3rd
Why: It’s been four years since “Entourage” ended its incredible run on HBO, and in that time, there’s been a lot of talk about a potential big screen revival from series creator Doug Ellin, producer Mark Wahlberg and the cast. But now that it’s finally here, does anyone even care? That’s what we’re about to find out, but if “Sex & the City” (which had a similar gap between its series finale and the first movie) is any indication, the studio has nothing to worry about. “Entourage” already has a built-in audience, so the real question is whether non-fans will bother to take the plunge, and perhaps more importantly, how much they’ll need to know about the series to understand the events of the film.

“Spy”

Who: Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne and Jude Law
What: A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer and prevent diabolical global disaster.
When: June 5th
Why: Despite starring in some of the worst comedies of the last few years, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of Melissa McCarthy slowing down. For what it’s worth, “Spy” looks like it might be McCarthy’s best starring vehicle to date, although that’s largely due to the other people involved. It’s nice to see Jason Statham finally getting a crack at comedy (even if he’s playing the straight man here), while Jude Law and Rose Byrne are some of the most dependable actors in the business. The movie also played like gangbusters at SXSW earlier this year, and though that’s not exactly the best gauge of its quality, it can’t be any worse than “Tammy.”

“Jurassic World”

Who: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins and Vincent D’Onofrio
What: Isla Nublar is now a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, but when a new breed is created in an attempt to increase attendance, it backfires horribly.
When: June 12th
Why: It’s been 22 years since the release of the original “Jurassic Park,” and 14 years since the last sequel, but while fans of the series may be excited at the prospect of a new installment, it feels more like a desperate attempt to revitalize a popular brand than a necessary continuation of the story. I fear for director Colin Trevorrow’s career should the movie not be a giant success, because although he showcased real potential with his debut film, “Safety Not Guaranteed,” the world of Hollywood blockbusters is a totally different game. “Jurassic World” is a lot easier to bungle than get right, and with the fickle fanboy community ready to pounce if Trevorrow screws up, it’s one from which he might never recover.

“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”

Who: Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke, RJ Cyler, Connie Briton and Nick Offerman
What: A teenage filmmaker befriends a classmate with cancer.
When: June 12th
Why: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s sophomore effort was one of the most talked-about movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, igniting a bidding war between eight studios before eventually landing at Fox Searchlight. Based on the novel by Jesse Andrews, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” definitely seems to have that Fox Searchlight flavor reminiscent of past films like “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Juno” and “The Fault in Our Stars.” Though its summer release date is pretty ballsy for a movie that would have benefited from an early fall awards push, the studio’s confidence in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” is not only encouraging, but suggests that the rave reviews coming out of Park City wasn’t just the usual film festival hyperbole.

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