Has Hollywood switched places with TV?
In years past, it was the TV programmers who wrote off summer as the season of repeats, retreads and recycled ideas. Now it seems movies theaters are the new summer TV.
Much of what’s coming this summer is the celluloid equivalent of reruns. Hollywood is risking fewer and fewer of its big budgets on new ideas, falling back instead on sequels, comic books, updates of old movies, and, come to think of it, TV itself. “Bewitched,” “The Honeymooners” or “The Dukes of Hazzard,” many of the summer movies are remakes of small-screen shows.
MAY
“Star Wars: Episode III–Revenge of the Sith”
(May 19)
In the finale to director George Lucas’ epic saga, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) finally goes bad.
“Layer Cake” (May 20)
Matthew Vaughn’s tale of a cool and collected coke dealer (Daniel Craig) and his one last job.
“The Longest Yard” (May 27)
A remake of the 1974 movie in which a former pro quarterback (Adam Sandler), now serving time in prison, and his inmate team take on the guards.
“Madagascar” (May 27)
Animated tale about a lion (Ben Stiller), a zebra (Chris Rock), a giraffe (David Schwimmer) and a hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) (the name as published has been corrected in this text) who bust out of New York’s Central Park Zoo and get stuck on a ship bound for Madagascar.
JUNE
“Cinderella Man” (June 3)
Director Ron Howard’s look at the life of Depression-era boxer Jim Braddock (Russell Crowe), who defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 1935 brawl.
“Lords of Dogtown” (June 3)
The dramatized version of Stacy Peralta’s 2002 documentary, “Dog-town and Z-Boys,” about skateboarders in 1970s Southern California.
“Mr. and Mrs. Smith” (June 10)
A bored couple (Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie) find their mutual attraction rekindled when they discover that they both lead double lives as assassins–and they’ve been hired to kill each other.
“The Adventures of Shark Boy & Lava Girl in 3-D” (June 10)
Director Robert Rodriguez returns to 3-D family fare with the adventures of a boy and his imaginary superhero friends.
“The Honeymooners” (June 10)
Cedric the Entertainer takes on the Jackie Gleason role in this remake of the sitcom about the get-rich-quick schemes of bus driver Ralph Kramden and his best friend, sewer worker Ed Norton.
“Batman Begins” (June 15)
Director Christopher Nolan (“Memento”) takes a step back to reveal the origin of Batman (Christian Bale). Answers the question of how Bruce Wayne developed his alter ego to fight the evil forces in Gotham.
“The Perfect Man” (June 17)
A desperate daughter (Hilary Duff) tries to find the perfect suitor for her love-challenged mom (Heather Locklear). Sounds like a short movie.
“Herbie: Fully Loaded” (June 22)
In another remake, the Love Bug returns and heads straight for the track to help Lindsay Lohan’s speed racer win NASCAR fame and fortune.
“Bewitched” (June 24)
The 1960s sitcom has been retooled with a postmodern twist: A producer remaking “Bewitched” unknowingly casts an actual witch for the lead role. Once again, Nicole Kidman’s nose takes center stage.
“Rize” (June 24)
Photog David LaChapelle’s documentary about krumping, a dance style that has become a youth movement.
“George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead”
(June 24)
The father of zombie flicks returns with this apocalyptic battle between the living and the walking dead.
“War of the Worlds” (June 29)
Mars attacks! Steven Spielberg is at the helm with the biggest budget in history–a reported $200 million. The remake of the well-worn H.G. Wells story has Tom Cruise playing a dad fighting evil E.T.s.
JULY
“Fantastic Four” (July 8)
The Marvel Comic comes to life as a group of astronauts led by Mr. Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) and his wife, the Invisible Girl (Jessica Alba), gain superpowers after being exposed to cosmic radiation.
“Dark Water” (July 8)
Like “The Ring” and “The Grudge,” this is a U.S. remake of a Japanese horror hit, starring Jennifer Connelly as a divorced mom haunted by her new apartment and duty bound to protect her daughter from its creepy, wet ghosts.
“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (July 15)
Director Tim Burton does his thing with Wonka. Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore) wins a tour of the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, run by Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp).
“The Wedding Crashers”
(July 15)
A pair of divorce attorneys (Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn) sneak into weddings to exploit the romantic opportunities. Then one of them falls for the engaged daughter (Rachel McAdams) of an eccentric politician (Christopher Walken).
“The Island” (July 22)
A resident of a seemingly utopian society (Ewan McGregor) discovers that everything about his existence is a lie. When he learns that he’s actually a human clone whose purpose is to provide “spare parts” for his human counterpart, he attempts to escape.
“The Bad News Bears” (July 22)
In yet another remake, a gruff minor league-turned-little league coach (Billy Bob Thornton) tries to turn a team of misfits into champs.
“Happy Endings” (July 22)
Ten Los Angelinos–including Lisa Kudrow as a depressed abortion counselor–try to get their lives back on track in yet another maze of interwoven stories.
“The Brothers Grimm” (July 29)
Jake and Will Grimm (Heath Ledger and Matt Damon) are traveling exorcists who collect folklore while pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures in exchange for cash.
“Stealth” (July 29)
Elite Navy pilots (Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx) must neutralize an out-of-control drone fighter plane.
“Must Love Dogs” (July 29)
A newly divorced woman (Diane Lane) jumps back into the game with the help of her often misguided family and the often misleading Internet.
AUGUST
“The Dukes of Hazzard” (Aug. 5)
Daisy Duke (Jessica Simpson) wears short-shorts and rides around in the General Lee with her good ole boy cousins Bo and Luke (Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott) as they try to save the Duke family farm from corrupt townie Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds).
“Broken Flowers” (Aug. 5)
A womanizer (Bill Murray) is forced to confront his past flames when he learns of the son he never knew he had.
“The Pink Panther” (Aug. 12)
Inspector Clouseau (Steve Martin) gets the prequel treatment, with the investigator lukewarm on the trail of the infamous Pink Panther diamond. With Beyonce Knowles.
“Four Brothers” (Aug. 12)
Director John Singleton tells the tale of four foster brothers–two white, two black–who set out to avenge their mother’s death.
“Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo” (Aug. 12)
Rob Schneider returns to his role as a male prostitute, this time in Europe.
“The Skeleton Key” (Aug. 12)
While caring for an elderly couple in their spooky New Orleans mansion, a live-in nurse (Kate Hudson) discovers a key that unlocks the door to every room in the house, including the room that holds all the scary stuff.
“Valiant” (Aug. 19)
An animated adventure from Disney, based on the true story of the Royal Homing Pigeon Service, which was used by the British to communicate with the French Resistance during World War II. Ewan McGregor and Ricky Gervais lend their voice.
“The 40-Year-Old Virgin” (Aug. 19)
A different kind of coming-of-age comedy about a middle-age virgin and his new girlfriend, who has three kids and isn’t interested in taking the chance she might have more.
“Red Eye” (Aug. 19)
Director Wes Craven helms this nailbiter in the skies, in which a kidnapped woman (Rachel McAdams) is forced to cooperate with her captor (Cillian Murphy) on a flight to Miami.
“Undiscovered” (Aug. 26)
A bunch of young would-be actors and musicians quickly learn the value of hype in Hollywood.
“Backwater” (Aug. 26)
Back to Louisiana for another scary movie, this time set deep in the swamps where a group of teenagers fights against an evil, voodoo force.
