Summer’s big money movies

The film buffs sweating it out, waiting on this year’s blockbusters, don’t have to wait much harder.

This Friday sees the release of Marvel’s highly anticipated Avengers: Age Of Ultron, taking this summer to an explosive start. Its box office opening earnings are set to smash the record-breaking $207 million benchmark The Avengers set back in 2012.

So the summer starts with a bang – but will it fizzle out?

Mad Max: Fury Road is the latest of George Miller’s post apocalyptic series, with Tom Hardy taking on the role of Max Rockatansky. There’s been much anticipation for this one, as 25 years of hampered development aged Mel Gibson out of the role.

Max is captured by Immortan Joe’s (played by Hugh Keays -Byrne) gang. His only hope of freedom is Furiosa (Charlize Theron), on the run from Immortan Joe as she stole five prisoners who have been kept as objects to mother the next generation. In exchange Max will guide them from the desert.

It hits Irish screens on May 15th.

If you’re not in the mood for something so serious, Pitch Perfect 2 is also hitting screens that day, satisfying the musical lover in you.

The Pitch Perfect sequel follows The Barden Bellas again, as they enter an international competition that no American team has ever won – it’s ‘Australia in the Eurovision aggro’ all over again…

Pitch Perfect had audiences laughing all the way home in 2012 – and Universal laughing all the way to the bank, pocketing a cool $101 million in worldwide box office revenues since the film’s release.

They‘re set to make similar returns this time around with Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth banks and co. all on board.

Jurassic World will bring cinema queues to a bone-crunching halt on June 12th, as Stephen Spielberg hands over the reins of his sci-fi classic to Colin Treverrow.

Spielberg was within arm’s reach of him though, in his executive producer crow’s nest.

The fourth film in the series is set twenty two years after the events of the 1990 film Jurassic Park, and the park has now been operational for 10 years. But visitor rates are declining, and a new attraction is being added to combat this.

Now if you’ve not seen the other Jurassic Park films and don’t know what to expect, just let that settle for a while. Now be happy because your favourite Despicable Me characters are back in their very own movie, Minions on June 26th.

This one is interesting – It has a strong female character, with Sandra Bullock leading as Scarlet Overkill who hires the minions in her attempt to take over the world.

This is a guaranteed ticket seller this summer, as Despicable Me grossed $543 million at the box office and Despicable Me 2 grossed a gargantuan $970 million.

Seth McFarlane’s little bundle of terror is returning in Ted 2 on July 10th. Not many are expecting this outing to be as successful as the original, which broke box office records for an R-rated film, raking in $549 million worldwide.

They lost Mila Kunis, and they could lose a big chunk of the audience with her, but it will still be a pilgrimage for fans of McFarlane’s Family Guy.

Marvel’s second film of the summer comes on the July 17th in the form of Ant Man. It’s being closely followed by Marvel fanatics, even if it will be dwarfed by its bigger brother The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Paul Rudd is completely out of his comfort zone as Scott Lang, a con-man that has the ability to get smaller but get stronger as he does so. He needs to drop his rogue ways to plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Speaking of tiny men, Tom Cruise is back for the fifth instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

This time around the IMF is under threat from a group of assassins called ‘Syndicate’. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) has to get his team together to prove they exist and make sure the financial overlords remain.

Southpaw has a stellar cast of Jake Gyllenhall, Rachael McAdams, Naomie Harris and more. It’s also got a showstopping plot to back it up, following a boxer whose life falls apart when tragedy strikes and his daughter is taken away from him.

This one has the potential to be the best film of the summer, coming to screens July 31st.

One thing’s for sure– you won’t be in any need of something to watch this summer

Ryan McBride

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