June 2024 film preview: Sequels, prequels, and Glen Powell try to charm the summer box office

The summer movie season is here, and it’s in rough shape. Last month was one disappointment after another for theaters. Well-reviewed action spectacles, like The Fall Guy and Furiosa, fell short as kid-friendly CGI creatures struggled to put butts in seats. It didn’t matter if they were new or existing IP because neither Garfield nor IF captured the movie-going public’s imagination. Not even the Amy Winehouse biopic worked. Only Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes managed to cross $100 million, and that’s the third reboot of a half-a-century-old franchise.

For what it’s worth, June has many more familiar faces returning to the silver screen. Martin Lawrence is showing just how Ride Or Die he is by joining cultural pariah Will Smith for another Bad Boys adventure. The public will psychoanalyze the Boys as Pixar attempts a similar therapy session with Inside Out 2. On the other side of the spectrum, Yorgos Lanthimos races back to theaters with Kinds Of Kindness, Richard Linklater tries to convince us Glen Powell is charming, and Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders finally rolls into theaters. Meanwhile, Kevin Costner is putting it all on the line with the first part of his Western epic, Horizon.

All this plus Janet Planet, A Quiet Place: Day One, and The Watchers hope to cure the summertime blues.

Hit Man (June 7)

Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, and RettaDirector: Richard Linklater Finally giving Glen Powell a chance to be charming on film, director Richard Linklater returns to Netflix for the “unbelievable true story” of a nerdy philosophy professor who gets his kicks playing a pretend hit man in undercover sting operations. But what happens when he falls in love with his next mark? Last year, Hit Man was the toast of the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals, with critics enthusiastically encouraging audiences to see this one with a crowd. Unsurprisingly, it was purchased by Netflix, given the faintest whiff of a theatrical release, and will take up residence in the anonymous algorithm of despair on June 7. Maybe invite some friends over for this one.