The ABCs of the summer 2024 movie season: Every big movie you need to know about, from A-Z

Summer's here — at least according to Hollywood, that is, as Friday's launch of "The Fall Guy" signals the start of the summer box office season.

It's a season light on superhero offerings but still heavy on sequels, reboots and repurposings of projects that are already near and dear (or, at the very least, familiar) to our hearts. Making something new out of something old is the name of the game, especially during summer, the time when we traditionally turn off our brains — even more so than usual — and just go where the popcorn takes us.

There is at least one high profile superhero offering on the schedule, a mashup of sorts between two very popular characters, and several other films that look promising, engaging, or otherwise interesting. That's the optimistic view of things, at least, and if nothing else, summer is a time for optimism.

So here's a guide to what's hitting theaters and streaming services between now and the end of August, laid out from A-Z. See you at the movies, and remember, release dates are always subject to change.

A: 'Axel F'

Eddie Murphy's Detroit-bred police officer Axel Foley returns in "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.," the fourth installment in the action comedy series which kicked off in 1984 and left off with 1994's "Beverly Hills Cop III." Many of the series originals are back, including Judge Reinhold, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot and John Ashton, and while the movie mostly takes place in Los Angeles, some pickup shots were filmed in the Motor City in November 2022. (July 3, Netflix)

B: 'Bad Boys 4'

In 2020, before things got weird for the world (and for Will Smith), "Bad Boys for Life" was a smash hit, the return of Smith and Martin Lawrence's Miami cops after nearly 20 years off screen. Now comes "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" — which probably should have been the title for the third one, to clear the way for "Bad Boys 4 Life" — which is a key building block in Smith's image rehab, following that slapping incident at the 2022 Oscars. (June 7, in theaters)

C: Costner

Call it summer's biggest gamble. Kevin Costner writes, directs and stars in "Horizon: An American Saga," a two-part Western epic, set during the Civil War and focusing on America's expansion west. Costner reportedly put up a large sum of his own money to help get the project made, and it features a huge cast that includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi and more. Let's roll the dice and see what happens. (June 28 and Aug. 16, in theaters)

D: 'Despicable Me 4'

"Despicable Me 4," the sixth film in the "Despicable Me" franchise (if you count the two spinoff "Minions" entries), features Steve Carell's Gru, now a family man, back for another adventure, this time squaring off against a villain couple voiced by Will Ferrell and Sofia Vergara. Supervillain high jinks and Pharrell earworms are sure to follow. (July 3, in theaters)

E: Eli Roth

The horror director ("Cabin Fever," last year's "Thanksgiving") turns to the world of video game adaptations with "Borderlands," based on the space Western gaming franchise, and starring Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Jamie Lee Curtis, along with Kevin Hart, Jack Black and more. How'd he get Blanchett to do a deeply unserious video game sci-fi action comedy? Hey, everyone needs to switch things up every now and again, and not every movie can be "Tár." (Aug. 9, in theaters)

F: 'The Fall Guy'

Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt star in "The Fall Guy," a remake of the 1980s TV series, which centers on stunt performers in Hollywood. Director David Leitch knows a thing or two about the subject; he was a longtime stuntman before jumping behind the camera on the first "John Wick" film, as well as "Atomic Blonde" and "Deadpool 2." For years, this slot on the annual calendar has gone to a mega superhero outing, and this time around Hollywood is banking on the chemistry of Gosling and Blunt to kickstart the summer moviegoing season. (Friday, in theaters)

G: 'Garfield'

The lasagna loving cat is back in this animated tale, in which he's voiced by Chris Pratt and still hates Mondays. "The Garfield Movie" calls upon Jim Davis' classic character but seems to unfold in a different cinematic universe than 2004's "Garfield: The Movie" and its 2006 sequel, "Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties." This time around, the orange tabby goes on an adventure with his long lost father, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, who, because this is a family film, won't be able to say his favorite word. (May 24, in theaters)

H: Horror

Just because it's sunny outside doesn't mean it's not still dark inside theaters. Among the summer's horror offerings are the cursed deck of cards thriller "Tarot" (Friday, in theaters); the first of three entries in the 2024 home invasion trilogy "The Strangers: Chapter 1" (May 17, in theaters); the buzzy Canadian slasher "In a Violent Nature" (May 31, in theaters); the Russell Crowe-starring "The Exorcism" (June 7, in theaters); the serial killer chiller "Longlegs" (July 12, in theaters); and the latest "Alien" sampling, "Alien: Romulus" (Aug. 16, in theaters).

I: 'Inside Out 2'

2015's "Inside Out" was Pixar's last great movie, so it makes sense for the company to revisit its world of inner feelings to try to get some of that old magic back. In "Inside Out 2," Anxiety is joining the party, so Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust will have to make some room at the table. Featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Paul Walter Hauser and more. (June 14, in theaters)

J: Johansson

Scarlett Johansson stars opposite Channing Tatum in "Fly Me to the Moon," a romantic comedy set against the 1960s Space Race. Johansson is a marketing specialist brought in to fake a moon landing — you know, just as back-up (wink wink) — and Tatum is a NASA official. Do you think sparks might fly? Woody Harrelson and Ray Romano co-star, while Greg Berlanti ("Love Simon") directs. (July 12, in theaters)

K: 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes'

"Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," the follow-up to 2017's "War for the Planet of the Apes" — and you're not alone if you feel like you might need a refresher on where we left off in the series — is set 300 years after the events of the last film, as apes have taken over the planet and humans have become obsolete. Director Wes Ball (the "Maze Runner" series) assumes the helm from Matt Reeves, who directed the last two films in the series. (May 10, in theaters)

L: Liotta

The late Ray Liotta, who died in 2022, makes his final film appearance in "1992," a drama about the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which unfolded in the wake of the Rodney King verdict. With Tyrese Gibson and Scott Eastwood, and directed by Ariel Vromen. (May 31, in theaters)

M: 'Mad Max'

Anya Taylor-Joy stars in "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," a prequel to 2015's "Mad Max: Fury Road," in which she steps into Charlize Theron's shoes in the title role. This is the fifth installment of the "Mad Max" franchise, which kicked off with "The Road Warrior" back in 1979, and director George Miller — who recently celebrated his 79th birthday — shows no signs of slowing down. Chris Hemsworth also stars. (May 24, in theaters)

N: Nicole Kidman

"Even heartbreak feels good in a place like this," quoth Nicole Kidman in her iconic AMC Theatres ad, and the theater queen comes home in the Netflix rom-com "A Family Affair." Zac Efron plays a movie star who falls for his assistant's mother, played by Kidman, which sounds like a perfectly messy premise. Richard LaGravenese directs. (June 28, Netflix)

O: Oscar bait

Is summer too early to talk about Oscars? Of course it isn't. (Just look at "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer.") Already being buzzed about after its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival is "Sing Sing," about a group of prisoners in Sing Sing prison who stage their own original theatrical production, and Colman Domingo, an Oscar nominee for "Rustin," is looking to make it back-to-back nominations. Greg Kwedar directs. (July, in theaters)

P: Powell

Glen Powell, who proved the power of his on screen charisma in "Top Gun: Maverick" and winter's "Anyone But You," has a pair of films lined up for summertime. First up, he reteams with director Richard Linklater (following 2016's "Everybody Wants Some!!") in "Hit Man," in which he stars as a police officer pretending to be an assassin (June 7, on Netflix), and he follows it up with the "Twister" sequel "Twisters," which will determine if he can outcharm a natural disaster. Our money's on Powell. (July 19, in theaters)

Q: Quiet

Shhh. The world of "A Quiet Place" goes back to the beginning with the prequel "A Quiet Place: Day One," to find out what the heck happened in the first place when those alien creatures with the supersonic hearing attacked our world and made everyone go silent. Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o leads the cast, and Michael Sarnoski (2021's "Pig") takes over directing duties from John Krasinski. (June 28, in theaters)

R: Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds has a pair of potential big screen blockbusters on his hands this summer. First up he stars in "IF," a family fantasy about people who can see people's imaginary friends. (May 17, in theaters) Then there's a little movie called "Deadpool & Wolverine," in which he suits back up as the foul-mouthed superhero (and teams up with Hugh Jackman's Wolvie), which happens to be the only Marvel movie releasing this year, and has strong potential to be the summer's box office champion. (July 26, in theaters)

S: Shyamalan(s)

It's no longer just M. Night. Ishana Night Shyamalan, the daughter of the "Sixth Sense" filmmaker, makes her directorial debut with "The Watchers," about a group of strangers who find themselves watched every night by a group of mysterious creatures in the woods. (June 7, in theaters) And then it's M. Night's turn as he helms "Trap," a thriller with an intriguing premise about a killer (Josh Hartnett) who attends a concert, only to find out the event is a set-up just to catch him. (Aug. 9, in theaters)

T: Tom Hardy

We all need a little bit more Tom Hardy in our lives, and preferably not in the form of "Venom" films. In "The Bikeriders," Hardy stars alongside a cast that includes Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus and "Challengers'" Mike Faist, in a story about a 1960s Chicago biker gang that slips into the world of organized crime. Jeff Nichols ("Take Shelter," "Mud") directs. (June 21, in theaters)

U: 'Unfrosted'

Jerry Seinfeld has long been enamored with breakfast foods, and he writes, directs and stars in "Unfrosted," a satirical look at Battle Creek's creation of the Pop-Tart in this comedy that co-stars Hugh Grant, Melissa McCarthy, Peter Dinklage, Amy Schumer, Bobby Moynihan, Bill Burr, and basically every comedic actor working today. (Friday, on Netflix)

V: Vengeance

Vengeance is the order of the day in "The Crow," the remake of 1994's Detroit-set comic book adaptation, which starred Brandon Lee and gave the world an era-defining alt-Goth soundtrack. In the new film, Bill Skarsgård stars in the title role, who is killed by thugs and comes back to life to avenge the death of his girlfriend (played by FKA Twigs). It's unclear if the new movie is set in the Motor City, but filming took place in Munich and Prague. Rupert Sanders (2017's "Ghost in the Shell") directs. (Aug. 23, in theaters)

W: Winehouse

Marisa Abela stars as Amy Winehouse in "Back to Black," a biopic of the Grammy-winning "Rehab" singer, who died in 2011 at the age of 27. Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville co-star, Sam Taylor-Johnson ("Fifty Shades of Grey") directs. (May 17, in theaters)

X: 'MaXXXine'

Ti West completes his gonzo "X" trilogy with the slasher tale "MaXXXine," set in 1980s Los Angeles, with Mia Goth as an actress looking to find fame in the City of Angels after surviving the massacre depicted in the first film. Giancarlo Esposito, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Michelle Monaghan and pop singer Halsey co-star. Buckle up. (July 5, in theaters)

Y: Yorgos

Visionary "Poor Things" director Yorgos Lanthimos immediately follows his Best Picture nominee with "Kinds of Kindness," a three-part anthology film that stars Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, Margaret Qualley and more, and ties together several disparate storylines, likely through Lanthimos' singular weirdness. Can't wait. (June 21, in theaters)

Z: Zoë Kravitz

Channing Tatum plays a tech mogul who brings a cocktail waitress with him back to his private island in "Blink Twice," a darkly comic thriller which marks the writer-director debut of actress Zoë Kravitz. Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Geena Davis, Haley Joel Osment, Alia Shawkat and Kyle MacLachlan co-star. (Aug. 23, in theaters)

agraham@detroitnews.com