Summer Movie Preview: July and August

• Who's starring: Melissa McCarthy is the unhinged title character, and Susan Sarandon is the grandmother who accompanies her on a road trip.
• Why we're interested: McCarthy is a reliably funny star, and her character, Tammy, looks like another memorably hilarious one for the books.
• When it opens: July 2
• Watch the trailer for Tammy.

• Who's starring: Keira Knightley is the ex-girlfriend of a rocker (Adam Levine), and Mark Ruffalo is the down-on-his luck record exec who wants to help her make music.
• Why we're interested: Besides Levine as a scruffy rocker, we love the idea of Knightley and Ruffalo bonding over music.
• When it opens: July 4
• Watch the trailer for Begin Again.

• Who's starring: Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, and Gary Oldman are the surviving humans after apes have taken over.
• Why we're interested: Hey, we want to find out what happened to Caesar!
• When it opens: July 11
• Watch the trailer for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

• Who's starring: Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul, and Imogen Poots play strangers who become friends after resolving to wait to kill themselves.
• Why we're interested: This is based on a Nick Hornby novel, and adaptations of Hornby's books tend to make excellent films (High Fidelity, About a Boy).
• When it opens: July 11
• Watch the trailer for A Long Way Down.

Source: Magnolia Pictures

• Who's starring: Zach Braff stars as a soul-searching dad, Kate Hudson plays his wife, and Joey King is his daughter.
• Why we're interested: We're not ashamed to say that we still love Garden State, and this is Braff's second shot as writer/director/star. Will it be the moody hipster Summer hit we hope it is?
• When it opens: July 18
• Watch the trailer for Wish I Was Here.

• Who's starring: Modern-day Hercules Dwayne Johnson is taking on the title role, while John Hurt, Ian McShane, and Joseph Fiennes also star.
• Why we're interested: Everything about The Rock playing Hercules sounds awesome. And if you haven't watched him bellowing "I. AM. HERCULEEES!" in the trailer, you need to do so now.
• When it opens: July 25
• Watch the trailer for Hercules.

• Who's starring: Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz play a married couple whose sex tape accidentally goes viral.
• Why we're interested: This funny pair is a winning combo, and the raunchy subject matter seems both envelope-pushing and hilarious.
• When it opens: July 18
• Watch the trailer for Sex Tape.

Source: Screen Gems

• Who's starring: Emma Stone and Colin Firth are love interests, while Marcia Gay Harden and Hamish Linklater also costar.
• Why we're interested: Woody Allen's film is set in the 1920s on the French Riviera, and has Stone and Firth as romantic leads. We're in.
• When it opens: July 25

• Who's starring: Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana is Gamora; Vin Diesel is a treelike humanoid; and Bradley Cooper voices a raccoon. Together, they protect the galaxy in amateur, somewhat comedic ways.
• Why we're interested: Chris Pratt's abs are out of this world in the trailer, but besides that, this looks like the funniest Marvel movie yet. As long as it doesn't sacrifice action for humor, this could be a hit.
• When it opens: Aug. 1
• Watch the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy.

• Who's starring: Chadwick Boseman is playing James Brown in the biopic, which follows the famous soul singer from childhood to stardom. Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Nelsan Ellis (True Blood), and Craig Robinson are also starring.
• Why we're interested: The cast is promising, and there's nothing better than heading to the theater and getting quality storytelling with a side of rousing music.
• When it opens: Aug. 1
• Watch the trailer for Get On Up.

• Who's starring: Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan are a pair of best friends whose relationship may be teetering the the direction of romance.
• Why we're interested: Zoe Kazan is like the quirky, indie-loving best friend we never had, and hello? Daniel Radcliffe. We're there.
• When it opens: Aug. 8
• Watch the trailer for What If.

Source: CBS Films

• Who's starring: Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Whoopi Goldberg, and Abby Elliot play humans opposite a bunch of, let's say "interesting," adolescent turtles.
• Why we're interested: If you were alive for any part of the early '90s, you know a thing or two about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While you may not be too hot on the idea of a remake, you'll still want to check out these new turtles.
• When it opens: Aug. 8
• Watch the trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

• Who's starring: Helen Mirren plays a chef who has to acknowledge the culinary genius of a young Indian man.
• Why we're interested: Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg are producing this adaptation, which totally has the feel of this year's Eat Pray Love.
• When it opens: Aug. 8
• Watch the trailer for The Hundred-Foot Journey.

• Who's starring: Scarlett Johansson plays the title character, a woman who's forced to become a drug mule, then discovers certain new strengths.
• Why we're interested: Johansson was so good in last month's Captain America: The Winter Soldier that we're ready to see her kick butt yet again.
• When it opens: Aug. 8
• Watch the trailer for Lucy.

• Who's starring: New Girl costars Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr., plus The Vampire Diaries' Nina Dobrev.
• Why we're interested: We've seen the buddy cop movie, but never the buddy cop movie in which the buddies aren't actual cops. Plus, these two are two of our favorite funny New Girl cast members, so we're excited to see what they do outside of the loft.
• When it opens: Aug. 13
• Watch the trailer for Let's Be Cops.

• Who's starring: Brenton Thwaites is Jonas, who receives the title of "giver" from the previous one, played by Jeff Bridges. Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, and Taylor Swift all costar.
• Why we're interested: We can't wait to see how this memorable YA novel is adapted for the big screen. Will it be super bleak? Will it live up to Lois Lowry's classic?
• When it opens: Aug. 15
• Watch the trailer for The Giver.

• Who's starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, and Kellan Lutz, to name a few.
• Why we're interested: Guns and guns! The big-weapons and big-arms sequel is good for one thing: fun.
• When it opens: Aug. 15
• Watch the trailer for The Expendables 3.

• Who's starring: Chloë Moretz plays high schooler Mia, a victim of car wreck who grapples with staying on earth.
• Why we're interested: Have you watched this trailer yet? It's heart-shattering. It's just the thing to give us a good cry after our tears have dried post-Fault in Our Stars.
• When it opens: Aug. 22
• Watch the trailer for If I Stay.

• Who's starring: Bruce Willis and Jessica Alba reprise their roles, while newbies Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Lady Gaga join the noir franchise.
• Why we're interested: The first movie was an artful thrill ride, and we want to see if the Frank Miller-infused tale still has the edge, nine years later.
• When it opens: Aug. 22
• Watch the trailer for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.