New Jack City: KC’s Summer Screen Sizzlers

 It may not seem like it but as far as Hollywood is concerned we’re two weeks away from the official kick off to the 2014 summer movie season…

It all unfolds on Friday, May 2 as the Spider-Man legacy focuses on an untold story that tells a different side of Peter Parker’s beginnings.

Summer at the movies in Kansas City comes in two parts.

The first goes through June – the second, July through Labor Day.

Today I’m focusing on highlights from the first part of K.C.’s big screen summer sizzle: 

* May 2—THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (Andrew Garfield-Emma Stone)

* May 9—NEIGHBORS (Seth Rogen-Zac Efron)

* May 16—GODZILLA (Bryan Cranston-Juliette Binoche)

and

MILLION DOLLAR ARM (Jon Hamm) 

* May 23—X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (Hugh Jackman-Michael Fassbender)

and

BLENDED (Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore)

* May 30—A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST (Seth McFarlane-Charlize Theron)

and

MALEFICENT (Angelina Jolie)

 

* June 6—EDGE OF TOMORROW (Tom Cruise-Emily Blunt)

and

 THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (Shailene Woodley)

 

* June 13—22 JUMP STREET (Jonah Hill-Channing Tatum)

and

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 (voices of Cate Blanchett-Jonah Hill-Kristen Wigg)

* June 20–Director Clint Eastwood‘s JERSEY BOYS

and

THINK LIKE A MAN TOO (Kevin Hart-Regina Hall)

* June 27—TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION (Mark Wahlberg-Kelsey Grammer)

 

                                                But wait—there’s MORE!

 

Summer Part 2 should also keep KC’s now all-digital complexes hopping!

In no particular order the highlights from 4th of July through Labor Day:

* DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (Andy Serkes)

* WISH I WAS HOME (Zack Braff-Kate Hudson

* JUPITER ASCENDING (Channing Tatum-Mila Kunis)

* PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE (Animated)

* HERCULES (Dwayne Johnson)

* SEX TAPE ( Cameron Diaz-Segel)

* GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (Chris Pratt-Bradley Cooper)

* TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

* LET’S BE COPS (Damon Wayans)

* LUCY (Scarlett Johansson-Morgan Freeman)

* THE EXPENDABLES 3 (Sly Stallone-Harrison Ford)

* JANE GOT A GUN (Natalie Portman-Ewan McGregor)

* TAMMY (Melissa McCarthy-Susan Sarandon)

* SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR (Mickey Rourke-Josh Brolin-Jessica Alba)

 

I’ve highlighted 28 summer titles – probably half of the total number of movies set to open here during the summer popcorn season.

Which flicks will bomb? And which will surprise?

If I knew the answers I certainly wouldn’t be here writing about it. I’d be advising the studios in tinsel town and betting on box office outcomes in Las Vegas.