Muscled hunks, both young and aging, make up most of this month’s movie releases. If pecs and biceps aren’t your cup of tea, there’s also an adorable but foul-mouthed teddy bear to lighten up your movie-going experience.
Scheduled release: Now showing
Director: Seth MacFarlane
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, Amanda Seyfried
Step aside, Minions. The trash talking and ill mannered Ted (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) returns, along with his thunder buddy and equally loudmouthed best friend, John (Mark Wahlberg).
In this sequel, Ted is intent on having a kid with his wife Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth), but there’s just one tiny issue – Ted’s not a human being. Hilarity ensues as Ted tries to prove to the law that he’s an actual person and is legally allowed to find a suitable sperm donor.
Scheduled release: July 9th
Director: Gregory Jacobs
Cast: Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer
If you missed Channing Tatum’s chiseled abs and provocative dance moves, you’ll be glad to know that both him and his entourage of male strippers will be sizzling movie screens worldwide this month with this sequel.
The story picks up three years after Mike (Channing Tatum) abandons the stripper life. His former crew are also on the brink of calling it a day, but before that, they want to bring the house down with a solid last performance that has Mike headlining it. Watch the journey of their reunion and their fluid body movements in this testosterone-filled flick.
Scheduled release: July 16th
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Ruud, Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll
Ant-Man may be diminutive in size, but his strength and abilities made him a core member of The Avengers in the comic books. Marvel may have introduced him a little later than his compatriots like Captain America and Iron Man, but they’re definitely banking on him being a box office success.
Paul Rudd plays the titular character Scott Lang, who despite being a thief, actually has the heart of a hero. With help from his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), Lang must harness the power of his Ant-Man suit and save the world. Expect to see him make a cameo appearance in next year’s Captain America: Civil War movie and play an important role in the upcoming Avengers sequels.
Scheduled release: July 23rd
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Forest Whitaker, Rachel McAdams
Hollywood heartthrob Jake Gyllenhaal sure has dedication to his craft, going from a stick-thin figure in Nightcrawler to a muscle-bound hunk in the upcoming Southpaw movie. But beyond the imposing physique, Gyllenhaal will be putting his acting chops to the test as he takes on the role of a physically and mentally damaged fighter.
Billy “The Great” Hope (Jack Gyllenhaal) is the reigning Junior Middleweight Champion, using his unorthodox stance and offensive boxing techniques to stay at the top of his game. But when a tragic accident leaves his wife Maureen (Rachel McAdams) dead, the southpaw boxer must do everything he can to salvage his crumbling life and retain custody of his young daughter.
Scheduled release: July 30th
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Cast: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg
There’s no stopping Tom Cruise as he stars in the fifth Mission Impossible movie, keeping the franchise alive and kicking since its inception in 1996. The 52-year-old Cruise continues to brave danger and do the impossible, stretching the limits of the action film genre.
In the movie, Impossible Mission Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) goes on an action-packed mission with his team to take down the Syndicate, an international rogue organization that’s devoted to eradicating the IMF. Like the previous installments, audiences can expect plenty of breath-taking moments as Hunt does the impossible, like hanging on for dear life on a moving plane.