Entertainment
There are plenty of huge releases to look out for at your local multiplex over the next few months, from a Spider-Man sequel to a new Men in Black. In addition to the typical fare of action flicks and buddy comedies, there are some family-friendly flicks on their way. The animated movies coming out this summer will make you feel like a kid again.
Perhaps the most highly anticipated of these is Toy Story 4, the latest installment of Pixar's first franchise. The last time we saw Woody, Buzz, and the gang, they had parted ways with Andy. And now, nearly a decade later, we get to see what they've been up to with their new owner Bonnie, and, of course, go on a brand new adventure that'll be full of callbacks to other Pixar movies.
But there's more to look forward to than just a Toy Story reunion. You'll get another chance to see what your pets get up to when you're not around, discover a land of Lego-like toy people, and make a wish on a magic dragon — though not the one you're probably thinking of.
Here are the animated flicks to look out for this summer.
1
The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (June 7)
If you loved the first flick and have been waiting to see more of Max (Patton Oswalt), Duke (Eric Stonestreet), and the gang, you'll get to see them embark on brand new adventures this June. And this time, they're going head-to-head with some new farm animal characters.
2
'Toy Story 4' (June 21)
2010's Toy Story 3 was a rollercoaster of emotions, leading many fans to believe it'd be the last we'd see of the beloved toys from Andy's room. But, luckily, their story continues! This new installment introduces brand new characters, including Forky (Tony Hale), a craft project who has an existential crisis about his change in purpose. We'll also get to see Woody (Tom Hanks) reunite with Bo Peep (Annie Potts), whose whereabouts had been a big mystery since the second movie.
3
'Wish Dragon' (July 26)
What happens when you find a wish dragon that'll grant you any wish you want? This retelling of the genie-in-a-bottle story is set in modern day China, with Jackie Chan voicing the dragon. The rest of the voice cast is star-studded too, including Constance Wu, John Cho, and Bobby Lee.
4
'The Angry Birds Movie 2' (Aug. 16)
The addictive iPhone game gets a movie sequel this summer, with an all-star voice cast of new and returning talents, including Jason Sudeikis, Peter Dinklage, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Leslie Jones, Pete Davidson, and more.
5
'Playmobil' (Aug. 16)
In this epic adventure, Marla (Anya Taylor-Joy) finds herself being turned into a Playmobil (those squat humanoid toys that come from Germany) after her brother Charlie (Gabriel Bateman) grabs a magic Playmobil that makes him disappear. It's up to her to embark on an adventure in the toy land to find him. Marla teams up with food truck diver Del (Jim Gaffigan), secret agent Dasher (Daniel Radcliffe), and a fairy godmother (Meghan Trainor) as they try to find Charlie and face villain Emperor Maximus (Adam Lambert). It's a French production, so it'll come out in Europe before the US, but it'll be worth waiting for if you grew up with these toys.
There are more graphic and serious films coming to theaters this summer, but you're never too old to cool off with an animated, kid-centric movie.
This article was originally published on
