Dunkirk
UK Release Date: July 21st
What is it: Christopher Nolan’s take on the battle of Dunkirk, starring Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Fionn Whitehead, and Harry Styles.
Why it might be good: A World War II movie directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy has all the right ingredients needed to be a hit both critically and financially.
What we have seen so far looks very promising and the movie is likely to dazzle audiences with its battle sequences in IMAX.
The film could give Nolan his first ever Best Director nomination at the Oscars next march.
What it might be bad: Nolan has a tendency to lean towards self-indulgence, and with the film likely to have a very lengthy run time, this could become something of an endurance test. His last movie Interstellar was polarising and described my many as being muddled – let’s hope Dunkirk doesn’t fall into the same traps.
Also, I hate to be that guy – but the inclusion of Harry Styles in the movie does raise a few eyebrows and seems a piece of opportunistic casting. I can’t see him stinking the whole movie up, he may even turn out to be all right, but I expect him to stick out like a sore thumb among such a talented cast.
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
UK Release Date: July 28th
What is it: DreamWorks’ adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s novels of the same name, with voice work from Ed Helms, Kevin Hart and Jordan Peele among others.
Why it might be good: Despite its immature premise, the movie has a solid voice cast, who are, if nothing else, consistently funny. I must admit as well that the first trailer looks quite fun and the movie, providing it can entertain adult audiences as well, could prove to be another big franchise for DreamWorks.
Why it might be bad: It’s called Captain Underpants, so there is a chance that the movie will totally ignore the adults in the audience and just give us a feature full of juvenile toilet humour and slapstick animation.
Originally published April 22, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
