Ethan Hunt’s last mission? A new Superman? Happy Gilmore as a dad? Three genre-spanning Pedro Pascal movies, including a romance, a superhero movie and an A24 Ari Aster thriller? Hollywood is pulling out the stops this summer movie season, which kicks off with the release Marvel’s “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” on May 2.

May also brings big studio releases like a live-action “Lilo & Stitch,” “Mission: Impossible 8” and a new Wes Anderson film. June heats up with race cars in “F1,” adventure in “How to Train Your Dragon,” zombies in “28 Years Later” and a New York love triangle with Dakota Johnson’s matchmaker in the middle in “Materialists.”

Here’s The Associated Press’ guide to help make sense of the many, options in theaters and at home.

May movie releases

May 1

“Another Simple Favor” (Prime Video, streaming): Chill those martini glasses, Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick reunite with their “A Simple Favor” director Paul Feig for this Italy-set sequel.

May 2

“Thunderbolts” (Disney, theaters): Marvel’s antiheroes Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour) kick off the summer movie season in superhero style. “It’s a group of misfit toys that have been essentially thrown away at the beginning of the movie and have to figure out if they can work together to get themselves out of that mess,” director Jake Schreier told the AP. (Read AP’s review.)

“Bonjour Tristesse” (Greenwich Entertainment, theaters): Chloë Sevigny and Claes Bang star in this new adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s lusty, stylish coming of age novel about a playboy father and his teenage daughter (Lily McInerny) on the French Riviera.

“Pavements” (Utopia, theaters): Alex Ross Perry takes an experimental approach to the traditional music biopic in his portrait of the indie rock group Pavement that’s better experienced than described.

“Rust” (Falling Forward Films, theaters and VOD): The Alec Baldwin Western “Rust” is actually coming out after years in limbo and litigation. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set in October 2021 and director Joel Souza was wounded during a rehearsal. Souza said at the film’s premiere at a festival in Poland in November that it was Hutchins’ husband, Matthew, who wanted the film to be finished. (Read AP’s review.)

“The Surfer” (Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions, theaters): Tensions are high on a “locals-only beach” when Nicolas Cage and his son return to try to catch some waves. (Read AP’s review.)

“Magic Farm” (MUBI, theaters): Amalia Ulman directs this absurdist comedy about a documentary crew who ends up in the wrong town, starring Chloë Sevigny, Alex Wolff and Simon Rex.

“Words of War” (Decal, theaters): Maxine Peake and Jason Isaacs star in this political thriller about journalist and human rights activist Anna Politkovskaya. Sean Penn produced.

“Vulcanizadora” (Oscilloscope, theaters): A black comedy following friends on a dark mission deep in the woods of Michigan.

May 9

“Friendship” (A24, theaters): Paul Rudd and “I Think You Should Leave” comedian Tim Robinson star in this absurd, comedic film about male camaraderie. (Read AP’s review.)

“Shadow Force” (Lionsgate, theaters): Kerry Washington and Omar Sy star in this Joe Carnahan-directed action thriller about a couple of ex-assassins running from their old boss (and trying to protect their young son).

“Nonnas” (Netflix, streaming): Vince Vaughn stars in this Stephen Chbosky-movie based on a true story of a Brooklyn guy who hires Italian grandmothers to be the chefs at a restaurant after the loss of his own mother. Susan Sarandon, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire and Linda Cardellini also star.

“Fight or Flight” (Vertical, theaters): Josh Hartnett, sporting bleached blonde hair, is a mercenary on a flight full of assassins in this bloody action-comedy at 30,000 feet.

“Caught by the Tides” (Janus Films): Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke takes footage spanning 22 years to tell a story of love and longing that had Cannes critics raving last year. Zhao Tao stars. (Read AP’s review.)

“Juliet & Romeo” (Briarcliff Entertainment, theaters): Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers get the (pop) music treatment in this colorful take starring Clara Rugaard and Jamie Ward.

“Clown in a Cornfield” (RLJ Entertainment): This slasher from director Eli Craig (“Tucker & Dale vs. Evil”) features a killer named Frendo.

“Lilly” (Blue Harbor Entertainment, theaters): Patricia Clarkson plays equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter in this biographical drama.

May 16

“Final Destination: Bloodlines” (Warner Bros., theaters): It’s been 25 years since the “Final Destination” franchise kicked off and they’re still finding new horrifying ways to kill off their characters.

“Hurry Up Tomorrow” (Lionsgate, theaters): The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye) plays a fictionalized version of himself in this psychological thriller about an insomniac musician from Trey Edward Shults, co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan.

“Love” (Strand Releasing): This Norwegian film about two health care workers discussing relationship philosophies closes out Dag Johan Haugerud’s “Sex, Dreams, Love” trilogy.

“Sister Midnight” (Magnet Releasing, theaters): This black comedy about an unhappy arranged marriage and a series of chaotic events was a Cannes selection in 2024.

“The Ruse” (Seismic Releasing, theaters): This thriller centers on a caregiver and the mysterious patient she’s caring for in a remote home on the sea.

May 23

“Lilo & Stitch” (Disney, theaters): This live-action reimagining of the 2002 classic about orphaned Hawaiian sisters who unknowingly adopt an alien was directed by “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” filmmaker Dean Fleischer Camp. Sydney Agudong, who plays older sister Nani, said, “The beauty of this movie is that it highlights the idea of Aloha and Ohana and the family dynamics that happen here along with the aliens and the Hawaiian roller coaster ride.”

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” (Paramount, theaters): Nothing ever really ends in the land of franchise filmmaking, but the “final” in the title suggests this could actually be Tom Cruise’s last ride as Ethan Hunt. Even if it isn’t, audiences can trust it’ll be full of death-defying spectacles worthy of the big screen.

“Fountain of Youth” (Apple TV+, streaming): Natalie Portman and John Krasinski play siblings on a dangerous quest for the fountain of youth in this globe-trotting adventure from Guy Ritchie.

“Pee-Wee As Himself” (Max, streaming): This riveting two-part documentary about the life of Paul Reubens was crafted from some 40 hours of interviews and thousands of hours of archival footage.

“Jane Austen Wrecked My Life” (Sony Pictures Classics, theaters): A Parisian bookseller gets invited to the Jane Austen writers’ residency in this contemporary Austen-inspired romantic comedy written and directed by Laura Piani.

“Fear Street: Prom Queen” (Netflix, streaming): Prom queen candidates begin to vanish in this latest “Fear Street” installment, set in 1988.

“The Last Rodeo” (Angel Studios, theaters): Neal McDonough plays a retired cowboy who decides to return to the ring in a bid to pay his son’s medical bills.

May 30

“Karate Kid: Legends” (Sony Pictures, theaters): Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio unite for the newest “Karate Kid” film, set three years after “Cobra Kai” and focusing on a new kid, Li, played by Ben Wang. “It kind of harkens back to the previous entries in the franchise,” Wang said. “It’s a kid who is a fish out of water who comes to a new city and has to face down bullies.”

“Bring Her Back” (A24, theaters): “Talk to Me” filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou return with this creepy new movie about death, resurrection and the arrival of an adopted kid who is not quite right. Sally Hawkins plays the mother.

“The Phoenician Scheme” (Focus Features, theaters): Benicio del Toro stars as one of the richest men in Europe, and father to nine sons and one daughter (Mia Threapleton), in Wes Anderson’s newest film, featuring a typically starry ensemble including Tom Hanks, Michael Cera, Scarlett Johansson, Riz Ahmed and Benedict Cumberbatch.

“Ghost Trail” (Music Box Films, theaters): Jonathan Millet directed this revenge thriller about a Syrian man in France who is in pursuit of the man who tortured him at an infamous military prison.

“Tornado” (IFC Films, theaters): Koki, Jack Lowden, Takehiro Hira and Tim Roth star in this revenge thriller set in 1790s Britain.

June movie releases

June 6

“Ballerina,” (Lionsgate, theaters): Ana de Armas leads this “John Wick” spinoff about a deadly (and classically trained) assassin.

“The Life of Chuck” (Neon, theaters): This is not your typical Stephen King adaptation. Mike Flanagan directs the sentimental and supernatural story about the life of an ordinary man named Charles Krantz, told in three chapters. Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mia Sara, Benjamin Pajak and Karen Gillan are among the large ensemble cast.

“The Ritual” (XYZ Films, theaters): Al Pacino and Dan Stevens as men of the church performing exorcisms? Sure, why not.

“Dangerous Animals” (IFC Films, theaters): Jai Courtney plays a serial killer who feeds his victims to sharks in this bonkers-sounding movie.

“I Don’t Understand You” (Vertical, theaters): Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells are a couple vacationing in Italy in this dark comedy with an escalating body count.

“Straw” (Netflix, streaming): Taraji P. Henson leads this Tyler Perry drama about a single mother.

“Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye” (GKIDS, theaters): More adventures of Momo and Okarun in this series based on the popular manga by Yukinobu Tatsu.

June 12

“Deep Cover” (Prime Video, streaming): Bryce Dallas Howard plays an improv comedy teacher recruited by an undercover cop (Sean Bean) for a mission for which she enlists two of her students (Orlando Bloom and Nick Mohammed).

June 13

“How to Train Your Dragon” (Universal, theaters): Unlike most live adaptations of animated movies, filmmaker Dean DeBlois is behind both. DeBlois said their goal was to make the film “really immersive,” to dial up the sense of urgency and peril and “to just pull the audience in and make them feel like these dragons are real, that you could own one, you could fly on the back of one.” Mason Thames plays Hiccup and Nico Parker takes on the role of Astrid in this epic fantasy sure to enchant a new generation (and the one who grew up on the original).

“Materialists” (A24, theaters): Dakota Johnson plays a matchmaker torn between two prospects (played by Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal) in love story from “Past Lives” filmmaker Celine Song. “It’s a modern love story that’s set in New York City and it’s inspired by the brief time that I worked as a professional matchmaker,” Song said. “I really tried in this film to be really honest about the marketplace of dating, as the people actually experience it and live it today.”

“Echo Valley” (AppleTV+, streaming): Claire (Sydney Sweeney) shows up on her mother’s (Julianne Moore) doorstep covered in someone else’s blood in this thriller from Brad Ingelsby.

“The Unholy Trinity” (Roadside Attractions, theaters): Pierce Brosnan and Samuel L. Jackson lead this Western, set in 1870s Montana.

“Prime Minister” (Magnolia, theaters): This documentary follows Jacinda Ardern through her tenure as prime minister of New Zealand.

June 17

“Sally” (NatGeo/Disney+, streaming): Blue Origin who? Sally Ride, the first American woman to go to space, is the focus of this new documentary that chronicles her professional accomplishments and her lesser-known personal life.

June 20

“28 Years Later” (Sony Pictures, theaters): The original team behind “28 Days Later,” including director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, return with a new entry featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer and Ralph Fiennes.

“Elio” (Disney/Pixar, theaters): This intergalactic adventure centers on an 11-year-old earthling (Yonas Kibreab) who is abducted by aliens and assumed to be a world leader. Oscar-winner Zoe Saldaña is part of the voice cast.

For more coverage of this summer’s upcoming films, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/movies