May traditionally kicks off the summer blockbuster season and May 2022’s movies are no different. Although there aren’t as many wide releases this month, the movies that are coming to theaters are big, with something for everyone this month. It kicks off with a Marvel movie that will change things and ends with a high-flying sequel 30 years in the making. In between, there’s a Stephen King adaptation, a cerebral horror from Alex Garland, a family-friendly animated movie, and the return of the Crawley family.
Here are all the wide-release movies coming to theaters in May.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – Release Date: Friday, May 6
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Xochitl Gómez, Michael Stuhlbarg
Director: Sam Raimi
As arguably the most anticipated movie of the year, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to break the MCU open in a big way. After Doctor Strange’s spell in Spider-Man: No Way Home went awry, the multiverse has broken wide-open, and chaos reigns across the universes. Strange has to assemble a team of allies, new and old, to set things right as he squares off with incredibly dangerous foes–but none may be more dangerous than a multiversal version of Scarlet Witch hellbent on destruction.
Firestarter – Release Date: Friday, May 13
Cast: Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon,Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes, Gloria Reuben, Tina Jung, Lanette Ware
Director: Keith Thomas
Horror fans, get ready for this one. Firestarter is, of course, a new adaptation of the classic Stephen King book of the same name. When Charlie is born, it’s not long before her parents realize she has the eerie and powerful ability to start fires with her mind. Now, they have to go on the run as a shadowy government agency tracks them, determined to capture Charlie and turn her into a weapon of mass destruction. Charlie’s dad has taught her to control and suppress her powers, but as she grows older, they get harder to keep in check. When a mysterious operative catches up with them, however, her powers might be the only thing that saves her and her parents.
Downton Abbey: A New Era – Release Date: Friday, May 20
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Joanne Froggatt, Michael Fox, Harry Hadden-Paton
Director: Simon Curtis
The Crawleys and their staff are back in Downton Abbey: A New Era. In the sequel to the original movie of 2019, the Crawley family travels away from Britain. When the dowager countess inherits a mysterious villa, the Crawleys travel to the south of France to explore the new villa and uncover its secrets. Meanwhile, Downton becomes the set of a new Hollywood “kinematograph” when it comes to film on the estate, much to the annoyance of Lord Grantham.
Men – Release Date: Friday, May 20
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu
Director: Alex Garland
The cerebral director Alex Garland’s latest, Men, is another of his symbolically loaded and layered films, this time pure horror. After a terrible tragedy, Harper heads to the English countryside to grieve. But what was intended to be a peaceful place to heal takes a disturbing turn when Harper realizes that something–or someone–in the woods outside is stalking her. Soon, her worst memories and deepest fears are coming to light, and her life turns into a waking nightmare as she tries to unravel the mystery of what’s happening to her.
Top Gun: Maverick – Release Date: Friday, May 27
Cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Ed Harris, Val Kilmer
Director: Joseph Kosinski
“I feel the need, the need for speed!” There are few movie quotes as iconic, and Top Gun: Maverick is poised to deliver memorable lines for a new generation. Tom Cruise returns as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. After 30 years in the Navy, Maverick is one of its best aviators. But he’s refused to accept a promotion to a higher rank every time it’s been offered, instead preferring to keep flying. Now he’s training a new wave of young pilots. But ghosts of Maverick’s past are uprooted when his new class includes Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s late co-pilot and best friend, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw.
The Bob’s Burgers Movie – Release Date: Friday, May 27
Voice Cast: Kristen Schaal, H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, Zach Galifianakis, Kevin Kline, David Wain, Sam Seder
Directors: Bernard Derriman & Loren Bouchard
The Belchers hit the big screen in their first movie outing! The Bob’s Burgers Movie finds Bob and his family facing an unexpected disaster when a water main right in front of Bob’s Burgers bursts and creates a giant sinkhole. With the entrance blocked and partly flooded, the Belchers plans for a successful summer run are upended. While Bob and Linda scramble to keep the restaurant open, the kids are busy solving a mystery that might save Bob’s Burgers and their family’s business.
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