Spring movie preview: Ready to play

Now that the “serious” movie season is over, it’s time to make way for more comic book heroes, comedies and romance. Here’s a look at some highlights headed our way before the blockbusters of summer arrive (release dates subject to change):

Friday, March 23

“Pacific Rim: Uprising” – It’s another day, another apocalypse with this action/sci-fi sequel to the 2013 original with John Boyega (“Star Wars: “The Last Jedi”) and Scott Eastwood (yeah, Clint’s son) taking over for Charlie Hunnam as pilots driving giant robots to do battle with equally giant monsters.

“Isle of Dogs” – Director Wes Craven’s second stop-motion animated feature after “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is set in a near-future Japan, where the authorities have exiled all dogs to an island and one boy goes in search of his beloved pooch.

“Sherlock Gnomes” – Garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet return and this time recruit renowned detective Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the disappearance of their gnome friends. He’s such a “gnow” it all!

“Midnight Sun” – Romance about a young man (Patrick Schwarzenegger – yep, Arnie’s son) who falls for a girl (Bella Thorne) who has a life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight. Obscurity points: This is based on a 2006 Japanese film of the same name.

March 30

“Ready Player One” – Steven Spielberg directs this wildly anticipated adaptation of Ernest Cline’s pop culture odyssey set in the future, where a teen (Tye Sheridan) enters a game in a virtual reality world known as the OASIS and becomes the leader to win its fortune. Early word is positive after the film’s premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin: The Hollywood Reporter saying the film has the book’s “spirit and level-up thrills intact.”

“Tyler Perry’s Acrimony” – You don’t want to make Taraji P. Henson mad, but that’s apparently what happens as she stars as a woman who discovers her husband has betrayed her.

“God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness” – Sequel to the wildly popular faith-based 2014 hit, about a pastor who must deal with his church being burned down.

April 6

“Blockers” – Who would have thought that former WWE star John Cena would do comedies? But here he is again, starring as one of three parents who try to stop their daughters from having sex on prom night.

“A Quiet Place” – John Krasinski directs and stars with wife Emily Blunt in this horror tale about a family that lives an isolated existence in complete silence for fear of being attacked by creatures that are attracted to sound. This also premiered at SXSW to high praise.

April 13

“Rampage” – Dwayne Johnson and a giant white gorilla fight monsters in a big city. I did not make that up.

“Truth or Dare” – Horror tale about a harmless game of Truth or Dare among friends that turns deadly when someone – or something – begins to punish those who tell a lie or refuse the dare. How about a nice game of checkers instead?

April 20

“Super Troopers 2” – Sequel to the riotous 2001 comedy about inept cops. Is 18 years too long a break between films? Not for fans, which crowdfunded the film.

“I Feel Pretty” – Comedian Amy Schumer plays a woman struggling with insecurity who wakes from a fall believing she is now the most beautiful and capable woman on the planet.

April 27

“Avengers: Infinity War” – It’s all been leading up to this, as every Marvel comic book hero in a movie so far unites to battle the big, bad, terrible Thanos, who wants to rule the universe (a villain staple).

May 4

“Overboard” – Remake of the 1987 Goldie Hawn comedy with the roles reversed: A spoiled, wealthy yacht owner (Eugenio Derbez) is thrown overboard and becomes the target of revenge from his mistreated employee (Anna Faris).

May 11

“Life of the Party” – Melissa McCarthy stars in this comedy as a dumped housewife who turns regret into reset by going back to college.

May 18

“Book Club” – Check out this stellar cast: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen, who star as lifelong friends whose lives are forever changed after reading “50 Shades of Grey” in their monthly book club. I hope that’s not really true.

“The Untitled Deadpool Sequel” – Yes, it’s still untitled, although that may very well be the official title by now, as Ryan Reynolds returns as the “Merc with a Mouth.” Not much is known about the story, but we do know that Josh Brolin joins in the fun as Cable and newcomer Zazie Beetz plays Domino. Expect more vulgarity than you can shake a middle finger at.

This story was originally published March 19, 2018 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Spring movie preview: Ready to play."