Entertainment Movies PEOPLE's Summer Movie Preview 2022 As the blockbuster season begins, here are 15 good reasons to grab some popcorn and hit the local cinema (or your couch!) By Kara Warner and Dana Rose Falcone Updated on May 24, 2022 11:17 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos 01 of 15 Top Gun: Maverick Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick (2022). Paramount Pictures Thirty-six years after Top Gun debuted, the sequel finally roars into theaters with the force of a MiG-28, as cocky Navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) trains a new class of fliers. One student? Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick's late copilot Goose (Anthony Edwards). Rooster blames Maverick for his dad's death. "I'm not going to lie, I love it up there — I love flight," says Cruise, who salutes the new cast: "They all wanted to come on board the adventure." In theaters May 27 02 of 15 Jurassic World Dominion Chris Pratt in Jurassic World Dominion (2022). Universal Studios In the new Jurassic film, dinosaurs run amok alongside humans, leading to dramatic showdowns. "One of my favorite moments," says director Colin Trevorrow, "involves Bryce Dallas Howard swinging a fire ax at very nasty flying creatures." In theaters June 10 03 of 15 Father of the Bride Claudette Barius Gloria Estefan and Andy Garcia star as the parents of the bride-to-be in this remake of the classic story (first filmed with Elizabeth Taylor in 1950, and again in 1991 with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton). The two portray a traditional Cuban couple dealing with all the change as their daughter prepares to leave the nest and marry a Mexican man, bringing some cultural clashes into play. On HBO Max June 16 04 of 15 Nope Universal Pictures "This film is definitely a ride," writer-director Jordan Peele says of his new horror flick about California horse trainers (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) dealing with strange forces stronger than any steed. In theaters July 22 05 of 15 Downton Abbey: A New Era The PBS series about elite Brits and their staff spawned a hit movie in 2019 — and now the Crawleys are back to face changing times. Tom Branson (Allen Leech) marries Lucy Smith (Tuppence Middleton), and the family gets an offer for a movie to shoot at Downton Abbey. "Of course, Robert Crawley does not want these ghastly film types crawling all over the place," Bonneville says of the patriarch he plays. Meanwhile, Violet Crawley (Maggie Smith) learns she has inherited a villa in France. Bonneville says the Crawleys "find out more about this intriguing legacy." In theaters May 18 06 of 15 Thor: Love and Thunder Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). Jasin Boland/Marvel Studios "I want to ... live in the moment," declares Thor (Chris Hemsworth) in the fourth Marvel film to focus on the Norse god of thunder. "My superhero-ing days are over." Not so fast. The hammer-wielding hunk comes out of retirement to battle Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who plans to live up to his name. On hand to help: His ex Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and warrior Korg (Taika Waititi). In theaters July 8 07 of 15 Where the Crawdads Sing Courtesy of Sony Pictures Reese Witherspoon produced the adaptation of her hit 2020 book club pick by Delia Owens. Nature lover Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones) is accused of murder in a North Carolina town that considers her an outsider for living in the marsh. But "she's resilient and highly intelligent," Edgar-Jones says. In theaters July 15 08 of 15 Minions: The Rise of Gru Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures How did little yellow Gru grow up to become a supervillain? The prequel to the 2015 megahit Minions reveals all in a whimsical story packed with high jinks and hilarity. In theaters July 1 09 of 15 Fire Island Jeong Park/Searchlight Pictures Joel Kim Booster wrote his take on a "gay Pride and Prejudice," as he told Entertainment Weekly, in a film that features him, Bowen Yang, Margaret Cho, Matt Rogers, Tomás Matos, and Torian Miller as a group of friends who have a summer of love, misunderstandings and plenty of comedy at the legendary LGBTQ-friendly vacation spot. On Hulu June 3 10 of 15 Lightyear Disney/Pixar Beloved Toy Story astronaut Buzz Lightyear (now voiced by Chris Evans) gets an adventurous origin story that costar Keke Palmer promises will "inspire" viewers. In theaters June 17 11 of 15 DC League of Super-Pets Warner Bros. Some heroes wear capes and leashes! When the Justice League is kidnapped, Superman's pup (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) and his furry friends come to the rescue. In theaters July 29 12 of 15 Elvis Warner Bros. Directed by Moulin Rouge! auteur Baz Luhrmann, the drama charts Elvis's hipshaking stardom across three decades, with Austin Butler in the title role and Hanks as his enigmatic manager Col. Tom Parker. "I got phone calls out of the blue from Denzel Washington, who said, 'I've just been on stage with this young man. His work ethic is like no other. He's just so relentless,' " Luhrmann recalls of choosing Butler for the role. In theaters June 24 13 of 15 Bullet Train Brad Pitt in Bullet Train (2022). Scott Garfield No fighting in the quiet car! In this comedic thriller, an assassin (Brad Pitt) who wants out of the deadly grind accepts an assignment to collect a briefcase on a high-speed locomotive and soon finds himself the target of other trained killers on board. One of them, played by Joey King, "stops at nothing to get what she wants," she says. In theaters July 29 14 of 15 The Gray Man Paul Abell/Netflix The hunter becomes the hunted as a contract killer (Ryan Gosling) goes on the run from a psychotic former colleague (Chris Evans). In theaters July 15 and on Netflix July 22 15 of 15 Halftime Netflix Opening the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, the documentary about Jennifer Lopez "offers an intimate peek behind the curtain revealing the grit and determination that makes Lopez the icon she is," reads a release. Yes, it touches on her epic 2020 Super Bowl halftime show, but also explores her performances on screen, stage and her greatest role: that of mom. On Netflix June 14