June Preview

June Preview

It's the first of the month which means it's time for our look ahead to the biggest movies hitting our cinema screens this month. From the story of the Fresh Prince and his son on a desolate planet, the 624th attempt at a Superman reboot and Brad Pitt's apocalyptic zombie thriller, June has plenty for us to get excited about. Let's go!

After Earth

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Cast: Will Smith, Jaden Smith

Release Date: June 7th

The pitch: Kitai (Jaden) and his father Cypher (suitably, Will) are stranded on a long-abandoned wasteland of a planet when their ship crash lands. As usual with M. Night Shyamalan, there's a twist - the planet is Earth, now home to savage creatures and terrain that has evolved to kill all humans.

Why you should see it: Think I Am Legend, except instead of a dog, Will Smith has a son. Also, this could finally be the turnaround that king-of-twists director M. Night Shyamalan needs after his horrific take on The Last Airbender.

Man Of Steel

Director: Zack Snyder

Cast: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe

Release Date: June 14th

The pitch: Based on the Superman legend from DC comics, Man Of Steel tells the story of Clark Kent, a God-like man transported to Earth after the destruction of his home planet Krypton. Raised by his adoptive parents, Clark feels alienated due to his strange superpowers and struggles to find his place. But when the world is attacked by General Zod, he rises to the challenge.

Why you should see it: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the expectations of every fanboy in the world! Just as Marvel's Iron Man paved the way for an interconnected Avengers cinematic universe, Man Of Steel could be about to do the same for DC leading to a Justice League movie. Plus with 300's Zack Snyder on direction duties with The Dark Knight Trilogy's Christopher Nolan producing, we can expect a very emotionally complex journey mixed with some stunning cinematography. 

World War Z

Director: Marc Forster

Cast: Brad Pitt, James Badge Dale, Mireille Enos, Matthew Fox

Release Date: June 21st

The pitch: Brad Pitt stars as a scientist who, while on holiday with his family, is recruited by the military to fight off a terrifying zombie pandemic destroying the planet.

Why you should see it: Partially filmed in Glasgow, World War Z promises to be an action packed spectacle despite its troubled production behind the scenes. World War Z also boasts its star Brad Pitt on production duties and Star Trek Into Darkness' Damen Lindelof writing much of the screenplay. Fans of zombie movies won't be disappointed either, as this contains the largest number of infected ever seen on screen simultaneously.

Despicable Me 2

Directors: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud

Cast: Steve Carrell, Al Pacino, Kristen Wiig, Russell Brand

Release Date: June 28th

The pitch: Evil yet loveable super-villain Gru is back as he is recruited by the Anti-Villain League to help battle a powerful new evil stealing his minions.

Why you should see it: Despicable Me was a surprisingly hilarious hit for Dreamworks, with Steve Carrell and Jason Segel lighting up the screen with their comedic voice-over talents. For the sequel, Al Pacino and Kristen Wiig are on board promising to make this even more funny and entertaining than round one.

This Is The End

Directors: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen

Cast: EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER BEEN FAMOUS EVER.

Release Date: June 28th

The pitch: In a clever twist on apocalypse movies, This Is The End sees a wealth of Hollywood heavyweights playing slightly more outrageous versions of themselves. When Seth Rogen invites all of his movie buddies to James Franco's LA pad for a wild party, they soon find themselves facing the apocalypse with little to defend themselves with. There's also Emma Watson wielding an axe.

Why you should see it: From the trailer alone, it's clear to see that this will be one of the funniest and original comedies of the year. From Michael Cera hitting on Rihanna to Craig Robinson taunting Seth Rogen's career, This Is The End has plenty of side-splitting situations to look forward to. Again, there's Emma Watson wielding an axe.

Check back to Movies Under The Microscope over the rest of the month for reviews of all of these films.