Summer Movie Preview

It seems that each summer there is reason to decry the void of LGBTQ movies in cinemas. I mean, it's not like Disney is going to roll out a reboot of one of their most successful franchises as "Butt Pirates of the Caribbean" or something.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered there are actually three LGBTQ films slated to make their screen debuts during the warm summer months. Granted, these probably aren't going to be playing at any mall Cineplex, but it's a case of something is better than nothing.

Let's see what's coming soon to a theater near you this summer.

Queers Up in Here!

Handsome Devil chronicles the story of bullied Ned (Fionn O'Shea) and star athlete Connor (Nicholas Galitzine), who are forced to room together at boarding school. The boys share a love/hate relationship with each other and seem to be bound by the latter factor, until a well-meaning English teacher (Andrew Scott) steps in. (June 2)

Beach Rats isn't set on the Jersey Shore, but does focus on GTL-type broheim Brooklynite named Frankie (Harris Dickinson), who is faced with his father dying and a mother who just wants him to find a girlfriend. Well, mom, here's the good news: He does pursue a young woman (Madeline
Weinstein), but is also chatting with older men online and subsequently
hooks up at a popular cruising spot. (August 25)

Heartston is the Icelandic drama that has teenagers Thor (Baldur
Einarsson) and Christian (Blaer Hinriksson) traveling different paths.

One is in hot pursuit of a girl, and the other is coming to the
realization that he has feelings for his friend. (September 1)

Drama Queens with a Side of Comedy

Churchill is a dramatized thriller that follows the British wartime leader (Bryan Cox) in the 96 hours prior to D-Day. (June 2)

Beatriz at Dinner stars Salma Hayek as an immigrant woman who
is making a new life as a health practitioner. When her car breaks down, she attends the titular dinner and goes head to head with Douglas Strutt (John Lithgow), a cutthroat, self-centered billionaire in this timely dramedy. (June 9)

All Eyez on Me is a biopic that tells the story of rapper Tupac Shakur's (Demetrius Shipp, Jr.) time in the spotlight, leading up to his shooting death in 1996. (June 16)

The Beguiled is one of the few remakes this summer. It's a drama that was first done in 1971, starring Clint Eastwood and Geraldine Page, that was based on the novel "A Painted Devil" by Thomas P. Cullinan. Got all that?

This version, directed by Sofia Coppola, stars Colin Farrell (swoon) as a wounded Union soldier during the Civil War. He's nursed back to health at an all-girls boarding school by Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning, which leads to rivalries amongst the women... and, shall we say, a more truncated ending for Farrell. (June 23)

The House has SNL alum Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler appearing on the big screen together for the first time. The two play a married couple, who after blowing their daughter's college fund, start an illegal casino in their basement. (June 30)

Dunkirk, the WWII epic directed by Christopher Nolan, stars Tom Hardy (double swoon) and is told from three perspectives: From the air, the land and the sea. (July 21)

Flicks with Chicks

Ever since "Bridesmaids" became a hit in 2011, it seems every summer we have a female-driven comedy hoping to match its success.

Rough Night picks up this year's mantle, starring Scarlett Johansson and scene-stealer Kate McKinnon. Gal pals do too much cocaine at a bachelorette party and accidently kill a male stripper. Oops. They then parade him around Miami, a la "Weekend at Bernie's" ...who hasn't been here? June 16

Girls Trip has Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Tiffany Haddish a-travelin' to New Orleans. While in "The Big Easy" the quartet reconnects with aplomb and party hardy. July 21

Atomic Blonde offers Charlize Theron as the titular Agent Lorraine Broughton (yeah, I know it doesn't roll off the tongue like Bond, James Bond) who is equal parts sexy and savage. She finds herself embroiled in a "mission impossible" when attempting to retrieve a valuable dossier with the help of James McAvoy (triple yum). July 28

Fun Mom Dinner serves up disastrous results when Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, Katie Aselton and Bridget Everett, decide to have an innocent night out. August 4

'Cause This is Thriller

It Comes at Night explores the dichotomy of the horrors outside versus the ones inside, as an unnatural terror threatens the world at large, spelling consequences for a family secured in their home. June 9

47 Meters Down is this summer's"Hope that you'll be scared to go in the water because of sharks" movie! Two women (Mandy Moore and Claire Holt) get trapped underwater in a shark cage, surrounded by Great White sharks. June 16

Amityville: The Awakening revisits the famous haunted house. For God's sake, "Get out... again..." June 30

A Ghost Story - Casey Affleck gets sheet-faced as a recently deceased man who dresses in a white sheet to check in on his grieving widow (Rooney Mara). This one goes the more existential "What is the meaning of life?" route, rather than being an all-out scarefest. July 9

The Hitman's Bodyguard is an action/comedy flick starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson as the world's best bodyguard and hitman. The pair must work together to make a court date. August 21

Annabelle: Creation has the scariest doll this side of Chucky returning for a terrifying origin story. August 11

Superheroes (and Franchises) at the Cinemaplex

The Mummy returns... and has Universal Studios banking that the film will do well enough so they can resurrect their storied movie monsters as a cinematic universe, a la Marvel Comics flicks. Tom Cruise takes on an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella), whom he has awakened from her crypt. June 9

Transformers: The Last Knight - The supposed final film in the series is made up of explosions and cars turning into robots and, this time, features "Markie-Mark" Wahlberg. It's the end of an era, humans. June 23

Spider-Man: Homecoming is the third reboot of the web slinger series and has Peter Parker (Tom Holland) still struggling to reconcile being a high school student and your friendly, neighborhood Spidey-Man. Matters get even more complicated with the arrival of The Vulture (Michael Keaton). The web-slinger's story also stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr. and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May! July 5

War for the Planet of the Apes showcases the next chapter in the hominid saga, with Caesar (Andy Serkis) avenging his tribe and waging war on the humanoids, including Woody Harrelson. July 14

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets follows the adventures of Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) as they attempt to halt the dark forces primed to attack the planet of Alpha. July 21

The Dark Tower, one of Stephen King's series, receives the big screen treatment with Idris Elba's gunslinger Roland Deschain, in hot pursuit of Matthew McConaughey's "The Dark Man" across an alternate-world landscape. August 4

There you have it, folks, a sampling of what awaits you at the movies this summer. Whether they prove to be box office bonanzas or fall flat on their celluloid faces remains to be seen... literally.