Ten films worth seeing this summer

There’s no time like the summertime when it comes to catching the biggest and best blockbusters that Hollywood has to offer. Studios always seem to save up their huge hits for the summer months, when audiences have time to spare. These days, it can be difficult to make it out of the house and into the movie theater, especially with Netflix at your fingertips. But the forthcoming films on this list are ten excellent reasons to take a trip to a silver screen near you this summer.

— “Jurassic World,” opening June 12. It’s been more than a decade since the last Jurassic Park film, and this super-sized reboot is poised to do the franchise proud. Newly-minted megastar Chris Pratt (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) takes on Indominus Rex, an incredibly deadly dinosaur, setting up an epic showdown.

— “Inside Out,” opening June 19. Pixar’s latest film is the story of a young girl named Riley and the personified emotions who live inside her head. The film has a star-studded voice cast, with Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”), Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project”), Bill Hader (“The Skeleton Twins”) and others giving voice to Riley’s feelings.

— “Dope,” opening June 19. This indie comedy-drama and coming of age tale, in which a nerd named Malcolm (Shameik Moore) goes to an underground party that turns into an adventure, was a smash hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Set in Los Angeles, narrated by Forest Whitaker (“The Butler”) and currently boasting a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this fun, streetwise film looks like a safe bet to live up to its name.

— “Self/less,” opening July 10. A wealthy man with terminal cancer (Ben Kingsley, “Exodus: Gods and Kings”) arranges to have his consciousness transferred into the body of a healthy young man (Ryan Reynolds, “Green Lantern”). This is a high-concept science fiction thriller sure to include some mind-bending twists and turns.

— “Ant-Man,” opening July 17. Marvel Studios’ latest film, shot right here in Atlanta, stars Paul Rudd (“Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”) as its titular hero. Ant-Man, whose super-suit enables him to shrink in size and increase exponentially in strength, squares off against the villainous Yellowjacket (Corey Stoll, “House of Cards”).

— “Trainwreck,” opening July 17. Written by and starring the red-hot Amy Schumer and directed by comic mastermind Judd Apatow, this semi-romantic comedy explores the difficulties of single womanhood as only Schumer can. It’s also the film debut of a talented, up-and-coming young actor named Lebron James.

— “Southpaw,” opening July 24. This hard-boiled boxing drama stars Jake Gyllenhaal (“Nightcrawler”) in a performance that is already being called Oscar-worthy, as well as one of the talented actor’s finest. The film, written by “Sons of Anarchy” creator Kurt Sutter and directed by action master Antoine Fuqua, looks like an absolute knockout.

— “Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation,” opening July 31. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is back, and his newest impossible mission — should he choose to accept it — looks bigger and better than ever. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, this fifth entry in the “Mission: Impossible” film franchise sees Hunt and his team squaring off against the Syndicate, a terrorist network created with the sole purpose of taking down the good guys.

— “Fantastic Four,” opening August 7. Marvel’s first two attempts to bring the Fantastic Four to the big screen were unsuccessful, but this reboot, helmed by “Chronicle” director Josh Trank, is out to prove that third time’s the charm. Miles Teller (“Whiplash”), Kate Mara (“House of Cards”), Michael B. Jordan (“Fruitvale Station”) and Jamie Bell (“Snowpiercer”) star as the Four.

— “Straight Outta Compton,” opening August 14. Produced in part by hip-hop legends Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, this gritty biopic tells the story of N.W.A., the legendary West Coast music group credited with bringing gangster rap to the masses. The film, guided by “Friday” director F. Gary Gray, has a soundtrack that is far more well-known than its cast.

Which film are you most excited to see this summer? Share your picks in the comments!