The 21 biggest movies hitting theaters this summer

This year’s crop of popcorn flicks includes superhero stories, horror, action-adventure, family fun, R-rated comedy, a historical biopic and Wes Anderson

By Michael O’Sullivan

May 25, 2023

It’s not quite Memorial Day, but this week’s new movie releases herald the true arrival of summer, with Disney’s eagerly awaited live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” opening in theaters. After that, the floodgates open wide, and wave after wave of film fun will crash on our cinematic shores. What’s in store for the months ahead? Read on for our annual guide to the buzziest summer movies.

The Equalizer 3

(Sept. 1, not yet rated)

Starring: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning.

What’s the story? Washington and his director on “Training Day,” Antoine Fuqua, created a hit with the first “The Equalizer,” a violent 2014 action movie, based loosely on the 1980s TV show of the same name, about a former government assassin who, in the manner of the Taken series, must dust off his lethal skills to protect the oppressed and avenge the wronged. Set in a small town in southern Italy, where the hero has settled in for a quiet retirement, the film follows Washington’s Robert McCall as he takes on — wait for it — the Mafia.