Remember when summer movies were an important part of your summer entertainment? Who can forget some of the summer blockbusters of the past? How many of these classic summer blockbusters have you seen?
Summer blockbusters have had a lasting impact on society creating popular catch-phrases and a shared national memory that spans generations.
Who can forget the “Barbenheimer” cultural phenomenon which surrounded the simultaneous theatrical release of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” in 2023?
Past Summer Blockbusters
This list might have you reminiscing that they “just don’t make movies like they used to.”
‘Jaws’ opened June 20, 1975 Considered the first true summer blockbuster, “Jaws,” the film that prevented a generation from ever swimming in the ocean, just celebrated its 50th anniversary.
‘Star Wars’ opened May 25, 1977
The George Lucas film that spawned an empire and changed movie special effects forever.
‘Grease’ opened June 16, 1978 Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, say no more.
‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ opened June 11, 1982 ‘E,T. phone home’ became part of the national lexicon.
‘Ghostbusters’ opened June 8, 1984
Who will ever forget the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?
‘Top Gun’ opened May 16, 1986 Iceman (Val Kilmer, left) and Maverick (Tom Cruise) annoy each other during amazing sky duels.
‘Batman’ opened June 23, 1989 Tim Burton’s take on the Dark Knight defined the hero for a generation. Michael Keaton is still memorable as Batman.
‘Ghost’ opened July 13, 1990 Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze get intimate with clay.
‘Jurassic Park’ opened June 11, 1993
“Objects in mirror may be closer than they appear” entered the cultural zeitgeist in a whole new way.
‘The Lion King’ opened June 15, 1994 The Disney classic that gave children a taste of Shakespearean drama with a side of Elton John music.
‘Independence Day’ opened July 3, 1996 Space invaders blow up the White House in an all-out assault on Earth, and Will Smith’s hotshot pilot and Jeff Goldblum’s brainiac scientist team up to fight back.
‘Men in Black’ opened July 2, 1997
Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones offer a buddy-cop vibe in this goofy sci-fi action comedy.
‘Spider-Man’ opened May 3, 2002
Tobey Maguire brought the comic-book hero to life years before the Marvel Comics Universe went crazy.
Summer 2025
What’s the summer blockbuster movie of 2025? Movies already released this summer include:
Opened May 23 ‘Lilo & Stitch’ This live-action reimagining of the 2002 classic is about orphaned Hawaiian sisters who unknowingly adopt an alien.
‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’ This could be Tom Cruise’s last ride as Ethan Hunt.
June 13 ‘How to Train Your Dragon’
Another life action remake.
June 20 ‘Elio’ A Disney/Pixar release about an 11-year-old earthling (Yonas Kibreab) who is abducted by aliens and assumed to be a world leader.
Up Next
Opening June 27 ‘F1’ Brad Pitt plays “the best that never was,” F1 driver Sonny Hayes, who’s recruited to mentor a young up-and-comer (Damson Idris). Real racing cars were used and a new camera system was developed to give audiences an immersive experience.
Opening July 2 ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ This is a standalone sequel to “Jurassic World Dominion” (2022), the fourth Jurassic World film and the seventh installment overall in the “Jurassic Park” franchise. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey. Much about the film has been kept hush-hush.
Opening July 11 ‘Superman’ Director James Gunn is ushering in a new era of Superman starring David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
Opening July 25 ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach unite to play “Marvel’s first family” in this retro-futuristic world set in 1960s New York.
Opening Aug. 1 ‘The Bad Guys 2’
Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Awkwafina and Anthony Ramos return for another animated heist, teaming up with a new squad called the Bad Girls.
Opening Aug. 8 ‘Freakier Friday’ Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are back as the body-swapping mother and daughter duo.
Opening Aug. 29 ‘The Roses’ This modern reimagining of “The War of the Roses” stars Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch as the feuding couple.
