Preview the summer's most anticipated sequels, thrillers, dramas and action movies

Summer movies are back, and that means so are superheroes, hit men and cars that are both fast and furious.

Many of the would-be blockbusters coming in the next few months were delayed from 2020, so don't expect this year's summer movies to address recent events. But there are plenty of sequels, double doses of popular actors such as Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, a big musical and the return of familiar staples such as the annual late-June Pixar movie and Liam Neeson smashing the faces of bad guys.

Sprinkled throughout are a few titles for moviegoers who seek something more thought-provoking, including Sundance Film Festival prizewinner "CODA" and "Stillwater" (Oklahoma, not Minnesota, by the way), a thriller with Matt Damon. Dozens of titles are expected to roll out over the next few months on big and small screens. As the last year has taught us, things can change with little notice, but here are some of the highlights that, fingers crossed, are on the way to a theater near you.

Where to find your blockbuster: (T) Theaters, (A) Amazon, (A+) Apple Plus, (D+) Disney Plus, (H) Hulu, (HM) HBO Max, (N) Netflix, (OD) On-demand

May 28"Cruella": The origins story of the "101 Dalmatians" villain is an Emmapalooza, featuring a pair of best actress Oscar winners: Stone as the title character and Thompson as a fashion maven who thwarts her every evil move. (T, D+)

"A Quiet Place Part II": Early audiences have raved about the scary sequel, in which a woman (Emily Blunt) and her kids try not to get consumed by vicious creatures that will strike if they make a sound. (T)

June 4"The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It": Paranormal "investigators" Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga) are back to take on another possessed kid. There probably will be a spooky doll involved. (T, HM)

"Spirit Untamed": The sequel to "Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron" explores the bond between a motherless girl and a wild horse she meets on the western frontier. (T)

"Undine": Inventive German director Christian Petzold ("Transit," "Phoenix") begins his fairy tale-inspired melodrama with a breakup and a threat: "If you leave me, I'll have to kill you." (T, OD)

June 11"In the Heights": Better known as the musical that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote before he decided Alexander Hamilton was a beatboxer, it's about a New York City neighborhood, love and a lottery ticket. (T, HM)

June 16"The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard": The action-comedy has a super-awkward title and a snappy cast: Samuel L. Jackson (the hit man), Salma Hayek (the wife), Ryan Reynolds (the bodyguard), Morgan Freeman and Antonio Banderas. (T)

June 18"Fatherhood": Minnetonka native Matt Logelin's book about raising a daughter after his wife's death becomes a Kevin Hart comedy and an excellent reminder that it's Father's Day weekend. (N)

"Luca": From Pixar: Two kids have a summer adventure in Italy. Also, they're really sea monsters in disguise. (D+)

"Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway": James Corden returns as the voice of the rascally bunny. (T)

"Summer of '85": French master François Ozon's period drama feels like "Call Me by Your Name" except that it is set in France instead of Italy, the lovers are the same age and none of the actors have been accused of being cannibals. (T)

June 25"Blue Bayou": Justin Chon and Alicia Vikander's blissful marriage is threatened when he learns he may be deported to Korea. (T)

"F9": The title of the F&F franchise has been abbreviated but don't worry. It is still fast and furious. (T)

"False Positive": An acclaimed fertility doctor (Pierce Brosnan) is not what he seems. "Broad City" co-creator Ilana Glazer conceived and stars in the creepy drama. (H)

"The Ice Road": "Now I'm angry," says always-angry Liam Neeson in a drama where he plays a trucker driving across precarious iced-over waters to rescue men who are trapped by a cave-in. (N)

June 30"America: The Motion Picture": The animated comedy reimagines Founding Fathers such as George Washington as superheroes. (N)

July 2"The Forever Purge": The hot-button horror series about legally sanctioned murder nights travels to our hot-buttoniest state, Texas, for a new round of mayhem. (T)

"Summer of Soul": Questlove's crowd-pleasing documentary looks back at the 1969 Harlem musical festival that featured Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Nina Simone and Sly and the Family Stone. (T, H)

"The Tomorrow War": Head-scratcher alert — it's about time travel. Chris Pratt and J.K. Simmons are participants in a future battle that is linked to details from their pasts. (A)

July 9"Black Widow": The Marvel Cinematic Universe is back in business with the return of Scarlett Johansson as the title character, joined by Rachel Weisz and "Little Women" scene-stealer Florence Pugh. (T, D+)

July 16"Space Jam: A New Legacy": LeBron James spells for the original's Michael Jordan but the Looney Toons are all back. (T, HM)

July 23"Hotel Transylvania: Transformania": Dracula is all about shape-shifting so we'll see how he does now that star Adam Sandler has shape-shifted out of the fourth entry in this animation franchise. (T)

"Old": Is "old" what M. Night Shyamalan's twisty act has become, or the title of his new movie about a mysterious island whose visitors begin to age rapidly? (T)

"Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins": Henry Golding stars in another shot at making the bendy toy a thing at the movies. (T)

July 30"Green Knight": Dev Patel plays a relative of King Arthur in a medieval adventure from genre-hopping filmmaker David Lowery ("Pete's Dragon," "A Ghost Story"). (T)

"Jungle Cruise": Yes, it's another movie based on a Disneyland ride (this one stars Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson). The good news is there's no "It's a Small World" movie. Yet. (T, D+)

"Nine Days": Winston Duke ("Us") stars as a man whose job is to review the résumés of souls waiting to be born. (T)

"Stillwater": Director Tom McCarthy, who made "Spotlight," returns to fact-based thriller mode with the story of an Oklahoman (Matt Damon) who travels to France to help his daughter (Abigail Breslin), who has been accused of murder. (T)

Aug. 6"The Suicide Squad": Bad guys battle worse guys in James Gunn's comic book-derived adventure, whose stars include Margot Robbie and Idris Elba. (T, HM)

Aug. 13"CODA": A rare Oscar contender released in the summer months, the drama about a girl who's the Child of Deaf Adults sees her torn between her family's wishes and pursuing her own dream. (T, A+)

"Don't Breathe Sequel": Stephen Lang returns as the Blind Man, who tends to get violent when folks break into his house. So it's the second sequel of the summer (after "Quiet Place") where our heroes must be silent if they want to live. (T)

"Free Guy": There's a "Truman Show" vibe to this comedy in which Ryan Reynolds plays a guy who, sick of living in a violent video game, is determined to bust out. (T)

"Respect": Word is Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson, who already has more than just a little bit, could get showered with respect for this Aretha Franklin biopic. (T)

Aug. 20"Demonic": "District 9" writer/director Neill Blomkamp's latest is a supernatural drama about a mother and daughter who really, really don't get along. (T, OD)

"The Night House": Rebecca Hall, who's already been the hauntee in one excellent movie about a horrifying house ("The Awakening"), tries to make it two. (T)

"PAW Patrol: The Movie": The animated TV series about cute puppies hopes they're even cuter on the big screen. (T)

"The Protégé": Samuel L. Jackson, Maggie Q and Michael Keaton play hired killers. (T)

"Reminiscence": Lisa Joy, co-creator of TV's "Westworld," explores another dystopia with a drama about a techno-genius (Hugh Jackman) who offers clients a chance to relive their pasts. He falls for one customer, whose history may be deadly. (T, HM)

Aug. 27"The Beatles: Get Back": After countless movies, is there anything else fab for the doc to tell us about those four? Peter Jackson promises he unearthed 56 hours of never-seen footage. (T, D+)

"Candyman": Jordan Peele ("Get Out") is a producer of a social justice-themed reboot of the classic horror tale. (T)

Chris Hewitt • 612-673-4367