The “Most Anticipated Film” of the Summer Should Not Be a Surprise

The summer movie season got off to a heroic start thanks to the record-breaking opening of “Avengers: Endgame” — and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. With the heart of summer blockbuster season upon us, Marcus Theatres surveyed more than 5,000 of its Magical Movie Rewards members in eight states to find out what summer movies made their must-see list. Survey respondents were from Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

From superhero sequels to live action remakes, the packed summer movie slate offers something for everyone. As proof, 62 percent of survey respondents shared that they plan to see more than six films in theatres between May 11 and August 31, 2019.

“Just like consumers, we are very excited about the upcoming film line-up,” said Rolando Rodriguez, chairman, president and CEO of Marcus Theatres. “For the ultimate moviegoing experience, we recommend checking out our SuperScreen DLX and UltraScreen DLX auditoriums complete with massive screens, DreamLounger recliner seating and Dolby Atmos multidimensional sound. Not to mention, programs like $5 Movie Tuesday make multiple trips to the movies more fun and affordable!”

Top 10 Most Anticipated Summer Blockbusters
While “Spider-Man” from the Marvel Cinematic Universe grabbed the top spot, participants also selected family films, action flicks and a new musical biopic among their most anticipated summer blockbusters:

1. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (July 2)
2. “The Lion King” (July 19)
3. “Toy Story 4” (June 21)
4. “Men in Black: International” (June 14)
5. “Aladdin” (May 24)
6. “Rocketman” (May 31)
7. “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” (May 17)
8. “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw” (August 2)
9. “Dark Phoenix (June 7)
10. “The Secret Life of Pets 2” (June 7)

One high-profile film that fell just shy of the list is “Godzilla: King of Monsters.” While 51 percent of participants who identified as male shared that they were excited for the film, 50 percent of respondents who identified as female indicated that they were not interested in the battle of the monsters.

Favorite Summer Duos
Survey participants were also asked to choose their favorite summer duo. Of the well-known pairs from this summer’s biggest films, here are the three dynamic duos they can’t wait to see back in action this summer:

1. Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody in “Toy Story 4” (29 percent)
2. Peter Parker and Spider-Man in “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (25 percent)
3. Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw” (20 percent)

Favorite Summer Blockbusters of the Past
When asked about their favorite summer hits of the past decade, participants selected five films among their favorites. It was a tight race for the third, fourth and fifth spots:

1. “Avengers: Infinity War” in 2018 (66 percent)
2. “Jurassic World” in 2018 (52 percent)
3. “Toy Story 3” in 2010 (42.91 percent)
4. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” in 2017 (42.72 percent)
5. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″ in 2011 (42.27 percent)