The comforting smell of buttered popcorn floats through the air as you sink back into your red leather reclining seat, leaning back as the lights dim low and the screen glows with promise. Get ready to go back to theaters this summer because as the weather heats up, the movies are getting hot.

This summer, some of the most anticipated remakes and sequels are set to be released. These include the live-action “Barbie,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” (which is the sequel to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”). 

One of the most anticipated movies is the live-action “Barbie” movie, enticing fans with a cast starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. This is set to release on July 21. Some, like Athina Sarmiento ’24 can hardly wait.

“I’m thrilled because I love Barbie. I have so many Barbie dolls still. I think the cast is looking amazing, and I’m hoping it’ll meet my expectations,” Sarmiento said. “I think it’s going to be a great movie.”

Others like Spencer Gottlieb ’25 are a bit more skeptical.  

“A lot of people are hyping it up, so I think it definitely could fall short,” Gottlieb said. “It’s hard to live up to people’s expectations when it has been anticipated for so long, and people have a certain image in their heads.”

Another live-action remake stirring up some noise is “The Little Mermaid,” released on May 26, starring Halle Bailey. This film has been surrounded by controversy ever since it was announced, concerning the starring main character, changes to song lyrics in “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and “Kiss the Girl,” and even the appearance of Flounder, the fish. 

“I’ve seen there’s been a lot of issues with it lately. I think these changes to the lyrics are unnecessary since some of these changed songs are being sung by a villain, and they’re not supposed to be positive,” Dani Schwartz ’25 said. “Overall I’m excited, all of these live-action movies have been good so far, so I think it will be cool to see what they do with it.” 

Another upcoming film is “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”releasing on June 2. After the popularity of the first film, some fans are optimistic for this sequel.

“I’ll be first in line to see it with my son; we have seen the first movie about ten times,” Perry Tavenner, Latin teacher, said. “He’s a big Spiderman fan, and they’re very good at developing the story and adding new exciting characters.”