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Sci-fi, superheroes and the sea dominate our 2017 Summer Movie Guide

This summer's movie release calendar is as explosive as you would expect, but it also gives you a lot of options.

For example, do you prefer a more traditional retelling of King Arthur, complete with a magic sword and a medieval setting, or would you prefer a King Arthur story that revolves around giant robots?

When choosing your Hangover-style raunchy comedy with an all-star cast of women, do you pick Girls Trip or Rough Night?

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Or when it comes to sci-fi, do you want the horror of Aliens, the splendor of Valerian or the rockin' good time of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2?

News Roundups

Catch up on the day's news you need to know.

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Whatever you're into, here are some highlights you can find in theaters over the next few months.

The Highlights

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5)

Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) was mostly a lovable goofball making trouble in the universe (and possibly saving it) in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but this explosive sequel will dive into "his true parentage." The star-studded cast gets even bigger as actors like Kurt Russell join the old favorites Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper and more. If you care about the bigger Marvel Cinematic Universe, this movie will further set the stage for the next Avengers movie.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (May 12)

Director Guy Richie, who previously gave audiences his modern interpretation of Sherlock Holmes, has set out to tackle the similar task of bringing something fresh to the legend of King Arthur. Charlie Hunnam and Jude Law star in this adventure film that looks to be an action-packed take on a classic story.

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Alien: Covenant (May 19)

It's got the Alien name again, but Covenant also serves as the sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien prequel, Prometheus. The crew of a colony ship discovers a planet that at first sight seems to be paradise, but in true horror movie fashion, things start to go very wrong very quickly. Starring Katherine Waterston and Michael Fassbender.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (May 19)

The fourth movie based on the popular children's book series, The Long Haul will be the first installment without the original film's cast. In order to go to a video game convention, Greg Heffley (Jason Ian Drucker) and his brother convince their parents to go on a road trip under the guise of attending their grandmother's 90th birthday.

Kelly Rohrbach, Alexandra Daddario, Ilfenesh Hadera, Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Jon Bass,...
Kelly Rohrbach, Alexandra Daddario, Ilfenesh Hadera, Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron and Jon Bass, in Baywatch (Paramount Pictures)

Baywatch (May 25)

Based on the classic television series of the same name, Baywatch boasts an all-star cast of good-looking lifeguards including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Ilfenesh Hadera and Kelly Rohrbach. Rather than merely preventing beachgoers from drowning, this team must stop a drug-trafficking operation threatening the bay.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (May 26)

Are you ready to see Jack Sparrow again? Johnny Depp returns to his beloved role in this fifth Pirates movie, which also marks the return of Orlando Bloom as Will Turner. An old nemesis of Sparrow, Armando Salazar (Javier Bardem), commands an undead crew on a quest to kill every pirate alive.

Wonder Woman (June 2)

After making an explosive debut in Batman v Superman, Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) finally takes the spotlight in a film that dives into her origin story. During the events of World War I, Amazon princess Diana leaves her island home after an American military pilot (Chris Pine) washes up on her shore.

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Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (June 2)

The popularity of the Captain Underpants book series proved that kids love superheroes and they love people running around in their underwear, so there's a good chance this animated movie will appeal to young audiences for the same reasons. Ed Helms and Kevin Hart provided voices for this colorful DreamWorks comedy.

The Mummy (June 9)

Tom Cruise headlines this new reboot of the Mummy monster movie franchise. Two thousand years after she killed her father and was buried alive, the tomb of Egyptian princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) is uncovered by the modern day U.S. Army. Presumably, all hell then breaks loose.

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Cars 3 (June 16)

After a crash that's sure to traumatize the millions of young Cars fans around the world, it looks like Lightning McQueen (voiced by Dallas' Owen Wilson) might have to hang up his racing tires. Old and new characters (including Larry the Cable Guy's Mater and Cristela Alonzo's Cruz Ramirez) help the world-famous car attempt a comeback.

Rough Night (June 16)

All the fun and laughs of a wild bachelorette party gone a little too wild, with the added wrinkle of accidentally killing a male stripper. (Wait, what?) This raunchy comedy's biggest asset is likely to be its all-star cast of Scarlett Johansson, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell, Ilana Glazer and Zoe Kravitz.

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Transformers: The Last Knight (June 23)

Supposedly Michael Bay's last hurrah for the franchise, the latest Transformers movie somehow roped in Sir Anthony Hopkins to explain the secret history of the Transformers on Earth, which somehow goes back to medieval times. Because why not?

Spider-Man Homecoming (July 7)

Seeing as how this is the second Spider-Man movie reboot in recent memory, it would be understandable to feel a bit of exhaustion with the friendly neighborhood web slinger. This new movie, though, puts Peter Parker (Tom Holland) back in high school, and it's the first film in which Marvel Studios has stepped in to link the franchise more closely with its own cinematic universe, including some Avengers crossover moments.

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War for the Planet of the Apes (July 14)

The third installment in this successful reboot of the Planet of the Apes series, apes and humans are locked in a deadly war for the future of Earth. Caesar (Andy Serkis) must grapple desires for revenge as he goes toe-to-toe with a ruthless human Colonel (Woody Harrelson).

A scene from Christopher Nolan's new epic action thriller "Dunkirk."
A scene from Christopher Nolan's new epic action thriller "Dunkirk."(Warner Bros. Pictures)

Dunkirk (July 21)

Presumably much more grounded than director Christopher Nolan's other movies (The Dark Knight, Inception), Dunkirk revolves around the very real Dunkirk evacuation during World War II. Sometimes referred to as "the miracle of Dunkirk," the evacuation of the French seaport involved hundreds of thousands of stranded Allied soldiers.

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Girls Trip (July 21)

Stop me if you recognize the setup: Four old friends who haven't hung out in years decide to take a trip together to the Essence Festival in New Orleans, where hopefully they will bond over drinking, dancing and all the other crazy stuff that's packaged together in these sorts of movies. The star cast of Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, Queen Latifah and Tiffany Haddish will make or break what is sure to be a raunchy comedy.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (July 21)

A sci-fi action film from the director of The Fifth Element and based on a beloved series of French comics, Valerian looks to be one of the most visually imaginative movies of the summer. Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and his partner, Laureline (Cara Delevingne), are on a mission to protect the eponymous City of a Thousand Planets, where a wide variety of intergalactic species are gathered.

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The Dark Tower (August 4)

Stephen King's popular series of dark fantasy novels hits the big screen with a film starring Idris Elba and Texas' Matthew McConaughey. It's not a straight adaptation, however, and is said to be a new take on the story of the Gunslinger (Elba), the Man in Black (McConaughey) and the Old West-esque world in which they roam.

The Rest

Here's a monthly rundown some of the summer's highlights; dates are subject to change.

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MAY 12

SNATCHED -- A freewheeling daughter (Amy Schumer) and her uptight mother (Goldie Hawn) get kidnapped on vacation in this raucous comedy.

THE WALL -- With an Iraqi sniper in shooting distance, two American soldiers try to survive. John Cena and Aaron Taylor-Johnson star in the Doug Liman pic.

PARIS CAN WAIT -- This picturesque French travelogue stars Diane Lane and Alec Baldwin as a married couple on the rocks, from Eleanor Coppola.

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MAY 19

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING -- The teen romance is based on Nicola Yoon's novel about a sick girl (Amandla Stenberg) unable to leave her home and her interested neighbor (Nick Robinson).

WAKEFIELD -- An ordinary suburban man (Bryan Cranston) disappears suddenly, but continues observing the life and family he left. Based on an E.L. Doctorow short story.

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MAY 26

WAR MACHINE -- Brad Pitt stars in this satire about a fictional four-star general charged with ending the war in Afghanistan.

JUNE 9

BEATRIZ AT DINNER -- Salma Hayek gives a buzzy performance in this comedy about a Mexican immigrant and a billionaire (John Lithgow) who meet at a dinner party.

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THE HERO -- Sam Elliott plays an aging Western actor rethinking his life choices.

MEGAN LEAVEY -- This film based on the true story of a young marine and her combat dog stars Kate Mara.

MY COUSIN RACHEL -- Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, this mystery is about a young man (Sam Claflin) who falls for his possibly murderous cousin (Rachel Weisz).

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JUNE 16

ALL EYEZ ON ME -- Demetrius Shipp Jr. stars in the dramatic biopic about the late rapper Tupac Shakur.

THE BOOK OF HENRY -- Before he heads off to direct Star Wars: Episode IX, Jurassic World's Colin Trevorrow goes small again with this drama about a single mom (Naomi Watts) and her son (Jaeden Lieberher), who try to help their young neighbor.

JUNE 23

THE BEGUILED -- A wounded Union soldier is stranded at an all-girls school in the South in this remake of the 1971 film that featured Clint Eastwood. Directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Nicole Kidman and Kirsten Dunst.

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THE BIG SICK -- Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani uses his real life as the template for this sweet and smart comedy about how he met his wife.

JUNE 28

BABY DRIVER -- Director Edgar Wright takes to the roads for an edgy thriller about big-time crooks and their music-loving driver. With Ansel Elgort, Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm.

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OKJA -- Tilda Swinton reteams with Snowpiercer director Bong Joon-ho for an action pic about young girl trying to protect her giant animal friend from a powerful corporation.

JUNE 30

DESPICABLE ME 3 -- Steve Carell gets double voice duty as Gru and his twin brother Dru.

THE HOUSE -- Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell try to recoup college funds by starting a gambling ring in their home.

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JULY 7

A GHOST STORY -- Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck star in this unconventional grief tale from Pete's Dragon director David Lowery.

JULY 21

LANDLINE -- In the follow-up to their charming indie Obvious Child, director Gillian Robespierre and star Jenny Slate take us back to '90s New York as two sisters try to find out if their father is cheating.

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JULY 28

ATOMIC BLONDE -- Charlize Theron is a stone cold killer in this '80s-set spy pic.

AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER -- Ten years after An Inconvenient Truth shed light on climate change, Al Gore returns with an update that's equal parts horror and hope.

BRIGSBY BEAR -- Before he returns as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Mark Hamill steals scenes with SNL's Kyle Mooney in this indie about a man-child and his favorite television show.