From spy-based antics and a nostalgia-fuelled musical to a puppet crime comedy and a Singapore jaunt, here are five comedy movies promising big-screen laughs this summer.
1. Tag
Based on a true story about a group of friends who have been getting together to play an extreme game of tag for 30 years, this offbeat comedy of hijinks and bonding takes the game to the wedding of the group member who constantly eludes being ‘it.’ The film features a star-studded cast that includes Jeremy Renner, who broke both arms during the shoot but continued filming. CGI was added in afterwards to compensate for the injuries.
Stars Jon Hamm, Ed Helms, Isla Fisher, Rashida, Jones, Jeremy Renner and Jake Johnson
Directed by Jeff Tomsic
Opens June 15 in US theaters
Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/kjC1zmZo30U
2. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again
The jukebox musical based on the songs of ABBA returns with a second installment revealing more about the characters’ pasts and how they relate to their present lives. Scenes switch between present day and flashbacks, showing key characters in their youth. Lily James (“Cinderella”) plays the younger version of Meryl Streep’s Donna, with Streep also returning for the sequel. Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper reprise their original roles.
Directed by Ol Parker
Stars Lily James, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgard, Amanda Seyfried
Opens July 20 in US theaters
Watch the trailer: Youtu.be/XcSMdhfKga4
3. The Spy Who Dumped Me
Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon form a dynamic duo in this action comedy. Audrey (Mila Kunis) discovers that her ex-boyfriend Drew is actually an international spy being hunted by assassins. When two men are shot dead on their floor, Audrey and her best friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon) take off on an undercover mission, grabbing an all-important flash drive as they race out of the door.
Directed by Susanna Fogel
Stars Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Justin Theroux and Gillian Anderson
Opens August 3 in US theaters
Watch the trailer: Youtu.be/CXkUaaVrB_s
4. The Happytime Murders
Melissa McCarthy returns to the big screen this summer in a puppet crime-comedy movie. In this crazy caper, the American actress plays Connie Edwards, a detective who teams up with a puppet private investigator to find a murderer who is targeting the cast of the 1980s puppet TV show “The Happytime Gang.” But this is no kids’ flick — expect puppets gone wild in this off-the-wall movie, starring Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph and Mitch Silpa.
Directed by Brian Henson
stars Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph
Opens August 17 in US theaters
Watch the trailer: Youtu.be/XF9Lyb5UJHo
5. Crazy Rich Asians
This eagerly awaited comedy movie with an all-Asian cast, including Michelle Yeoh, is a big-screen adaptation of the novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan. The movie follows a love story between Rachel and Nicholas, who are spending summer in Singapore with Nicholas’s family. The vacation becomes eventful than expected when Rachel discovers that her boyfriend comes from a very wealthy family with a dark past and that every woman wants him.
Directed by Jon M. Chu
Stars Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu, Henry Golding
Opens August 15 in US theaters
Watch the trailer: Youtu.be/ZQ-YX-5bAs0