A Look at the 7 New Movies Coming Out This Week: ‘Despicable Me 4,’ ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,’ and More!

Are you curious about the new movies that are coming out this week? We have a full list of new releases along with their trailers below! 

It’s time to find out what is happening with Gru, Lucy, the kids, and the lovable Minions as the family goes into hiding to escape the clutches of a new bad guy in Despicable Me 4.

Also returning to the screen is Eddie Murphy bringing back Alex Foley to save the day once again in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. Plus, we get part three of the X trilogy in MaXXXine, as Mia Goth portrays Maxine Minx as she travels to L.A. to become a big star. 

Below is the full list of all the new movies coming out this week in theaters and streaming!

New Movies Coming Out This Week: July 1, 2024, – July 7, 2024

Despicable Me 4  (2024)

Rating:  PG

Release Date:  In theaters nationwide on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. 

Summary: In Despicable Me 4, Gru (Steve Carell) and his family have a new addition, Gru Jr., who seems to have a mission to torment his father. Gru is faced with a new adversary, Maxime Le Mel (Will Ferrell), and his girlfriend Valentina (Sofia Vergara). Maxime Le Mel aims to make a name for himself by destroying Gru. Gru, his family, and a few Minions enroll in a protection relocation program that entails moving to a new neighborhood. What could go wrong? Everything.

What to Watch For: To help keep Gru and his family safe, some of the minions are transformed into the Mega Minions, which give them superhero abilities. 

Word on the Street:Joey King, Stephen Colbert, and Chloe Fineman voice the Prescott family, Gru’s new neighbors. It’s possible that the Prescotts have a secret or two that they’re hiding. 

My Take: Universal already has plans to make both a Despicable Me 5 and a Minions 3.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F   (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date:  Premiering on Netflix on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

Summary: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F takes place when Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to his old haunt, Beverly Hills. After his daughter Jane (Taylour Paige) is threatened, she and Axel team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and uncover a conspiracy that could shake up the town. Axel calls on some old pals in Billy (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) to help bring down the bad guys. 

What to Watch For: A few more old friends are joining the fun as Paul Reiser reprises his role as Jeffrey Friedman and, of course, Bronson Pinchot as everyone’s favorite Bev Hills Cop character, Serge.

Word on the Street: This is the 40th anniversary of the first film, the Oscar-nominated Beverly Hills Cop (1984).

My Take: There is a new face at the Beverly Hills Police Department as Kevin Bacon plays Captain Cade Grant, who isn’t too happy with Axel’s return. 

MaXXXine   (2024)

Rating:  R

Release Date:  Premiering in theaters on Friday, July 5, 2024. 

Summary: MaXXXine takes place in 1980s Hollywood, where adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx (Mia Goth) is about to get the big break she has been dreaming about. Maxine’s bloody past could be catching up with her as a mysterious killer stalks Tinseltown’s streets.

What to Watch For:  This is the third of filmmaker Ti West’s X trilogy, after X (2022) and Pearl (2023), all starring Mia Goth.

Word on the Street: The cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Kevin Bacon, and Halsey.

My Take: I love the filmmakers’ use of the same camera equipment that would have been used in the 80s, the time period that the film is set in.

Space Cadet  (2024)

Rating:  PG-13

Release Date:  Premieres on Amazon Prime on Thursday, July 4, 2024. 

Summary: Space Cadet is about Rex Simpson (Emma Roberts), who, as a kid, dreamed of becoming an astronaut. Sadly, Rex’s life did not turn out as she had hoped, and now she is a Florida party girl working as a bartender. After a friend had doctored her resume, and through a bit of luck, Rex was invited to try out for the NASA space program. Although she may not possess the necessary credentials, her heart, intelligence, and Moxy could give her a chance. NASA may never be the same. 

What to Watch For: The outstanding cast includes Poppy Liu, Gabrielle Union, Tom Hopper, David Foley, Andrew Call, Desi Lydic, and Sebastian Yatra.

Word on the Street: The film is from filmmaker Liz W. Garcia, known for her movies One Percent More Humid (2017) and The Lifeguard (2013).

My Take:  Liz W. Garcia wrote for two of my favorite TV shows, the brilliant Wonderfalls and Cold Case.

The Imaginary   (2023)

Rating:  PG

Release Date:  Premiering on Netflix on Friday, July 5, 2024. 

Summary: The Imaginary is about Amanda, a young girl who lives with her mom, Lizzie, and her best friend, Rudger. The only problem is that Rudger is Amanda’s imaginary friend. Somehow, Rudger has gotten lost in The Town of Imaginaries, a way station for old imaginary friends, and it’s up to Amanda to get him out.

What to Watch For:  The film is based on the award-winning novel of the same name by A.F. Harrold.

Word on the Street: The film was nominated for Best Feature at the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

My Take: The film is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose. He has worked on several Studio Ghibli films, including Spirited Away (2001) and Whisper of the Heart (1995).

Kill  (2023)

Rating:  R

Release Date:  In theaters on Thursday, July 4, 2024. 

Summary: In Kill, Army commando Amrit (Lakshya) discovers that his true love, Tulika (Tanya Maniktala), is engaged to be married against her will, so Amrit boards a train on a quest to stop the marriage. But first, he has to stop a gang of forty thieves who are terrorizing passengers on his train.

What to Watch For: Film critics have called this film one of the most violent and brutal films in the long history of Indian filmmaking.

Word on the Street: The film played to a packed theater at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.

My Take: I heard about this film from critics who saw it as part of the Midnight Madness series at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot   (2024)

Rating:  PG-13

Release Date:  In theaters on Thursday, July 4, 2024. 

Summary: Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot is about a Reverend (Demetrius Grosse) of a small East Texas community and his wife (Nika King), who, to honor a family member, decide to adopt a child. Finding out that so many kids need to be adopted, most from places where they were neglected, the Reverend challenges his community to adopt as many kids as they can support, doing the impossible—taking the kids that nobody else wants.

What to Watch For: The film is based on a true story where 22 families in one community adopted 77 children.

Word on the Street: The movie is from award-winning filmmaker Joshua Weigel, who is known for his films The Butterly Circus (2009) and Stained (2008).

My Take: A favorite actor of mine, Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost, V, Revolution), plays the social worker who helps the community find and adopt the children.

Which New Movies Coming Out This Week Are You Excited to Watch?

Below, let us know what new movies you plan to see this week!