Five new summer films that are not sequels or remakes

A dog and his robot, something spooky in the woods, craziness with Emma Stone, Kevin Costner in the West and a romantic comedy set in the space age.

For movie fans, summer is the season for blockbusters – big, action-packed popcorn movies that are designed to leave audiences happy and satisfied without necessarily challenging them intellectually or emotionally.

This summer promises franchise extensions such as the storm chaser “Twisters,” the spooky prequels “A Quiet Place: Day One” and “Alien: Romulus,” tough law enforcement in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” and “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” the animated films “Inside Out 2” and “Despicable Me 4,” the horror sequel “Maxxxine” (which completes the trilogy begun with “X” and “Pearl”), and the return – and possible redemption – of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Deadpool & Wolverine.”

And in May, cinemagoers were able to see the sequel “Planet of the Apes: Kingdom”, the prequel “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” as well as the reboots “The Fall Guy” and “Garfield: The Movie”.

Can a film with a new idea succeed among all the rehashed films? Some filmmakers hope so and have peppered the summer program with films that aim to offer something new and different.

Here are five new movies coming out this summer that are out of the ordinary. (All release dates are subject to change.)

“Robot Dreams”

31. May • A dog living alone in a New York apartment sees an ad for a robot companion and buys one. So begins the first animated film by Spanish director Pablo Berger, who was nominated for an Oscar earlier this year. It follows dog and robot on their summer adventures – and what happens when they are separated at the end of the summer. The film explores friendship, memories and the connection that is formed in the perfect summer song in a witty and wordless way.

'The Guardians'

June 7 • In this adaptation of an AM Shine novel, an artist (Dakota Fanning) seeks shelter in a forest in western Ireland and finds herself trapped with three strangers stalked by creatures at night. The screenwriter and director is Ishana Night Shyamalan, making her feature film directing debut — after working as a second unit director for her father, M. Night Shyamalan, on “Old” and directing and writing the series “Servant.” Is the talent for making atmospheric, disturbing thrillers an innate trait? We'll find out. (Incidentally, M. Night also has a new film coming out this summer: “Trap,” starring Josh Hartnell, which is set to hit theaters August 2.)

“Types of Kindness”

June 21st • We don't know much about this film yet – but with director Yorgos Lanthimos reteaming with actress Emma Stone, who just won her second Oscar for Best Actress for his film “Poor Things,” that's enough to spark interest. The studio's synopsis is cryptic: “A man tries to break away from his predetermined path, a police officer questions his wife's behavior after she returns from an alleged drowning accident, and a woman searches for an extraordinary human being who is prophesied to become a famous spiritual leader.” In addition to Stone, the cast includes Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer.

“Horizon: An American Saga”

June 28, August 16 • Kevin Costner has spent a lot of money making a four-film Western epic, a sweeping story spanning the years before, during and after the Civil War. Much of the money has gone into the economy of southern Utah, where the first two installments were filmed last year and where production on the third installment will ramp up later this summer. Costner leads the extensive cast, which includes Sienna Miller, Jena Malone, Sam Worthington, Giovanni Ribisi, Luke Wilson, Danny Huston, Thomas Haden Church and Abbey Lee. It's a big gamble, but Costner has already proven he can make a Western worth the risk.

'Fly me to the moon'

July 12 • Can Greg Berlanti, the guy who made Archie comics cool in Riverdale and built an entire DC universe on the CW, make the space race sexy? We'll find out as Berlanti directs this romantic comedy set in the 1960s, with Scarlett Johansson hired as a marketing executive to boost NASA's public relations — and angering the launch director (Channing Tatum) with the suggestion of shooting fake footage of a moon landing as backup. That Johansson and Tatum create good on-screen chemistry could help this film take off like a rocket.