The summer of blockbusters continues at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX Theater with the return of a patriotic flyaway hit just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, the commencement of more evil antics by lovable yellow minions, and the arrival of Marvel’s next powerhouse superhero flick.
Minions: The Rise of Gru begins Thursday, June 30, Top Gun: Maverick returns Friday, July 1, accompanied by nature film Wings Over Water, and Thor: Love and Thunder premieres Thursday, July 7.
Action fans who might have missed its initial run will get four more chances to see Maverick on the giant screen, where IMAX’s thundering 12-channel audio system and dual 4K laser projectors make it feel like you’re sitting in the cockpit of a dogfighting F/A-18 Super Hornet next to ace Navy fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise).
Viewers will also get a second way to soar above the clouds with Wings Over Water 3D, which premieres on July 1. Narrated by Oscar-nominated actor Michael Keaton, it tells the stories of three species of wetland-dwelling birds in stunning IMAX 3D.
Thanks to the film’s spectacular drone footage, viewers can fly alongside majestic Sandhill Cranes, iconic Mallard Ducks and diminutive Yellow Warblers as they experience the wonderous landscape of the prairie wetlands in America’s heartland.
Minion-lovers can see more hijinks from these bumbling yellow villains with the next film from Illumination Entertainment, Minions: The Rise of Gru.
A prequel to the original Minions and the Despicable Me animated films, Rise of Gru traces the evil origins of twelve-year-old villain Gru (Steve Carell) and his eclectic yellow partners in crime as he takes his first steps towards a life of villainy in the 70s.
Chock full of Looney Tunes-Esque mayhem perpetrated by the gibberish-speaking minions, Rise of Gru is a film for the whole family to enjoy on a holiday weekend.
Thor: Love and Thunder continues the story of Space Viking and mythological Norse god Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) as he tries to leave the superhero life behind following the events of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame.
Hoping to hang up his ax, Stormbreaker, for good, Thor’s plans for a relaxing retirement are interrupted when interplanetary villain Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) embarks on a crusade to destroy Thor and others like him throughout the galaxy.
With the help of companions Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Taika Waititi, who also directs), Thor must traverse the cosmos to stop Gorr before he destroys every pantheon of deities in the universe.
To complicate matters, Thor discovers he may no longer be the “one and only” when he encounters his ex-girlfriend and first love, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), mysteriously wielding his magic hammer, Mjolnir, along with his power to command lighting.
With critical acclaim already buzzing around the film, it’s sure to be one of Marvel’s best offerings yet, especially for fans who enjoyed Waititi’s first venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
Minions will be at IMAX from Thursday, June 30, through Wednesday, July 6.
Top Gun: Maverick will be screened daily from Friday, July 1 through Monday, July 4.
Wings Over Water 3D premieres on July 1 and runs through the year.
Thor: Love and Thunder runs from July 7 through July 24. The Tennessee Aquarium will offer six screenings of Thor will be offered in 3D at 6:30 pm on the following dates:
- Friday, July 8
- Saturday, July 9
- Sunday, July 10
- Friday, July 15
- Saturday, July 16
- Sunday, July 17
For a complete film schedule, including movie times and ticketing information, visit https://tnaqua.org/imax/.