May entertainment planner: 'Deadpool 2,' 'Solo,' 'Revenge' and the Arctic Monkeys ease us into summer

"Tully" (May 4)

Poor Jason Reitman. After announcing himself as a next-gen filmmaker with the thrilling three-peat of "Thank You for Smoking," "Juno" and "Up in the Air," he then hit a real rough patch. "Labor Day" was mocked, and "Men, Women & Children" made less than a million dollars at the box office, so perhaps it was time to return to the formula of his last critical hit, no? Reuniting the screenwriter (Diablo Cody) and star (Charlize Theron) of "Young Adult," "Tully" tells the tale of a mom (Theron) who is at her breaking point with raising her kids, hiring a night nanny (Mackenzie Davis) to help keep things together. Critics are raving that Reitman and Cody are back in business. (And Theron — well, we just love her in everything, right?)

"Revenge" (May 11)

Outside of superheroes like Black Widow and Wonder Woman, female-driven action flicks are harder to find than you'd expect, because for every "Mad Max: Fury Road" there's a "Salt," and for every "Haywire" there's a "Tomb Raider." So for the Coralie Fargeat written and directed film "Revenge," one woman (Matilda Lutz) is left for dead after her boyfriend's sinister friends decide to mess up a good vacation, leading her on a single-minded quest for (wait for it) revenge. Don't laugh though: its Rotten Tomatoes score indicates this might be that feminist action film we've been dying to see for the past several years. Can't make it to the theater? This one is a day-and-date on-demand release too. (But go see it on the big screen.)

"Deadpool 2" (May 18)

Very few people are going to care about the behind-the-scenes drama of the sequel to "Deadpool" (see: losing the director of the first film, initial test screenings met with disastrous results) because Ryan Reynolds' wise-cracking, ultra-meta character endeared himself to movie audiences at the time when superhero movie burnout was becoming a thing. Now, with a new villain in the form of Cable (Josh Brolin), we'll have to see if this franchise can add enough new things to make it sustainable or if this sequel will just be more of the same.

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" (May 25)

Speaking of movies with drama going on behind the lens, rarely has such a major tentpole event like a new "Star Wars" spinoff made headlines for all the wrong reasons. In short, mega-producer and keeper-of-the-Jedi-flame Kathleen Kennedy brought on the inventive directing team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller of "The Lego Movie" the "Jump Street" fame to tackle the origin story of Han Solo. Their style was looser and more improv-driven, irking the studio higher-ups, and eventually, Kennedy canned them with just weeks left of filming, bringing in Ron Howard to see things through to the end. While some may question the final product before seeing the first frame, we're still here to see how the pitch-perfect casting of Donald Glover as a young Lando Calrissian plays out.

"The Gospel According to André" (May 25)

André Leon Talley is the former editor-at-large of Vogue magazine and a New York fashion icon, his larger-than-life personality filling up any room he's in. Directed by the producer of the acclaimed "Page One: Inside the New York Times," this film follows icons-in-their-moment documentaries like "The September Issue" to show how Talley's influence has spread from Andy Warhol's Factory to virtually all major fashion rags today, with Talley using his influence to make sure more people of color are featured in campaigns the world over. This biting, funny little feature will go down as a giddy delight.

TV

"Saturday Night Live" (May 5-19, NBC)

Got room for just one more lobster? While Alec Baldwin's Trump impersonation lost more of its mojo the longer it went on, the writing staff has been cooking up a storm, often rising to meet up to the occasion when a great host is involved (see: Tiffany Haddish, John Mulaney). So for the last three episodes of the season, we have Donald Glover, Amy Schumer and a return (once more) of Tina Fey to satisfy our comic cravings. While the musical guests are diverse, we're particularly excited to see how that up-and-comer Childish Gambino fares.

"2018 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony" (May 5, HBO)

You can question the credibility of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame all you want (and please do: it's fun), but the ceremonies are always great reminders of the artists who helped shape music into the form we know it today. While we love the rambling induction monologues, it's the jam sessions we're here for. While Bon Jovi may be the big headliners, we're particularly excited to see how the rock pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe gets honored.

The Royal Wedding (May 19, every network ever)

When the scruffy Brit and the actress from the USA television series "Suits" walk down the aisle together, one thing will be clear: it will be very, very televised. While maybe not reaching the same fever pitch of media excitement as the Prince William and Catherine Middleton ceremony, a Royal Wedding is still a must-see event, and for the wild Prince Harry to finally settle down with Meghan Markle, change will be in the air. As of this writing, details of which performers and elite guests will show up remain to be seen, but even discounting prospects like a once-in-a-lifetime Spice Girls reunion, there will be much to be said for the fashion alone, making this a night to remember.

"Fahrenheit 451" (May 19, HBO)

In these increasingly polarized times, some have found escapism in alternate-future dramas like the deservedly acclaimed "The Handmaid's Tale," which is in part why many networks also want in on the action. For HBO, that means making a feature film adaptation of the Ray Bradbury classic "Fahrenheit 451," this time starring Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon. Writer/director Ramin Bahrani scored a critical hit with the Shannon/Andrew Garfield foreclosure film "99 Homes" back in 2014, so we're curious to see if his new adaptation is a real page turner or a book burner.

Streaming

"John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City" (May 1, Netflix)

Do you remember the critically hated, quickly canceled, "Seinfeld"-aping sitcom "Mulaney"? No? That's OK, because that's exactly what John Mulaney wants. After working his way onto network TV, the standup comedian has paid his dues in the interim, partnering up with Nick Kroll for countless collaborations (including on the as-crude-as-it-is-heralded Netflix animated show "Big Mouth"), hosting "SNL" with a good slice of charm and now, at long last, starring in his second Netflix standup special. We can't wait.

"Cobra Kai" (May 2, YouTube Red)

Amazingly starring both Ralph Macchio and William Zabka – the original stars of the first two "Karate Kid" films – YouTube Red amps up the nostalgia factor by casting both actors in their same roles but now some 30-plus years removed. Johnny (Zabka) is a down-on-his-luck loser, and Daniel (Macchio) is a successful car salesman. A chance encounter leads Johnny to start up the Cobra Kai dojo once again, passing on his skills to a new generation.

"Anon" (May 4, Netflix)

In a future where everything you do is recorded, slipping in under the radar is next to impossible, which is why when Sal Frieland (a welcome return from Clive Owen) is investigating a series of unsolved murders in an era where evidence is everywhere, he encounters a mysterious woman (Amanda Seyfried) who shows no trace, no tracks and seems to simply not exist. Written and directed by Andrew Niccol ("Gattaca, "The Truman Show"), it will be interesting to see if expectations are beaten and Netflix puts out a good sci-fi movie for once.

"Safe" (May 10, Netflix)

In his first true-and-proper return to episodic television since "Dexter," Michael C. Hall stars as a widower with a daughter who goes missing, sending him deep into the depths of his seemingly perfect gated community and discovering dark and sinewy secrets along the way. Created by Harlan Coben (a novelist and creator of the U.K. police procedural "The Five"), this seven-episode season is poised to become that sleeper, binge-worthy hit that makes for excellent water cooler talk once all your friends have caught up.

"Picnic at Hanging Rock" (May 25, Amazon)

Starring Natalie Dormer, this Australian import looks to dive deep into a mystery regarding some schoolgirls who, while out for a picnic, slowly start to disappear. Of course, while the "mystery" of their disappearance has been gnawing at the masses since the initial publication of Joan Lindsay's novel back in 1967, the real heart of this drama stems more from what happens to a community of people in the face of sudden loss, especially when there are no easy reasons to explain that absence.

Music

Jon Hopkins, "Singularity" (May 4)

For the great electronic instrumental artist Jon Hopkins, his fifth album has been a long time coming. While his 2013 release "Immunity" broke him into the critical foreground with its thick, hypnotic instrumental grooves, Hopkins has remained quiet for the most part, dropping the occasional EP and loaning out a song scrap for a Coldplay single. Now, after five years, the master is back at it, and "Singularity" will show him pushing his sonic into new, fascinating realms.

Arctic Monkeys, "Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino" (May 11)

Speaking of groups who haven't released a new album in about five years, the Arctic Monkeys have been on one hell of a journey. Although their hype-driven 2006 debut endeared them to tastemakers, it wasn't until 2013's "AM" that they started pumping out instant-classic rock songs like it was their day job. That album broke them in America, as multi-platinum artists started covering songs like "Do I Wanna Know?" and "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" all on their own. Frontman Alex Turner claims he'll release new teaser singles prior to the release of this new record, which just makes us want to hear those dingy, stoner-ready grooves all the more. (Too bad the label won't play along though, and we'll have to wait for the full release.)

Beach House, "7" (May 11)

Back in 2015, the current reigning dream-pop champions Beach House followed up their successful full-length effort "Depression Cherry" with... another full-length album surprise-released two months later. While the band claimed that "Thank Your Lucky Stars" was a standalone album all its own, the record-streaming public didn't see it that way, and in truth, two albums released so close to each other made for a bit of a confusing mix. Now, with "7," Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally look to blow up their sound in fascinating new directions, as lead single "Dive" may go down as their single most rocking moment to date. Color us intrigued.

Ray LaMontagne, "Part of the Light" (May 18)

We didn't mean to scare you off Ray LaMontagne – or did we? For a period of time, the hushed-but-powerful strummings of LaMontagne made the NPR crowd swoon, and even when he went wry and a bit goofy with 2010's "God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise," audiences lapped it up. However, his increasing fascination with rock sounds and textures alienated his fan base somewhat, which is why his new album sounds very much like a return to form (which, in his case, is just picking up an acoustic guitar again).

Chvrches, "Love Is Dead" (May 25)

When the Scottish synth-poppers Chvrches arrived in 2013 with their album "The Bones of What You Believe," it felt like a classic right out the gate, with nearly every single becoming an indie-dance touchstone and the band putting on a hell of a live show. 2015's "Every Open Eye" moved into a bit of a more psych-ready direction, but only a bit, which is why 2018's "Love Is Dead" feels like the moment where the band snaps everything back into place, mixing their knack for pop hooks with immediate rock melodies. (Plus, that duet with The National's Matt Berninger went down smoother than anyone could've expected.)