Monster Summer

Monster Summer is a 2024 American adventure horror film^[1][2] directed by David Henrie, written by Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz, and starring Mason Thames, Lorraine Bracco and Mel Gibson.

Monster Summer
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	David Henrie
Written by	Cornelius Uliano Bryan Schulz
Produced by	Mark Fasano James Henrie John Blanford Dan McDonough
Starring	Mason Thames Julian Lerner Abby James Witherspoon Noah Cottrell Nora Zehetner Patrick Renna Lorraine Bracco Mel Gibson
Cinematography	Larry Blanford
Edited by	Robb Sullivan
Music by	Frederik Wiedmann
Production companies	Pastime Pictures Nickel City Pictures Novo Media Group Reserve Entertainment
Distributed by	Pastime Pictures
Release dates	September 24, 2024 (2024-09-24) (DGA Theater) October 4, 2024 (2024-10-04) (United States)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Monster Summer premiered at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles on September 24, 2024, and was released in the United States on October 4, 2024, by Pastime Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics.

Synopsis

When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their big summer fun, Noah and his friends team up with a retired police detective to embark on a spooky adventure to save their island.

Cast

• Mason Thames as Noah Reed
• Julian Lerner as Eugene Wexler
• Abby James Witherspoon as Sammy Devers
• Noah Cottrell as Ben Driskel
• Nora Zehetner as Abby Reed
• Patrick Renna as Umpire
• Lorraine Bracco as Miss Halverson
• Mel Gibson as Gene Carruthers
• Kevin James as Edgar Palmer
• Abrielle Cincotti as Emily

Production

It was announced in November 2021 that Mel Gibson and Mason Thames were cast in the film Boys of Summer, directed by David Henrie and written by Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz, and that principal photography was to begin in December 2021 in Wilmington, North Carolina.^[3] In January 2022 it was revealed that Lorraine Bracco, Nora Zehetner, Julian Lerner, Abby James Witherspoon and Noah Cottrell were added to the cast, while Darren Moorman and Scott Pomeroy were added as executive producers.^[4]

Henrie described the film in a statement to TheWrap, "Historically, fairy tales used monsters to personify our deepest fears while empowering young people to overcome them. Now more than ever, we need narratives that inspire courage in the face of darkness. ‘Boys of Summer’ is a throwback story that conjures up the magic and nostalgia of childhood as its heroes fight monsters old and new."^[5]

While Gibson was filming in Southport, North Carolina he was awarded the keys to the city by the Mayor who declared December 16 to be "Mel Gibson Day".^[6] It was reported that Kevin James and Patrick Renna were also in the area taking part in filming.^[7][8][9] In May 2024, Variety reported the film's title had been changed from Boys of Summer to Monster Summer.^[10]

Release

Monster Summer premiered at the DGA Theater in Los Angeles on September 24, 2024.^[11] It was released in the United States on October 4, 2024.^[12]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of 24 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10.^[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.^[14]