As much of the country continues to battle lingering frigid weather, March 20 marks the vernal equinox and the start of spring.
Though seasonal blossoms and warm days may still be a distant dream for many, the box office is heating up with a slew of blockbusters and indie surprises guaranteed to make you forget all about that stubborn patch of ice on your lawn that refuses to melt.
From highly-anticipated sequels ("Insurgent," "Furious 7") to moving dramas ("Age of Adaline," "The Longest Ride," "Do You Believe?"), action and suspense ("The Gunman," "Child 44"), comedy ("Get Hard," "Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2") and family-friendly fare ("Home," "Monkey Kingdom"), audiences on the hunt for relief from unseasonably low temperatures need only look to the big screen for diversion.
So take a break from all the cold-weather talk and settle back and enjoy.
"Insurgent" (March 20)
Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Kate Winslet return in this follow to "Divergent." On the run from the power-hungry Erudites, Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) venture into the ruins of Chicago in search of answers, and most importantly, allies as they discover what transpired in the past may very well hold the key to the future of their world. "Insurgent" is the second movie based on the best-selling trilogy of young adult science fiction novels by Veronica Roth.
U.S. & World
"Do You Believe?" (March 20)
An ensemble drama about people facing crises of the soul, "Do You Believe?" stars Cybill Shepherd, Lee Majors, rapper Schwayze, Valerie Dominguez, Mira Sorvino and Ted McGinley as troubled characters whose lives intersect in the shadow of a large cross overlooking the Chicago River. From faith-based filmmakers Pure Flix, "Believe?" is a follow-up to the 2014 surprise hit "God's Not Dead."
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"The Gunman" (March 20)
Sean Penn is back on the big screen in this action thriller as former special-ops agent James Terrier. Battling PTSD, Terrier embarks on romantic quest to reconnect with his longtime love only to discover he has suddenly become the target of international hit-men. To find out why he is marked for death, Terrier must dig deep into his top-secret past.
"Get Hard" (March 27)
Two of comedy's brightest stars join forces for this fish-out-water tale. Will Ferrell plays James, a fraudulent hedge fund manager who is given 30 days to get his affairs in order before reporting to San Quentin where he will be incarcerated. Kevin Hart plays Darnell, the man James turns to for instruction on how to "get hard" before being locked up. Little does James realize that Darnell is a hard-working small business owner who has never found himself on the wrong side of the law, let alone in prison.
"Home" (March 27)
Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez lend their voices to this animated tale about an alien called Oh (Parsons). On the run from his hive-minded race who have taken over the Earth and relocated the human population, Oh encounters Tip (Rihanna), a young girl who has so far eluded the conquering aliens. As their distrust of each other wanes, the odd couple become friends
and set out to find Tip's relocated mother.
"Furious 7" (April 3)
The gang's all here for the next installment of this speed-obsessed franchise. When a dead man's brother seeks revenge on the Toretto gang, series stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson jump into the driver's seat. Also along for the chase are returning favorites Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Elsa Pataky and Lucas Black. In a tragic turn of events, Walker was killed in an unconnected car accident while filming "Furious 7."
"The Longest Ride" (April 10)
Scott Eastwood (son of Clint) stars as Luke, a champion bull rider looking to make a comeback in this cross-generational love story from "The Notebook" scribe Nicholas Sparks. When Luke falls for Sophia (Britt Robinson), a college graduate with her sights set on her New York City-based dream job, the couple must overcome their ideals and amend their future plans. Inspiring and encouraging their love is Ira (Alan Alda), an ailing romantic who shares memories of his decades-long relationship.
"Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2" (April 17)
Everybody's favorite mall cop Paul Blart (Kevin James) is back in this sequel to the 2009 comedy that grossed more than $146 million at the domestic box office. Even mall cops need a break and we find Blart, along with his teenage daughter (Raini Rodriguez), heading to Las Vegas for some well-earned r&r and to attend a security-guard expo. While there, Blart inadvertently stumbles across a heist and must single-handidly thwart the crooks. And yes, the Segway also returns for the sequel.
"Child 44" (April 17)
Set in a grim USSR outpost in the 1950s, this bleak suspense thriller stars Tom Hardy as a degraded military officer who, along with his wife (Noomi Rapace) and a general (Gary Oldman), set out to uncover who or what is responsible for a string of child murders. "Child 44" also stars Joel Kinnaman, Charles Dance, Vincent Cassel and Jason Clarke.
"Monkey Kingdom" (April 17)
In this follow-up to 2014's "Bears," Disney's latest real nature story focuses on Maya, a South Asia monkey who welcomes her newborn son Kip into her extended family. When their jungle home is taken over by rival, neighboring monkeys, Maya, Kip and their group must relocate to new human-infested environs before an attempt to reclaim their home can be undertaken. Narrated by Tina Fey ("30 Rock"), "Monkey Kingdom" is the eighth installment of Disneynature's True Life Adventure series.
"The Water Diviner" (April 24)
Oscar-winner Russell Crowe directs and stars in this sweeping melodrama about a grieving Australian farmer (Crowe), who travels to Turkey in search of his three sons missing in action after the WWI battle at Gallipoli. In order to overcome bureaucratic military road blocks, Crowe's farmer arrives on the shores of Gallipoli in a fishing boat where he meets a senior Turkish military officer. Exploring the heartbreak of war from both sides of the battle lines, the two form an unlikely team as they search for information about the missing soldiers.
"The Age of Adaline" (April 24)
After a freak accident in 1935, Adaline Bowman (Blake Lively) has lived a solitary existence. Miraculously, she has not aged since that fateful day when, at 29 years of age, her ability to grow physically older was halted. Never allowing herself to become close to anyone lest they discover her secret, Adaline steps out of the shadows when she meets and falls for a charismatic philanthropist (Michel Huisman). But a weekend trip to meet his parents threatens to reveal her decades-old secret. "Adaline" also stars Harrison Ford, Kathy Baker and Ellen Burstyn.
