Summer Movie season is the time where studio's release their big budget blockbusters in hopes to rake in the cash of cinematic audiences. It is more important to studio's than awards season, it is where the dollars and stars are made.
This Summer is the most anticipated movie season in recent memory with headliners like The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, and Prometheus. Here is a brief calendar/prediction on the big movies coming out this summer.
**Hype Meter is my adaptation of the buzz surrounding the film from various podcasts, advertisements, magazines etc.
May 4
The Avengers - Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson — Directed by Joss Whedon (Buffy, Firefly)
Hype Meter 99% Prediction B- Trailer
A 220 Million Dollar budget, this is obviously expected to be a HUGE movie. It is one of the most anticipated cinematic events of the decade. Marvel has been working up to this flick with previous big budget super hero movies that lead all to believe it will be an enormous financial success.
May 11
Dark Shadows - Starring: Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer — Directed by Tim Burton (Batman Returns, Ed Wood)
Hype Meter 74% Prediction B+ Trailer
Tim Burton's cult following has been long awating the arrival of Dark Shadows. Jonny Depp stars in the latest Burton comedy. I have often bashed Burton on my podcast, but I do look forward to what looks to be a promising small comedy, a diamond in the rough of a overloaded season. It looks to support a small budget meaning profitable returns.
The Dictator - Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, John C. Reilly — Directed by Larry Charles (Borat, Seinfeld)
Hype Meter 82% Prediction C+ Trailer
Sacha Baron Cohen returns with a new unique character ala Borat and Bruno. This is one of the most anticipated comedies of the year. I hope it does well but I have concerns with Cohen's newest endeavor. Bruno broke all types of comedic barriers and is hands down a great 21st century achievement in film, Bruno fell short on every level and was nowhere near as funny. I expect The Dictator to fall somewhere in between.
May 18
Battleship – Starring: Alexander Skargard, Brooklyn Decker, Liam Neeson — Directed by Peter Berg (Collateral, Friday Night Lights)
Hype Meter 47% Prediction D Trailer
The hype and stock in this movie is falling at an astronomical rate. A 200 Million Dollar budget where I can not see it making a profit. Universal is really going to regret creating this, as if NBC wasn't bad enough. There are so many better action prospects, avoid Battleship at all costs.
What to Expect When You're Expecting – Starring: Cameron Diaz, Anna Kendrick — Directed by Kirk Jones (Nanny McPhee)
Hype Meter 44% Prediction B- Trailer
This is a sleeper pick for me, I actually expect it to be very good, for its audience. Women will love this. It is this seasons Eat, Pray, Love. Anna Kendrick is adorable as always in the trailer and Cameron Diaz won over new audiences with her daring performance in Bad Teacher. Probably a good date movie or something fun to pick up from your local RedBox.
May 25
Men in Black III – Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin — Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (MIB, MIB II)
Hype Meter 89% Prediction B+ Trailer
The MIB return for a third installment. Not much ore to be said here other than I expect greatness. Entertaining story with humorous beats and awesome explosions with lots of goo.
June 1
For Greater Glory – Starring: Oscar Isaac, Andy Garcia, Eva Longoria — Directed by Dean Wright (LOTR, Narnia)
Hype Meter 19% Prediction B+ Trailer
First time director Dean Wright was is a visual effects pioneer who created the worlds (visually) of Middle Earth and Narnia. With that I expect this independent movie to be a beautiful picture. Oscar Isaac returns to the screen after his breakout performance in 2011′s Drive.
Snow White & The Hunstman – Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron — Directed by Rupert Sanders
Hype Meter 68% Prediction C- Trailer
This reminds me a lot of Van Helsing, an awesome concept that fell short. I do not believe in Kristen Stewart, the last good thing she was in was Panic Room. The director has never worked with movies before and only thing of note are TV commercials. Avoid.
June 8*
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted - Starring: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock — Directed by Eric Darnell
Hype Meter 50% Prediction C+ Trailer
I like a lot of animation, but this series has never done it for me. If you are a fan then I'm happy for you.
Prometheus* – Starring: Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson — Directed by Ridley Scott
Hype Meter 94% Prediction A- Trailer
Most of the time franchises will return for monetary gain **cough** MIB 3 **cough**, but sometimes they reappear because the artists have more to say. Prometheus is an example of the latter. The story of the Alien movies comes back to theaters is a very highly anticipated motion picture that has had the geek culture running wild. I expect it to bring in a lot of cash and send a lot of fans home happy. This is the movie that could rival Dark Knight Rises as the king of the Summer.
June 15
Rock of Ages – Starring: Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin — Directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray)
Hype Meter 71% Prediction C- Trailer
Next.
That's My Boy – Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg — Directed by Sean Anders (Hot Tub Time Machine)
Hype Meter 50% Prediction C Trailer
Anders' is quickly becoming the go to bad comedy director. Sandberg hasn't had a hit in years. This is the movie Happy Madison Productions is hoping will get the former hit machine back on track. I think it will be average, maybe a hidden gem but unlikely. It is getting a lot praise on some internet preview shows.
June 22
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer - Starring: Ben Walker, Mary Elizabeth Winstead — Directed by Timur Bemambetov (Wanted)
Hype Meter 77% Prediction B+ Trailer
The visionary director of Wanted brings us an adaptation of Seth Grahame-Smith's popular novel. A lot of people are doubting this movie's worth, but I expect it to be very good and exceed all expectations. Grahame-Smith was the primary writer on the screenplay and the B-Star cast has a lot to prove. SEE IT.
Brave – Starring: Kelly Macdonald, Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson — Directed by Brenda Chapman (Roger Rabbit, Lion King)
Hype Meter 60% Prediction A Trailer
Another Disney Pixar epic? Probably.
June 27
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The star of Sundance last year has no hype and is in limited release, if you are a real film buff I predict a hefty awards buzz about this movie. I'm not proclaiming wins but Independent Spirit Awards should be ravaged by first time director Behn Zeitlin.
June 29
G.I. Joe: Retaliation – Starring: Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson — Directed by Jon Chu (Step Up 2 & 3, Never Say Never)
Hype Meter 68% Prediction D Trailer
Why? Why make this movie after the monumental failure that was the last GI Joe movie? The only reason this isn't predicted an F is because I like the leads and have faith that there is more to this franchise to them than just the paycheck.
Magic Mike – Starring: Channing Tatum, Olivie Munn — Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Oceans Eleven, Traffic, Contagion)
Hype Meter 30% Prediction B
Soderbergh has earned the respect of audiences for years. In the year of Tatum, this should be one that sticks out for possible award season buzz. It could be the transition into a comedy/drama that propelled Mark Wahlberg into unprecidented stardom (Boogie Nights) If 21 Jump Street taught us anything, Tatum has the timing to be a leading man in comedies, the charisma for action, and the sex appeal for romantic drama.
July 3
The Amazing Spider-Man - Starring: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone — Directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer)
Hype Meter 92% Prediction B- Trailer
Many fanboys are uneasy about the quick turnaround of a series reboot to one of the most successful movie franchises in recent memory. Prior to The Dark Knight many had hailed Spider-Man 2 as the best of the comic book movie fad. I have hope for this flick, the trailers look promising and the cast is bursting at the seams with talent. My only tentativeness comes with Columbia Pictures choice of director. Webb does not have much action movie experience and the reboot of this franchise should be in the hands of a more experienced film maker. With that said the visual effects team headed by cinematographer John Schwartzman is one of the best money can buy, so at least it will look really freakin' cool.
July 6
Savages - Starring: John Travolta, Emile Hirsch, Aaron Johnson – Directed by Oliver Stone (JFK, Platoon, Natural Born Killers)
Hype Meter 58% Prediction A+ Trailer
Film geeks are running wild with anticipation on Oliver Stones next flick. The man who so brought us the world of Gordon Gecko with expert craftsmanship returns with an original thriller. I highly expect this to be the cult hit of the Summer that will have so many people who thought Drive was a cinematic epic last year feeling the same about Stones new work. SEE IT.
July 13
Ice Age: Continental Drift – Starring: Ray Romano, Dennis Leary, John Leguizamo — Directed by Steve Martino
See Madagascar 3
Ted - Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane — Directed by Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad!)
Hype Meter 51% +^ Prediction B+ Trailer
Seth MacFarlane brings his comedy to the silver screen. This movie looks great, even for someone who rallies against Family Guy and will obsessively claim Wahlberg is highly overrated this trailer makes this movie look too good to pass up on.
July 20
The Dark Knight Rises – Starring: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Liam Neeson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard — Directed by Chris Nolan (Inception, Memento, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Insomnia, Barman Begins)
Hype Meter 100% Prediction A- Trailer
Nothing can explain my excitement, the Hollywood's excitement, and geeks all over the universes excitement for the final chapter in Nolan's Dark Knight saga. This film needs to be absolutely perfect in order to achieve the expectations of the millions of movie goers who will experience the 3rd installment. It will break every box office record regardless of its overall quality. I would advise us all to not expect too much and just enjoy it all as it happens.
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