Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance kicks things off with a President's Day Weekend release (February 17). Starring Nicolas Cage, it follows five years after the first Ghost Rider, which earned over $220 million worldwide. That film recieved negative reception however, and didn't spread goodwill, and star Cage has had unspectacular results with his previous films, including Season of the Witch, Drive Angry, and The Sorcerer's Apprentice. With virtually no competition however, its' numbers should still be modest, but all those negative factors could make it a challenge for this sequel to succeed. A fair target would be last years' The Green Hornet, which earned just under $100 million domestically.
You can see the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJv2Wno1cA4
Marvel Studios has a knack for releasing superhero films on the first week of May, and this year, they aim for record numbers with ensemble superhero film The Avengers (May 4). Being the first Marvel Studios film to be released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner (Paramount still appears on marketing materials), its' marketing will definitely be in full swing beginning with the Super Bowl in February. Bringing together the big guns including Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), The Hulk, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Captain America (Chris Evans), is definitely a strong cast, and will almost certainly guarantee this one blockbuster status. And audiences have been clamoring for this movie as last years' Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger were lead-ins for this film. With that in mind, Iron Man 2's $128.1 million start is a decent target, with a finish of $600+ million worldwide being well within range.
You can see the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOrNdBpGMv8
Set for the 4th of July weekend (June 29, to be exact), G.I. Joe: Retaliation follows three years after Rise of Cobra earned over $300 million worldwide. But unfortunately for this one, it has to go up against another superhero flick in just a few days, so the film will only have one weekend to make an impact. Given the first films' generally negative reception, it would make sense that this film didn't live up to its' predecessor, so a fair target might be last summer's Green Lantern, which struggled with just $115 million domestically, and similar results would make this a disappointment as well.
You can see the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0MtG42yy4E
Just a few days later, opening on a Tuesday, The Amazing Spider-Man hopes to get strong numbers over the week and weekend. Acting as a prequel/reboot with Andrew Garfield as Spider Man, the film is the biggest dark horse of all the superhero flicks this year. There isn't much strong anticipation, as the film follows five years after Spider Man 3 did over $800 million worldwide. However, with the film being squeezed inbetween G.I. Joe and another major superhero flick, the films' potential may be limited. But for now, numbers close to last years' X-Men: First Class ($154 million), another series reboot/prequel, looks well within range.
You can see the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XayxMPrUP4
With a prologue debuting in select IMAX showings of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, The Dark Knight Rises is easily the years' highest-anticipated movie. Following on the heels of The Dark Knight, which was a monumental blockbuster with $450 million domestically (ranking third on the all-time domestic chart) and $1 billion worldwide (10th on the all-time chart worldwide). With no competition for it for the remainder of the summer, it would only make sense that this flick would do similar business. This is easily going to be the years' highest-grossing film, unless if it is thwarted by The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II or The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
You can see the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GokKUqLcvD8
Part II coming tomorrow...
