Besides all the sequels, there are a number of original movies that look just as promising next year...
Posing as a musical comedy, Joyful Noise (January 13) looks to take in the teenage audience that went to see movies like High School Musical 3 and Hairspray. With the return of Dolly Parton plus Queen Latifah, young star Keke Palmer, and more, and this could turn into a strong choice for primarily the female audience.
The following weekend, war drama Red Tails (January 20) has become one of next months' most-anticipated films. With a stellar cast that includes Cuba Gooding, Jr., Terrence Howard, and others, and this film already has seen high buzz, so a strong opening could be seen for this film as well, if it can get a nice promotional bump.
Family drama Big Miracle (February 3) has a similar premise to last falls' Dolphin Tale, and has a much more recognizable cast with Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski. The drama theme plus not much competition for the family audience could yield similar numbers.
Action comedy This Means War (February 17) has seen a bunch of promotion and its' spy vs. spy theme, plus the star-studded cast of Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hardy should give this solid numbers over the four-day President's Day Weekend.
Tyler Perry has always been popular, and his films this year, romance drama Good Deeds (February 24) and comedy drama The Marriage Counselor (July 27) should both be able to turn in solid numbers despite being front-loaded.
A new twist on the Snow White story, Mirror Mirror (March 16) has lots to boast about with Julia Roberts starring and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken scoring the pic. While Relativity Media has been primarily a bomb factory, this looks like (with its' family-oriented premise) that it could help turn the tide.
Ensemble sci-fi action flick The Hunger Games (March 23) is getting high buzz, and while it doesn't have the strongest cast, little competition could give it a strong opening.
The Farrelly brothers next film, adapting The Three Stooges (April 13) is a clever move. The characters have always been popular, and while the slapstick comedy may not be a strong choice, it should nonetheless bring in nostalgic fans and families.
Ensemble comedy Movie 43 (April 13) is aiming for the same audience that saw Valentine's Day, and while it won't reach that films' gross, the date audience should still come out in solid numbers for this.
Jason Segel comedy The Five-Year Engagement (April 27) is aiming for the same audience that saw Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and the film also co-stars Emily Blunt, so some young males might end up seeing it, giving it modest numbers.
After Transformers, Universal is hoping to start a hit franchise with an action adaption of the board game Battleship (May 18). The trailer has already excited people, and a prime release date before the Memorial Day Weekend could give this strong numbers.
Another supposed franchise bait will be fantasy thriller Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1), which will be Kristin Stewart's first test outside the Twilight movies. Oddly, its' the second Snow White-themed adventure this year after Mirror Mirror, though this one looks to aim for an older audience. The fantasy theme already has seen moderate buzz, so it should be a solid success over the summer.
Another highly-buzzed about film, Promethus (June 8) acts as a prequel to another film titled Alien, but it seems more like an original film. The sci-fi adventure comes from director Riddley Scott, and could deliver solid grosses over the summer as well.
Making her feature film debut is Jordin Sparks in musical film Sparkle (August 10). Acting alongside her are Whitney Houston and Cee Lo Green and is also aiming for a similar audience compared to High School Musical 3 and Hairspray. Based on the starpower alone, this could turn into a solid success for teens.
Ensemble comedy The Big Wedding (October 19), has starpower, with Amanda Seyfried, Robert de Niro, Robin Williams, and more. That could be an easy sell for young adults, as it is the only romantic comedy choice through the month of October.
Biographical sports drama Of Men and Mavericks (October 26) is hoping to get the same numbers that Moneyball ($75 million) saw last year. Whether it is a family movie or not, Soul Surfer's numbers ($45 million) look like a better target.
War action drama Red Dawn (November 2) is hoping to get audiences during the first weekend of the holiday movie season. Distributor FilmDistrict has seen mostly successes, and a similar marketing campaign can also give this good numbers.
Thanksgiving brings family comedy Parental Guidance (November 21) from Andy Fickman (Race To Witch Mountain, The Game Plan). Starring Bette Midler and Billy Crystal as grandparents who are assigned to watch some smart grandchildren, this brings to mind 2009's Old Dogs ($50 million), and similar numbers would make this a success.
Acting as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (December 14) is more original and is highly-anticipated within that fan base. With the Lord of the Rings movies being among the biggest-grossing of all time, there's a very strong possibility this could be the years' biggest film, with over $300 million domestic and $800 million worldwide being a nice target.
Final part coming tomorrow...
