I know its' very early to give a sneak peak at next Summer, but with so many franchise titles releasing, some are going to succeed and some are going to fail, here's an in depth look at what I'm talking about...
The two weekends to watch next summer are the Memorial Day Weekend and the 4th of July weekend. They both stand a chance at breaking the all-time opening weekend record because of the movies releasing on those days. Next Memorial Day releases The Hangover: Part III and Fast Six, which both had predecessors earning $85+ million on their debut weekends! With both films targeting the male audience, business could be spread out, allowing one or both of them to fall short of their predecessors. But if one does get moved out to perhaps the end of June, then they both would probably have a better chance of succeeding. We also can't ignore Epic, the other major release that weekend, a new 3D animated film from Blue Sky Studios (the creators of Ice Age and Rio). The movie's trailer is already exciting audiences and by then, it'll be the first new movie for kids in over two months, so a large debut is very much expected.
The 4th of July Weekend features three movies releasing on Wednesday, the 3rd. The most ambitious is Disney's adaptation of The Lone Ranger, which wowed audiences back at Comic-Con. Plus Johnny Depp is one of the most reliable stars in Hollywood, so don't be surprised if this breaks out. Also debuting is the highly-anticipated animated sequel Despicable Me 2, which will also take advantage of kids being out of school that week/weekend. Finally, in time for its' 20th anniversary, Independence Day returns to theaters in 3D, and while re-releases haven't fared the best over the past year, this one does have a massive audience, and it wouldn't be surprising if it has a large turn-out.
For now, I'm going to give five movies that I believe are guaranteed to be hits:
Iron Man 3 (May 3) - The Avengers was a blockbuster this year, and with it debuting at the start of summer, its' guaranteed to be a massive worldwide hit.
The Hangover: Part III (May 24) - It holds the Memorial Day Weekend record, and it certainly would not be surprising if this came close.
Fast Six (May 24) - Its' going to be difficult, but Fast Five was a massive hit last year. Plus the excitement already generating is a very good sign.
Monsters University (June 21) - Pixar has an unbeatable trend, and this prequel to Monsters, Inc. may be a first for the studio, but its' already having a whole lot of attention. So look out!
Despicable Me 2 (July 3) - I already covered it, but Illumination Entertainment is seeing the best start for any animation studio in history. With already a ton of excitement building plus a guaranteed strong promotional campaign, its' going to be difficult for this to not exceed expectations.
Here are the five movies that I believe are going to be the disasters:
Star Trek Sequel (May 17)- The first one wasn't well-liked, and with Iron Man 3, Fast Six and The Hangover - Part III surrounding it, it will be very tough for this to even open strongly.
Pixels (May 17) - Same scenario. This one is by Adam Sandler's production company, but we haven't really found out about what its' going to be. Is it going to be a live-action/animation combo for families, or will it be an R-rated action comedy? The confusing concept is not a good sign.
After Earth (June 7) - This one looks pretty odd, actually. M. Night Shyalaman is not proven as a director, and even though Will Smith is in this, his part is greatly overshadowed by his son, Jaden. I don't think this will tank terribly, but it certainly will rank among the least-grossing movies of next summer.
Turbo (July 19) - DreamWorks Animation is proven to do well, but this one may be a misfire. Families will have already seen Despicable Me 2, Epic and Monsters University and may not want to shell out extra money for another 3D animated film. And that's not its' only problem, it'll have two other movies to face within the next couple of weeks. So legs will be cut short.
Phineas and Ferb (July 26) - I do enjoy the TV series. But again, its' all about competition. Disney has yet to give us any more updates on this, and if it is rushed, it can cause negative critical attention. Plus, another live-action/animated title (The Smurfs 2) arrives five days later, which may end up destroying it. Respectable numbers could happen if it is moved later in the year.
Summer 2013 is going to bring us a whole lot of ups and downs, but lets' wait until the end of this year before I go any further...
