Battle of the Blockbusters
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The last two summers have been disappointing for the movie business. The 2012 summer box office furthered the steady decline of former years by another 3%, with the lowest attendance in almost twenty years recorded, according to an LA Times article. Battleship, The Bourne Legacy, the historical action-horror Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Total Recall and The Expendables 2 were among the many big-budget spectacles that misfired. The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man and the surprise hit Ted are four of only eleven movies that grossed more than $100m domestically last summer, compared with 15 in the summer of 2011. With the recently released trailers for Man of Steel and Star Trek Into Darkness, the battle of the summer blockbusters has begun, with many vying for the coveted #1 spot. Here are what I predict will be the major players at this summer’s box office, and the blockbusters I’m most looking forward to seeing.
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In this Baz Luhrmann adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel, a Midwestern war veteran finds himself drawn to the past and lifestyle of his millionaire neighbor. DiCaprio and Luhrmann has proved a good combination in the past. Throw Carey Mulligan into the equation and you can’t go wrong.
Studio: Warner Bros Pictures | May 10th | Trailer
#4 ‘KICK-ASS 2’
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The smash hit of 2010 was Matthew Vaughn’s Kick Ass, and now three years later Kick Ass and Hit Girl are back. With a new director at the helm. It will be interesting to see how this film fares compared to the first, but if it’s even half a good it will still be worth a watch.
Studio: Universal Pictures | August 16th | Trailer
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Watchmen is one of the greatest superhero adaptations there is, so I’m really interested to see what Snyder does with this Superman origins story. And, considering Bryan Singer’s tragic efforts some years ago with Superman Returns, this franchise is in need of a decent reboot. Here’s hoping it’s a good one. The recently released trailer seems promising.
Studio: Warner Bros Pictures | June 14th | Trailer
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By far my favorite Pixar film of all time, twelve years later the prequel to Monster’s Inc. finally hits our screens. With Billy Crystal and John Goodman back together, Monster’s University takes a look at the relationship between Mike and Sully during their school days, when they weren’t necessarily the best of friends.
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures | June 21st | Trailer
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I’m a huge fan of both J.J. Abrams and Star Trek – for our critical analysis of contemporary film & media class I’m writing a paper on postmodern resistance to traditional narrative technique, using his 2009 reboot as a case study – so needless to say the blockbuster I’m most looking forward to this summer is Into Darkness. Plus, it comes out the same day I hand in my paper and finish the semester. It’s fate.
Studio: Paramount Pictures | May 17th | Trailer
In terms of box office, Iron Man 3 will probably knock the rest of these out of the park, but I was never a fan so it doesn’t make my top 5. The others that will likely make up the top ten are White House Down, World War Z, After Earth, and Elysium. The one-to-watch, that might throw this all out of kilter, will be The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Trivial though this may seem, as a producer it’s imperative to be aware of industry trends, studio battles, and the big league players. With the decline in box office, try and pay attention to the marketing battles that ensue in the next couple of months. Plus, let me know how wrong you think I am, and what you’re most looking forward to this summer below, whether blockbuster movies or independent films.