We are going to have a really hot blockbuster season this year… Several huge names are returning (Batman, Spider-Man), along with some remakes and sequels (Ice age 4 and Madagascar 3, among others) and surprisingly, quite a lot of originals too.

The Avengers – 4.5.12
The first reports from The Avengers’ opening weekend predicts one of the highest grossing opening weekends ever, maybe even the highest. Worldwide it has already made almost $400,000,000. Everyone knew it was going to be a huge hit, but this overwhelming opening success is even greater than expected. the only question that remains, is whether The Dark Knight Rises will be able to surpass it.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $1,000,000,000

Dark Shadows – 11.5.12
Tim Burton was never really such a huge blockbusters director until 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, which is currently 10^th in all-time worldwide grosses. This time the Burton-Depp collaboration is a remake of a 60s soap opera about a family of… vampires? Definitely Tim-Burton-ish, and vampires is a blockbuster-friendly theme, so we bet on a success.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $400,000,000

Battleship – 18.5.12
Pure mindless action can be downright awful or lots of fun. Either way, it can sure make a lot of money as the three transformers films have already proven to us. In the case of Battleship, it has already been released in several foreign countries and has made over $170,000,000 so far, so it’s safe to assume this film won’t fail…
Worldwide box-office estimates: $500,000,000

Men in Black 3 – 25.5.12
An additional Men in Black sequel, exactly 10 years after Men in Black 2 was released. On one hand, both the first and second films were very successful for their time. On the other hand, what worked in 1997 wouldn’t necessarily work in 2012, and I’m not sure Will Smith’s popularity is enough to carry the film on its own. it’s one of those cases where 3D can make all the difference between a decent blockbuster to a huge hit.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $500,000,000

Snow White and the Huntsman – 1.6.12
Second round of Snow White this year, after the charmingly stylized Mirror Mirror, which unfortunately did not do so well. This adaptation takes the well-known fairy tale to a darker territory with battles, warriors and a fierce Snow White, portrayed by a current teens favorite - Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga).
Worldwide box-office estimates: $300,000,000

Prometheus – 8.6.12
Ridley Scott returns to the Alien universe with a reboot/remake/sequel/prequel (circle the right answer, if you know it – it seems even Scott is not sure…) Some intriguing viral campaign has already launched, and generally it looks like something worth waiting for.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $300,000,000

Rock of Ages – 15.6.12
This is a tough one to predict – Rock of Ages is not a part of any known franchise or series and it revolves around the dubious 80s with all their flaws. On the other hand, the director is Adam Shankman who directed the feel good Hairspray, the film is full of hot names and the Broadway musical it is based on was a huge hit.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $250,000,000

Brave – 22.6.12
The annual Pixar film promises to be even better than their usual films: the trailers look gorgeous, the classic story of an unruly princess never fails, and who can resist an entire film in a Scottish accent? We all hope that Pixar will return to their former glory after last years’ failure of Cars 2 (critically though, not financially).
Worldwide box-office estimates: $650,000,000

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – 22.6.12
An offbeat and slightly gloomy dramedy about an apocalyptic road trip? I wouldn’t have even thought about listing it amongst the blockbusters if it weren’t for the two leads – Steve Carell and Keira Knightly. Could it be the first non-animated original blockbuster of summer 2012?
Worldwide box-office estimates: $150,000,000

The Amazing Spider-Man – 3.7.12
Why does an extremely successful film from only 10 years ago need a remake? Well, don’t ask me. The Spider-Man franchise is still one of the most successful film series and the 3rd one was only released 5 years ago. But a remake it is, with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone as Spidey and Mary-Jane.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $800,000,000

The Dark Knight Rises – 20.7.12
The final part in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and the sequel to the highly acclaimed and extremely profitable The Dark Knight is perhaps the most anticipated film of this summer, side by side with The Avengers. It will be difficult to surpass the previous film, especially without Heath Ledger, but who knows?
Worldwide box-office estimates: $900,000,000

Neighborhood Watch – 27.7.12
Three names carry this potential blockbuster: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill. Any one of them alone is worth about 50,000,000$ in the box office, so hopefully this cast combination, along with the Sci-fi comedy storyline, will produce a successful original storyline.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $200,000,000

The Bourne Legacy – 3.8.12
The 4^th installment of the Bourne series is a slightly strange case, since there’s actually no Bourne in it… The main character was replaced by a new agent portrayed by Jeremy Renner, a rising Hollywood star. He is backed with a strong cast including Edward Norton, Rachel Weisz and Albert Finney.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $400,000,000

Total Recall – 3.8.12
Many would say that a Sci-fi classic like the original Total Recall should not be touched. But as we already learned, no stone will remain untouched in Hollywood’s quest to squeeze more money out of popular brands. A t least the cast looks promising with Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, Ethan Hawke, Bill Nighy and Kate Beckinsale.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $400,000,000

The Campaign – 10.8.12
A new Will Ferrell movie is always a good thing, especially if it deals with politics – a vast playground for such a talented comedian. My only setback is the director Jay Roach – on the one hand responsible for huge blockbusters like the Fockers trilogy (2 as director and 3 as producer), but on the other hand he might limit the craziness and irreverent humor of the film.
Worldwide box-office estimates: $300,000,000

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Are blockbusters the only thing that interest us? Of course not! This summer has more intriguing titles to offer, and although they probably won’t make as much money as the first list of films in this post, they will still offer us some potentially great work by several great creators. Here are some of them:

The Dictator – 18.5.12
Sacha Baron Cohen is known for his provocative, controversial and hilariously funny movies Borat and Bruno. This is the first time his project is scripted and not half prank-half documentary, let’s hope he will be able to retain his irreverent and funny spirit under these terms.

Moonrise Kingdom – 25.5.12
quirky, weird, offbeat – choose a word and it will describe Wes Anderson’s films. The trailer for his current feature seems particularly charming and as usual it features a huge supporting cast with some of the greatest names on screen: Bruce Willis, Bill Murray, Harvey Keitel, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand and many more.

To Rome with Love – 22.6.12
Woody Allen cracked the code: go to a beautiful European city, film a story that takes place in it and includes love, sexuality, an attractive cast and a lot of beautiful views, and voila! You have a sure hit. It worked with Midnight in Paris, it worked with Vicky Christina Barcelona and there’s no reason it won’t work again with To Rome with Love.

Beasts of the Southern Wild – 27.6.12
We all know what to expect from indie flicks: they’re usually either gritty dramas about the hard lives of the poor (Winter’s Bone, Precious) or bittersweet yet witty comedy-dramas (500 Days of Summer, Away We Go). That’s why this year’s Sundance festival winner is so surprising: it’s a fantasy film happening in an apocalyptic world.

Savages – 6.7.12
Where is the Oliver Stone of Platoon and Wall Street…? After some terrible films (Alexander, World Trade Center) and some decent ones (W., Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) we hope he will resurface once again with Savages, a star-studded crime thriller about Mexican drug trade.

Poll: which of these movies are you most eager to see?

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