5 Summer Box-Office Head-To-Head Showdowns That Could Leave Blood On The Floor
In part, it's because they were following on the second weekend of colossal smash "The Hunger Games," which topped the box office with another $65 million or so. But it's all indicative of something that's becoming increasingly common: big movies opening on the same date, leading to at least one, and sometimes both, of the films disappointing financially. Counter-programming, of course, can work wonders sometimes (we imagine that was Relativity's plan here), but ultimately, there are simply more tentpoles being made than audiences who will see them, and it's seeing a lot of people lose a lot of money.
With that in mind, we've looked ahead to the summer months for what look the five key head-to-head openings of the summer: films that, for the most part, are chasing the same audiences on the same weekend, and will more than likely see at least one of the openers bruised and blooded. Ladies and gentlemen, place your best.
In The Red Corner: Tim Burton's garish revamp of the 1960s Gothic vampire soap, starring megastar Johnny Depp.
In The Blue Corner: The latest vehicle for "Borat" star Sacha Baron Cohen, in which he plays a despot stripped of his money and power and forced to work in a New York health store.
Who Will Win? One would be forgiven for thinking that this would be a no-brainer: the last time Burton and Depp worked together on "Alice in Wonderland," it made a billion dollars, whereas Baron Cohen's last headline gig, "Bruno," underwhelmed. But the comic spin of "Dark Shadows" puts the films squarely head-to-head, and WB's marketing campaign for the film has been slow off the blocks, an indication that they're not quite sure how to sell an odd mix of genres that comes across more like "Death Becomes Her" than anything they've done before. After all, "Sweeney Todd" barely cleared $50m in the U.S. In contrast, Paramount's campign for "The Dictator" has been strong, and the film looks closer to "Borat" than to "Bruno" (even if it looks far weaker than either). We'd still likely give "Dark Shadows" the edge on opening weekend, but given they're both hot on the heels of "The Avengers," which opens the week before, this likely isn't going to be pretty for anyone.
In The Red Corner: "Hancock" helmer Peter Berg brings the board-game to the big-screen with a "Transformers"-style makeover, and a cast including Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna and Liam Neeson.
In The Blue Corner: An all-star ensemble including Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick and Chris Rock take a comedic look at the pregnancy manual.
Who Will Win? Unlike some of these other big weekends, these two couldn't be aiming for more different audiences, but that doesn't mean they won't be in competition, and we think we could well end up seeing an upset. "Battleship" has been something of a running joke for a few years now, and despite a recent trailer essentially made up of nothing but explosions, it still looks like a dicey financial prospect. 'What To Expect...' meanwhile, is firmly in the "He's Just Not That Into You"/"Valentine's Day" wheelhouse, and in a summer season without a lot of counter-programming aimed at women, has a distinct advantage being slotted in the same frame that made "Bridesmaids" such a massive hit last year. That being said, "Battleship" will likely have momentum from its early international opening, and "New Year's Eve" showed that the all-star rom-com formula can fall flat. Even so, we think 'What To Expect' has a very good chance at an upset here.
In The Red Corner: Big-screen version of the heavy-metal power-ballad Broadway smash with an all-star cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
In the Blue Corner: Adam Sandler teams with SNL star Andy Samberg for... well, an Adam Sandler movie, but one with a rare R-rating that suggests it'll be an Adam Sandler movie but with boobs and swearing.
Who Will Win? Sandler is about as reliable a comedy name as you could ask for, box-office wise, but he's looking a little more fallible here; his last film, "Jack & Jill," made significantly less than usual, and the last time he went R-rated with "Funny People," it barely grossed $50 million. With his target audience of 13-year-old boys unable to attend, can he survive?Particularly when he's up against "Rock Of Ages"? Musicals in the height of summer are rare, but director Adam Shankman had one of the last big hits with "Hairspray," and this could do even better, given its ransacking of classic rock favorites, and the presence of Tom Cruise, his box office mojo firmly back in place. While it might end up skewing a little older, it should have a broader appeal in general, falling as it does somewhere between "Glee" and "Mamma Mia," and carrying a teen-friendly rating. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but it looks like Sandler might get handed a rare box-office ass-kicking.
In The Red Corner: The latest from animation giants Pixar, about a feisty Scottish princess and her encounter with a witch.
In The Blue Corner: Revisionist historical actioner from producer Tim Burton and "Wanted" director Timur Bekmambetov, which sees the great president's secret life as an undead-slayer exposed.
Who Will Win? Unlike the summer's other animated match-ups ("Prometheus" and "Madagascar 3," "Ted" and "Ice Age 4"), there's more thematic cross-over between Bekmambetov's film and Pixar's. "Brave" seems to lean more action-adventure heavy than the studio's usual work, but also has a female lead, which may turn off younger boys. Pixar's track-record means they bring in plenty of unaccompanied adults, but might that crowd be tempted towards something more in their comfort zone, especially with the company's last film, "Cars 2," disappointing critically, and proving to be one of their lowest domestic grossers in years? That being said, even with Burton's name attached, 'Lincoln' still has to deal with an unknown cast and the kind of silly title that, like "Snakes On A Plane" and "Hot Tub Time Machine," might bring it attention without converting to ticket sales. Ultimately, only a fool would bet against Pixar: even if 'Lincoln' is a hit, it'll likely take well under what "Brave" makes.
In The Red Corner: Universal's smash-hit spy franchise gets a new hero in the shape of Jeremy Renner, who'll face off against Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz.
In The Blue Corner: Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi actioner gets a CGI-heavy makeover, with Colin Farrell in the lead and "Live Free and Die Hard" helmer Len Wiseman in charge.
Who'll Win Out? Certainly to be the toughest battle of the summer, as the LA Times pointed out, this sees a proven hit series that's fronted by a new lead defending its territory from a brand-name remake that's gotten a new spin undoubtedly inspired by the 'Bourne' franchise. As PG-13 actioners, they're chasing the exact same demographic, but one would probably give 'Bourne' the upper hand, just on the basis of the previous films' successes. That being said, will audiences be as happy to embrace a change of lead in the same way they always have with the Bond movies? Jeremy Renner is still untested as a box office draw, and the film doesn't have the same visual effects bells-and-whistles as its competitor. That being said, Colin Farrell has rarely brought in crowds as the lead of a tentpole like "Total Recall," and a feeling of redundancy hangs heavy over the whole affair. 'Bourne' should walk away with this, and we still wouldn't be surprised to see "Total Recall" blink and move later in the year, even at this late stage.
Magic Mike, Men in Black 3, Dark Shadows
This summer movie season has one of the surest of all sure things — The Dark Knight Rises,
a highly anticipated sequel to one of the biggest movies of all-time —
but aside from that, there are all sorts of oddities that will be vying
for your box office dollar. Even the so-called sequels and prequels
(like Prometheus, the sorta-prequel to Alien, and The Avengers,
the culmination of several Marvel movies) feel like new properties, and
there are a whole bunch of unusual and alluring films on the summer
schedule: A sex-filled Oliver Stone movie ... in July? A big R-rated
summer comedy where Mark Wahlberg talks to a stuffed animal? Tom Cruise
as a shirtless rock star? But as much as we're anticipating Savages, Ted, and Rock of Ages, respectively, there are six other questions raised by this summer's big movies that really have us scratching our heads.
Do People Still Care About Will Smith?
The common wisdom still holds that Will Smith is the biggest superstar in the world, but A-listers rarely take a break from movies this prolonged: Smith hasn't been seen onscreen since the underperforming 2008 drama Seven Pounds. Instead, he's been behind the scenes managing the careers of his children Jaden and Willow, and while that's been going pretty well, has he frittered away his own star power in the meantime? We'll see whether Smith can recapture the magic with Men in Black 3, but it's a gamble: The film was famously shut down several times during production owing to story issues (some of which were instigated by the star himself), and this musty franchise was already losing steam ten years ago, when Men in Black II grossed $60 million less than its predecessor.
The common wisdom still holds that Will Smith is the biggest superstar in the world, but A-listers rarely take a break from movies this prolonged: Smith hasn't been seen onscreen since the underperforming 2008 drama Seven Pounds. Instead, he's been behind the scenes managing the careers of his children Jaden and Willow, and while that's been going pretty well, has he frittered away his own star power in the meantime? We'll see whether Smith can recapture the magic with Men in Black 3, but it's a gamble: The film was famously shut down several times during production owing to story issues (some of which were instigated by the star himself), and this musty franchise was already losing steam ten years ago, when Men in Black II grossed $60 million less than its predecessor.
Will Adam Sandler Take an R-Rated Hit?
Adam Sandler has gone his whole career without making a sequel, yet word came down the pike recently that he had signed for Grown-Ups 2. Why the sudden interest in the job security of a franchise? Maybe he's looking for a sure thing after two gambles: His usual grosses dropped for last fall's Jack and Jill, and this summer, he's testing his own brand with the R-rated comedy That's My Boy. Though Sandler has moonlighted in R-rated movies from auteurs like Paul Thomas Anderson and Judd Apatow, this is actually the first time in his career that he's toplining a typical "Adam Sandler movie" — meaning, it's populated by Nick Swardson and a whole bunch of Saturday Night Live vets — with so restrictive a rating. Sony is trying to sell the film as another pre-wedding Hangover gross-out, but how will Sandler do without his carefully cultivated family audience?
Adam Sandler has gone his whole career without making a sequel, yet word came down the pike recently that he had signed for Grown-Ups 2. Why the sudden interest in the job security of a franchise? Maybe he's looking for a sure thing after two gambles: His usual grosses dropped for last fall's Jack and Jill, and this summer, he's testing his own brand with the R-rated comedy That's My Boy. Though Sandler has moonlighted in R-rated movies from auteurs like Paul Thomas Anderson and Judd Apatow, this is actually the first time in his career that he's toplining a typical "Adam Sandler movie" — meaning, it's populated by Nick Swardson and a whole bunch of Saturday Night Live vets — with so restrictive a rating. Sony is trying to sell the film as another pre-wedding Hangover gross-out, but how will Sandler do without his carefully cultivated family audience?
Can Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter Succeed Where Cowboys & Aliens Failed?
It's hard to course-correct in Hollywood! Last spring, when Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was green-lit, we hadn't yet seen another genre mash-up that played things straight despite a wacky title: Cowboys & Aliens. Alas, Jon Favreau's expensive extraterrestrial Western crash-landed that summer, and now Vampire Hunter has to soldier on with a brave face, despite its much weirder premise and total lack of A-listers on the level of Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. It's coming out during a crowded weekend in late June — Vampire Hunter has to face Pixar's Brave, the Steve Carell comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris follow-up To Rome With Love — so can it woo away enough moviegoers willing to say "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" out loud at the ticket counter?
It's hard to course-correct in Hollywood! Last spring, when Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was green-lit, we hadn't yet seen another genre mash-up that played things straight despite a wacky title: Cowboys & Aliens. Alas, Jon Favreau's expensive extraterrestrial Western crash-landed that summer, and now Vampire Hunter has to soldier on with a brave face, despite its much weirder premise and total lack of A-listers on the level of Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. It's coming out during a crowded weekend in late June — Vampire Hunter has to face Pixar's Brave, the Steve Carell comedy Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, and Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris follow-up To Rome With Love — so can it woo away enough moviegoers willing to say "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" out loud at the ticket counter?
Why is Dark Shadows Up Against The Dictator?
You can't quite blame Paramount for scheduling The Dictator on May 11, where it will face off against Tim Burton's Dark Shadows; once upon a time, the studio probably expected it to be effective counterprogramming against a Gothic vampire fright fest. Since the Dark Shadows trailer debuted, though, it's become clear that Burton has actually made a super-weird comedy out of the source material — it might be way weirder, even, than a Sacha Baron Cohen comedy that purports to be based on a novel by Saddam Hussein. In a head-to-head matchup, we'd give the edge to the Johnny Depp–starring Dark Shadows, but both of these curveball comedies could benefit from some breathing room.
You can't quite blame Paramount for scheduling The Dictator on May 11, where it will face off against Tim Burton's Dark Shadows; once upon a time, the studio probably expected it to be effective counterprogramming against a Gothic vampire fright fest. Since the Dark Shadows trailer debuted, though, it's become clear that Burton has actually made a super-weird comedy out of the source material — it might be way weirder, even, than a Sacha Baron Cohen comedy that purports to be based on a novel by Saddam Hussein. In a head-to-head matchup, we'd give the edge to the Johnny Depp–starring Dark Shadows, but both of these curveball comedies could benefit from some breathing room.
Is Magic Mike a Summer Movie?
Magic Mike is most certainly a Vulture movie: We've followed every development on this unusual film, ever since Steven Soderbergh stocked his male stripper movie with the likes of Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, and Matthew McConaughey. But then Warner Bros. acquired the R-rated dramedy and set it for release in June, where it will actually go up against Tatum's G.I. Joe: Retaliation (though his role is significantly reduced from the first Joe installment). Last year's summer movie season was admittedly full of beefcake, but does the studio think that this nude-a-palooza has breakout potential?
Magic Mike is most certainly a Vulture movie: We've followed every development on this unusual film, ever since Steven Soderbergh stocked his male stripper movie with the likes of Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, and Matthew McConaughey. But then Warner Bros. acquired the R-rated dramedy and set it for release in June, where it will actually go up against Tatum's G.I. Joe: Retaliation (though his role is significantly reduced from the first Joe installment). Last year's summer movie season was admittedly full of beefcake, but does the studio think that this nude-a-palooza has breakout potential?
Have Spider-Man and Bourne Been Rebooted Too Soon?
No stars? No problem! The directors and actors bailed on two of Hollywood's biggest franchises, Spider-Man and Bourne, but you didn't expect the studios to simply give up and go home, did you? Five years after both those trilogies were dealt a star setback, each hopes to reboot this summer with less costly talent: The Amazing Spider-Man has Marc Webb directing with Andrew Garfield in the lead role, while The Bourne Legacy has subbed in Jeremy Renner for Matt Damon. Hollywood often frets about the lowered durability of modern-day stars, but when they're willing to treat the franchise as a bigger attraction than the people in it, can that really come as any surprise? Spider-Man may do all right through sheer dint of its masked superhero — he could be anybody! — but Bourne has it tougher, going up against the FX-driven remake of Total Recall. It's going to be a close-quarters fight between the two ... though given the Bourne aesthetic, that's probably fitting.
No stars? No problem! The directors and actors bailed on two of Hollywood's biggest franchises, Spider-Man and Bourne, but you didn't expect the studios to simply give up and go home, did you? Five years after both those trilogies were dealt a star setback, each hopes to reboot this summer with less costly talent: The Amazing Spider-Man has Marc Webb directing with Andrew Garfield in the lead role, while The Bourne Legacy has subbed in Jeremy Renner for Matt Damon. Hollywood often frets about the lowered durability of modern-day stars, but when they're willing to treat the franchise as a bigger attraction than the people in it, can that really come as any surprise? Spider-Man may do all right through sheer dint of its masked superhero — he could be anybody! — but Bourne has it tougher, going up against the FX-driven remake of Total Recall. It's going to be a close-quarters fight between the two ... though given the Bourne aesthetic, that's probably fitting.
I don’t expect this to be a popular post for many reasons but not
least of all because (almost) everyone loves Johnny Depp. Several of his
(earlier) movies are on my must-see list, and he’s an undoubtedly
talented actor. By all accounts, Depp is also great to his fans when he
meets them in person. However, the man is seriously losing his cool
factor, and I doubt that the upcoming 21 Jump Street remake will
make us forget Depp’s legacy any more than his own actions over the past
decade. So let’s run down the reasons how Johnny Depp has willingly
chipped away at his own reputation: 
Hope you enjoyed that earlier look at 