It’s hard to believe, but in one week the month of May will be upon us and with it the onset of the summer blockbuster season.
Sure, 2009 has already made some surprising splashes at the box office (I’m looking at you, Paul Blart: Mall Cop), but with such highly-anticipated releases as Terminator Salvation (May 22), the sixth Harry Potter film (July 15) and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (August 7), summer should ensure some of the year’s biggest moneymakers.
Here’s a peek at a few of summer’s exciting highlights:
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (May 1)
Like last year’s Iron Man, summer kicks off with a hotly-anticipated comic-book movie.
Everyone’s favorite mutant, Wolverine, brings Hugh Jackman back into the role that made him a Hollywood star.
Star Trek (May 8)
If you don’t know about J.J. Abrams’ overhyped reimagining of this sci-fi franchise, then you’ve been living on the planet Gamma Hydra IV (and if you got that reference, you definitely knew about this remake). This should be one of the biggest hits of 2009.
UP (May 29)
Like Wall-E and every other Pixar animated flick before it, this clever comedy about an old man who converts his house into a hot-air balloon will surely send ticket sales skyward.
Land of the lost (June 5)
An adaptation of the cheesy 1970s Saturday morning TV series, a scientist is sucked through a vortex back to prehistoric times. With Will Ferrell in charge, somehow I suspect it’ll be tongue-in-cheek.
Transformers: Revenge of the fallen (June 26)
Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox and those crazy morphing robots are back in this thrilling sequel.
Since the 2007 original earned over $300 million in ticket sales, I’d say this is a safe bet at the box office.
Public Enemies (July 1)
Want a guaranteed big-screen hit? Take Johnny Depp, add director Michael Mann (Collateral) and get them together for a movie about legendary bank robber John Dillinger. There you go. Instant hit.
BRÜNO (July 10)
Sacha Baron Cohen’s hit character Borat comes back in the form of Brüno, a flamboyant designer who taunts everything from high-end fashion designers to gun-toting rednecks. Early buzz predicts it will be just as provocative and funny as Borat. No word yet on appearances by hairy, naked fat dudes.
