There may not be any light sabers, Julia Roberts or "shag-a-delic" characters in the movies this summer, but as has often been the case in summers past, this summer's movie season promises a big battle at the box office.
Cineplexes will soon be overflowing with action-adventures, romantic comedies and the token animated fare from folks like Disney and PIXAR -- and they will all be fighting for your box office buck. So . . .what will be this summer's "Phantom Menace," "Notting Hill," "Toy Story" or "Austin Powers"-like hit?
Blowing-up-the-world-type films have always been a staple of the summer season. Already we have seen "Rules of Engagement" and "U-571" in the action-adventure category. But how many times can you see the world blow up or see one man kill hundreds of bad guys on screen? The trend is shifting away from hard action and towards comedy according to Ernie Liu, Box Office Analyst for ReelSource, Inc. "Five years ago, action adventures were the only films making money in the summer season. This summer, 24 major comedies are set for release compared to only 16 last year and 14 in 1998."
There aren't any $400 million-plus films on the horizon like "Phantom Menace," yet several potential blockbusters are due to duke it out at the box office, with big names on the marquees adding to the attraction. Tom Cruise will choose to accept "Mission Impossible 2," Jim Carrey doubles as a schizophrenic in "Me, Myself and Irene," Mel Gibson plays "The Patriot," and John Travolta goes intergalactic in L. Ron Hubbard's "Battlefield Earth." Plus, action and special effects will command lead roles in movies like "Gladiator," "Dinosaur," and "Perfect Storm."
In Hollywood, where the anthem has always been "it takes millions to make millions," or in the case of holiday season fare, it takes millions to win Oscar gold, it's noteworthy that some of last season's biggest blockbusters came from relatively low budget projects.
Come to think of it, who were the big stars and moneymakers for last year's record summer season? Haley Joel Osment and "The Sixth Sense," Heather Donahue and "The Blair Witch Project", and the virtually unknown cast of "American Pie."
