These other films are often more interesting to follow simply because they represent unknown quantities. There just isn't that much you can say about The Avengers or Batman that isn't already known, and even if they don't live up to expectations, they're still guaranteed to bring in a massive amount of money. The non-franchise films, on the other hand, carry a lot of risk on their shoulders, as one ill-timed flop can cost a studio millions, and it's often a guessing game as to which ones will succeed and which will fail. In this summer preview, I've highlighted five of these films that might be under the radar at the moment, but which I believe have the potential to be some of the season's biggest hits. This article will deal with wide-release films that could turn into blockbusters, while the second part will look at some of the independent and limited release films that could turn into breakout hits or have late-season awards potential.
Snow White and the Huntsman - June 1
Starring Kirsten Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron
A year ago, Hollywood studios decided that movies based on fairy tales were going to be the newest trend, and then Red Riding Hood came out and flopped both critically and financially. Now, with multiple other adaptations already in development (Jack the Giant Killer and Hansel and Gretel are already slated for 2013), they've pinned their hopes on this dark adaptation of the Snow White story to act as the genre's tentpole film.
Snow White and the Huntsman is obviously trying to target the teenage fanbase that made Twilight and The Hunger Games such successes, from Kirsten Stewart's (Twilight) casting as the lead to the decidedly gothic advertising campaign, and as the summer's only major film that directly appeals to teenage girls, I think it's got a good chance of succeeding at that. The studio certainly agrees with me, as news came out last week that they're already in the planning stages of a sequel, a very good sign that the believe Snow White will be a success.
Prometheus - June 8
Directed by Ridley Scott
Starring Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender
In the same way that Snow White is looking to be the summer's biggest offering toward teenage females, Prometheus is looking to strike it big as the summer's biggest sci-fi flick targeted towards the older demographics, in the same way Inception did two years, attracting an audience looking for something a bit less cartoonish than the standard superhero fare. Ridley Scott's new film involves a team of scientists investigating an newly discovered alien civilization that may have been involved with the origins of humanity, and has been steadily building up buzz since its first trailer premiered at the Super Bowl.
Interestingly enough, although Prometheus isn't part of a franchise in its final form, it was originally conceived by Scott as being a prequel to the Alien franchise, before he ultimately decided the story was good enough to stand on its own.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - June 22
Directed by Timur Bekmambitov
Starring Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Of course, there may be one or two films a summer targeted otherwise, but the 14-30 male demographic has always been the film industry's bread and butter during the summer, and his tongue-in-cheek adaptation of the best-selling novel detailing the "never before seen truth" behind Abraham Lincoln is the kind of unabashedly silly fun that can surpass expectations and break out for a big weekend or two. If AB:VH can follow in the footsteps of movies like Zombieland and put an actually clever spin on an old concept like vampires, it can be a big success.
Like Prometheus and Snow White, Abraham Lincoln also has the advantage of being in a good release date that will increase its chances. The summer's biggest movies usually stake out dates in May and July, and between the Memorial Day and Fourth of July weekends there's often a "sweet spot" or sorts where non-franchise films have the opportunity to make themselves known. Films that get stuck in-between the big guns in May (Avengers, Men in Black 3) and July (Amazing Spider-Man, Dark Knight Returns) can often find themselves left out.
Ted - July 13
Directed by Seth MacFarlane
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis
While trying to open a new action or science fiction blockbuster in the middle of May or July can be dangerous, comedies have a better chance of success as they can provide a welcome break to the paying audience as they suffer from explosion-related fatigue. We've see films like The Hangover and Bridesmaids strike it rich in recent years with male and female-oriented plays on the raunchy buddy comedy, and this summer, I think that Seth MacFarlane's debut film about a man and his less-than-responsible imaginary friend that manifests itself as his teddy bear has the best chance to follow in their footsteps.
MacFarlane is of course best known as the creator of Family Guy and its various spinoffs in television, and given the freedom of the big-screen and an R-rating, fans of his TV series are eager to see what he has in store. The tale of a normal guy and the problems his "unseen" friend causes him has been played with going all the way back to Jimmy Stewart and Harvey, and it's the kind of plotline that allows MacFarlane unlimited chances to show off the quick-fire gags that made his shows such a success.
ParaNorman - August 18
Voices of Casey Affleck, Anna Kendrick, Leslie Mann
Outside of Pixar's yearly entry (Brave), the 2012 summer is looking pretty bland when it comes to animated films. DreamWorks and Sony are trotting out new Ice Age and Madagascar sequels, and while both will likely make money, they aren't generating much excitement and both of those franchises are well past their primes by now. So if the summer's kids' flicks ends up disappointing on the whole, I think pent-up demand could turn Focus Features' clever-looking ParaNorman into an August hit. Kids have always loved scary, stuff, and the story of an outcast kid who learns to speak with the dead could draw in a crowd of youngsters in the same way that Monster House did a few years ago.
As an added bonus, ParaNorman could find itself benefiting from an unexpected source in Sylvester Stallone's R-rated The Expendables 2, also opening that weekend. Traditionally, when an R-rated film opens big at the box office, the most popular family film that weekend sees a bump in ticket sales from younger teenagers who buy tickets for one film and then try to sneak into the other one. And a ticket sold is a ticket sold, so I'm sure the studio won't be complaining.
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