Though it's not exactly a new development that action and superheroes dominate in theaters come summertime, the 2014 schedule is as loaded as ever in terms of action releases, with "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" representing some of the biggest.
A couple of spin-offs and remakes will also be taking aim at mainstream audiences, however, including Disney's "Maleficent" and Warner Brothers' blockbuster hopeful "Godzilla" - both of which come with major commercial expectations.
But it's not only about explosions and superhero mash-ups, as R-rated comedies like "22 Jump Street" and "A Million Ways to Die in the West" hope to bring in adult audiences looking for a little variety this summer.
With the beginning of the summer movie season right around the corner, here's a look at the summer releases that come with the biggest commercial expectations this year.
1) "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (Fox), May 23:
With franchise entries like "The Last Stand" and "X2: X-Men United," the "X-Men" franchise used to be one of the biggest in Hollywood, though "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" largely derailed the series and sent Fox back to the drawing board. But now with well-received releases "X-Men: First Class" in 2011 and "The Wolverine" in 2013, "X-Men" once again looks like it's back on the right track with both audiences and critics, bringing significant anticipation as "Days of Future Past" gets ready to hit theaters in Late-May.
Of course, it also doesn't hurt that "Days of Future Past" has one of the most impressive casts of the year, and not just for a superhero movie. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, Ellen Page, James McAvoy and Peter Dinklage, "Days of Future Past" has a mix of acclaimed and very popular actors who should help give it legitimacy both domestically and around the globe. While franchise reboot "X-Men: First Class" posted a somewhat modest $353 million worldwide despite very positive audience and critical marks, "Days of Future Past" seems to have plenty of momentum and is all but a guarantee to be one of the most lucrative releases of the summer.
2) "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (Sony/Columbia), May 2:
With some good numbers and a likable new cast, "The Amazing Spider-Man" helped most audiences forget about "Spider-Man 3," which made lots of box office dough but was also the source of plenty of fan ridicule. "The Amazing Spider-Man" ended up hauling in a decent $262 million in the U.S. and a very strong $752 million worldwide, perfectly rebooting the franchise and setting the sequel up for some major success.
Adding Jamie Foxx and Paul Giamatti to a cast that already includes Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone also brings in some major acting talent, which only helps the overall outlook as "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" hopes to start the summer release schedule with a bang. If director Marc Webb delivers another audience-friendly film, minimal competition thanks to a cushy release schedule could even take "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" close to $1 billion worldwide.
3) "Godzilla" (Warner Brothers), May 16:
Just about every summer, at least one non-sequel becomes a major commercial success, and all indicators suggest that "Godzilla" could be the one to do exactly that this summer. "Godzilla" even has many of the favorite blockbuster traditions built right into the story - destruction of major cities, threat of apocalypse, explosions galore - and even modest critical support could help turn this one into a big-time hit. Even looking at the critically panned 1998 Roland Emmerich version of "Godzilla" points to the commercial viability of the material, as it racked up a 2014-equivalent of roughly $550 million worldwide despite atrocious reviews and audience grades.
4) "Transformers: Age of Extinction" (Paramount), June 27:
Even if the "Transformers" series has never really tried to reinvent the wheel, it's impossible to deny its commercial viability. With Michael Bay back in the director's chair and Mark Wahlberg leading the cast, not to mention the addition of mechanical dragons, "Transformers: Age of Extinction" is a lock to be another major blockbuster, potentially following 2011's "Dark of the Moon" to become the second $1 billion release in the franchise.
5) "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (Fox), July 11:
After Tim Burton's 2001 reboot lacked the audience and critical support to found a new franchise, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" was exactly what Fox was looking for when it launched in August of 2011. Even though it cost less than Burton's film to produce, despite a decade gap, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" turned a fairly difficult August release into a major success both domestically and abroad.
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" ended up with $176 million in the U.S. and $481 million worldwide, which are both excellent numbers for a relatively inexpensive franchise reboot launched outside of the peak summer schedule. Even though James Franco didn't return for "Dawn," the franchise is now in a much better summer position in early-July and gets to build on the popularity of the 2011 version, setting it up for a very big box office run.
6) "Maleficent" (Disney), May 30:
At this point it's best to just not underestimate Disney's ability to reach family audiences, particularly when it comes to borrowing themes and characters from its own films. Taking a main character from "Sleeping Beauty," "Maleficent" stars Angelina Jolie and has a very family-friendly PG rating, likely setting it up to do very well with its target audience when it hits theaters at the end of May.
7) "A Million Ways to Die in the West" (Universal), May 30:
It's impossible to overstate the commercial success of writer/director Seth MacFarlane's first feature, as "Ted" hauled in a spectacular $549 million worldwide to become one of the top R-rated hits of all-time. At this point, MacFarlane is a star on his own and his western comedy "A Million Ways to Die in the West" could very well end up one of the top comedies of the entire year if it clicks with audiences. "A Million Ways to Die in the West" also has a strong cast led by Charlize Theron and Liam Neeson, helping its commercial outlook even further.
8) "22 Jump Street" (Sony/Columbia), June 13:
After "21 Jump Street" racked up $138 million in the U.S. and more than $200 million worldwide, sequel "22 Jump Street" has a very big built-in audience and lead actors Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill have never been more popular.
9) "Guardians of the Galaxy" (Disney), Aug. 1:
Don't be surprised if "Guardians of the Galaxy" finds plenty of action audiences already into the Marvel Universe. With an August release and lacking in big-time star power outside of Bradley Cooper, "Guardians of the Galaxy" doesn't have the enormous Marvel upside, though it still has a very large built-in audience and shouldn't have much of a problem finding some commercial success toward the end of the summer.
10) "Jupiter Ascending" (Warner Brothers), July 18:
Amidst all of the sequels, spin-offs and remakes, Andy and Lana Wachowski's "Jupiter Ascending" takes aim at sci-fi lovers this summer hoping to do much better commercially than their "Cloud Atlas." But while "Cloud Atlas" mostly failed to find mainstream audiences, "Jupiter Ascending" still has plenty of hope with Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum headlining the cast and a prominent mid-July release date.
The wacky premise could scare off a few mild sci-fi fans - it's about a futuristic world where humans are ruled by gods and Mila Kunis is a janitor - but "Jupiter Ascending" will have an aggressive marketing push come July and has some major upside if it can get audiences on its side.
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