It’s that time of year again. Time to take a look at what Hollywood has to offer moviegoers this summer movie season in our Celluloid Junkie 2018 Summer Movie Preview. But first a few notes.

Despite what the calendar indicates, summer this year starts officially on April 27 with “Infinity War”. Thankfully it still ends come Labor Day weekend on the 31^st of August.

Once again, first place is deeded (by law) to Disney, who should yet again run away with the market share title for the summer. The battle for the Place position figures to be between Universal and Fox with Warners, Sony, Paramount and Lionsgate bringing up the rear, not withstanding any Jumanji-size surprises.

For all the gender gains that Hollywood claims to have made, it bears note that we won’t have a film directed by a woman this summer until we get to August 3^rd

Each movie preview gives a story synopsis, the cast and director, a projection for total domestic boxoffice and a suggested theme song. These are NOT the actual theme songs from the movie but ones that we would use if ever we were given Final Cut here at CJ. (And here is a Spotify playlist of all the songs mentioned.)

And away we go.

APRIL 27

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (BV/Marvel)

The Story: Third instalment in the “Avengers” series, starring Robert Downey, Jr and everyone else you’ve ever seen in any Marvel movie ever. I’m only slightly kidding.

The Projection: 2015’s “Avengers” debut clocked in at USD $895 million but “Age of Ultron” took a step back in the States with only USD $459 million (though international numbers were much higher). USD $415-450 million.

Theme Song: “Money, Money, Money”– Abba

MAY 4

OVERBOARD (Lionsgate)

The Story: Single mom tries to convince a rich playboy suffering from amnesia that he’s her husband. If you think you’ve seen it before, you have. Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn played the mismatched pair in the original back in 1987. This time out it’s Mexican film star Eugenio Derbez (“Instructions Not Included”) and Anna Farris.

The Projection: Usually it’s good news when a remake is projected to gross the same as the original but keep in mind the 1987 version only totaled USD $26 million. Derbez is big with Latino audiences but far less so in, shall we say, other parts of the country. We’ll be optimistic and say it outgrosses the original, but only by a hair. USD $28-32 million.

Theme Song: “She’s No Lady (She’s My Wife)”- Lyle Lovett

TULLY (Focus)

The Story: A veritable Dream Team of talent in this mom-clashes-with-new-nanny drama starring Charlize Theron, directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody.

The Projection: Probably a moderate release from Focus, the names involved will bring this to a level above what might have otherwise been expected USD $10-12 million.

Theme Song: “Mother’s Little Helper”- Rolling Stones

MAY 11

LIFE OF THE PARTY (Warners)

The Story: Suddenly dumped by her husband, Melissa McCarthy plays a stay-at-home mom who decides to join her daughter at college. Yes, kinda like 1986’s “Back to School”. Actually, just like 1986’s “Back to School”.

The Projection: The film is directed by McCarthy’s husband Ben Falcone, and the two have a proven track record on these types of comedies. The aforementioned Back to School was a runaway hit for Rodney Dangerfield 32, yes 32, years ago and though this won’t have either Robert Downey, Jr or Oingo Boingo here’s guessing McCarthy’s roll continues USD $60-70 million

Theme Song: “Mama, We’re All Crazy Now”– Quiet Riot

BREAKING IN (Universal)

The Story: Gabrielle Union stars as a woman protecting her home from intruders.

The Projection: Director James McTeigue (“V For Vendetta”, “Ninja Assassin”), always makes an interesting movie but won’t moviegoers feel they’ve seen this before, usually with Jennifer Lopez? USD $20-25 million

Theme Song: “I Hear You Knockin’”– Dave Edmunds

MAY 18

DEADPOOL 2 (Fox)

The Story: Everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed superhero is back and (hopefully) better than ever. Ryan Reynolds returns in the title role with Josh Brolin along as the requisite creepy villain.

The Projection: Usually when films are as big of a surprise as the original Deadpool was the sequel’s opening is higher than the first but with a shorter playtime. That’s probably true here again, especially with “Solo: A Star Wars Story” so close on the horizon. Having said that, DP2 should be a monster hit. USD $350-370 million

Theme Song: “What’s Behind the Mask”– The Cramps

BOOK CLUB (Paramount)

The Story: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen star as four Book Club members whose lives change when they read “Fifty Shades of Grey”.

The Projection: Director Bill Holdeman helmed 2015’s “A Walk in the Woods” so he knows his way around, shall we say, seasoned actors. “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” grabbed this (very) adult early May slot and rode it to USD $46 million in 2012. USD $35-40 million

Theme Song: “I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”- Meat Loaf

SHOW DOGS (OPR)

The Story: A dog handler and his Rottweiler go undercover (I can’t believe I’m writing this) at a dog show to catch animal traffickers. Will Arnett and Natasha Lyonne star.

The Projection: No animals were harmed during the filming of “Show Dogs”. I venture a guess that we won’t be able to say the same about moviegoers watching this. USD $15-20 million

Theme Song: “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo”- Lobo

MAY 25

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (BV)

The Story: This installment in the Star Wars lineup focuses on the early smuggling days of Han Solo. Alden Ehrenreich plays the young Han with a supporting cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover, Paul Bettany and Thandie Newton. Oh, did we mention Ron Howard is directing?

The Projection: Never in a million years did I ever think I’d hear what I did last week in a shopping mall in Los Angeles as two GenX’ers walked past a one-sheet for the film. “Ugh, another “Star Wars” movie?”  We waited what seems like eons for “The Force Awakens” and now they seem to pop up like a speed-induced game of Whack-A-Mole. Having said that it’s never a smart idea to bet against a new “Star Wars” instalment but this one does feel like it may be the lowest grossing one so far. USD $450-480 million.

Theme Song: “Intergalactic”– Beastie Boys

JUNE 6

ACTION POINT (Paramount)

The Story: A daredevil designs and operates his own extreme amusement park. The movie is based on the real life Action Park in New Jersey that was notorious for unsafe rides and untrained, and often under-the-influence, staff.

The Projection: Much like Olivier and Hepburn, Johnny Knoxville’s boxoffice history can be boiled down to whether the word Jackass is in the title. Films including that word can push USD $100 million, much to the chagrin of right minded human beings everywhere. Those without often end up on Fuel TV at 3 in the morning. Furthermore, isn’t Knoxville getting a bit old for this kind of humor? A head first face-plant at 40 mph into a cactus is gut-busting hilarious if you’re, oh say, 11 years old. It borders on sad when you’re 47. USD $25-30 million

Theme Song: “Crazy Train”- Black Sabbath

ADRIFT (STX)

The Story: Shailene Woodley stars in a true story about a woman who is forced to navigate a small boat from Tahiti to Hawaii during a massive hurricane that has claimed the life of her fiancee. Director Balthasar Kormakur loves these stranded-in-the-middle-of-nowhere movies. He also directed Everest.

The Projection: Woodley has a following among younger females, thanks to the “Divergent” series and “The Fault in Our Stars”, but will her base want to see her in the middle of the Pacific for two hours without a love interest? USD $28-32 million

Theme Song: “Lost Without Your Love”- Bread

JUNE 8

OCEAN’S 8 (Warners)

The Story: It took the boys from “Ocean’s 11” an entire football team’s worth of cons to pull off what eight women can do. Talk about anything you can do, I can do better. Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Rihanna lead an all-star cast in a story that hopefully everyone knows by now.

The Projection: “Free State of Jones”. “The Hunger Games”. “Seabiscuit”. Yep, nothing says light-hearted fun like Gary Ross. In all seriousness, Ross is indeed a perplexing directorial choice for this kind of film but thankfully Bullock, Hathaway and crew will be the reason moviegoers flock to their local multiplex and dine-in cinemas to see this. Its primary audience is obvious older women but don’t discount the allure to men who remember the Clooney & Co version fondly. $150-175 million.

Theme Song: “Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves”- Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin

HEREDITARY (A24)

The Story: Strange and horrible things begin happening when the matriarch of a family dies. Hats off to director Ari Aster’s publicist who somehow slipped this through the IMDB synopsis censors, “Making his feature debut, writer-director Ari Aster unleashes a nightmare vision of a domestic breakdown that exhibits the craft and precision of a nascent auteur”. I will admit I’ve never heard the phrase nascent auteur used before and certainly not pertaining to someone nobody’s ever heard of. But I digress.

The Projection: Normally one does not equate Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne with the horror genre but then again no one ever expected Helen Mirren to be part of it either. The good news is that it’s the summer’s first true horror film and that usually accounts for something, although fans of the genre usually look for the film’s stars to have started out on YouTube rather than performing “As You Like It” on the London stage. USD $15-20 million.

Theme Song: “I’m the Man”- Joe Jackson

JUNE 15

THE INCREDIBLES 2 (BV)

The Story: Well that only took 14 years, didn’t it? A decade and a half after the original “Incredibles” amassed USD $261 million, the superhero family is back fighting crime and doing the ironing. What was the last animated title where the vocals talents were stars during the Bush Administration? The first Bush Administration. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter are back behind the microphone hoping that lightning truly does strike twice. Brad Bird directs.

The Projection: “Finding Dory”, another Disney remake that had been in the pipeline for a while, went on to gross USD $486 million. It’s doubtful that TI2 will soar to those levels as “Finding Nemo” was a beloved Disney classic. The first “Incredibles” was certainly a hit but not necessarily a classic. Look for this to finish somewhere between Dory and the first “Incredibles”. USD $320-350 million.

Theme Song: “Jesus of Suburbia”– Green Day

TAG (WB)

The Story: Jeremy Renner and Ed Helms star as childhood friends who have been playing one continual game of tag for years. This should finally silence all the haters who complain that there aren’t any new ideas coming out of Hollywood. By the way, don’t even begin to try to explain to your teenage kids that there once was an actual game called Tag that kids actually amused themselves with. That will simply reaffirm their belief that you were born somewhere around the Spanish-American War.

The Projection: Once you get past the preposterous premise this comedy’s ensemble cast, which also includes Jon Hamm, Isla Fisher and Rashida Jones, could turn this into a minor hit for an adult moviegoing audience.

Theme Song: “Don’t Touch Me There”- The Tubes

SUPERFLY (Sony)

The Story: Remake of the 1972 urban drama/actioner about a cocaine dealer looking for one last big score. This time out, Trevor Jackson from TV’s “Grown-Ish” stars as Priest and music video helmer Director X steps behind the camera.

The Projection: On the surface this appears to be an odd choice for a film to be remade here in 2018. The audience is rather limited and the lack of any big name stars will keep grossing potential to a minimum. USD $20-25 million

Theme Song: “Dope Man”- NWA

6/22

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (U)

The Story: When the island’s dormant volcano roars back to life, Chris Pratt & Co have to save the island’s dinosaurs from a potential extinction level disaster.

The Projection: Lest we forget, 2015’s “Jurassic World” reboot grossed a gargantuan USD $652 on these shores. Unless real dinosaurs are brought back from the dead and are taking tickets at every cinema in North America there’s no way that “Fallen Kingdom” will match that number. But Universal has more than successfully rebooted this franchise and FK is probably good for a nifty USD $500-525 million.

Theme Song: “Walk the Dinosaur”- Was (Not Was)

6/29

THE HUSTLE (MGM)

The Story: Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star in this remake of the 1998 comedy classic, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”. In this version, two female con artists try to soak a gullible Silicon Valley tech billionaire for all he’s worth.

The Projection: MGM is probably promising parts in the upcoming Bond film to any exhibitor who will show their trailer on “Ocean’s 8”. If 2018 is one of those years where female comedies work, then the Lion House could have a pleasant little hit on their hands. Sometimes genre success begets genre success, meaning if “Ocean’s 8” and “Life of the Party” along with April 20’s “I Feel Pretty” all work then that’s a ton of eyeballs for “The Hustle” trailer. Hopefully the MGM Exhibitor Relations department is getting ready doing pushups. USD $60-65 million.

Theme Song: ”Gold Digger”– Kanye West

SICARIO 2: SOLDADO (Sony)

The Story: Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin return in this thriller sequel about Mexican drug cartels.

The Projection: The first “Sicario” was a surprise hit for Lionsgate, totalling a respectable USD $45 million. “Soldado” is certainly an odd choice for summer fare as these types of downer action/dramas often have a very difficult time finding a serious moviegoer who is more concerned with tentpoles and taking the little ones to “The Incredibles 2”. USD $25-35 million.

Theme Song: “Lawyers, Guns and Money”– Warren Zevon

UNCLE DREW (Lionsgate)

The Story: NBA star Kyrie Irving brings his alternate persona to the big screen and is dragging along an interesting cast of co-stars in Shaquille O’Neal, Tiffany Haddish, Lil Rey Howrey and Reggie Miller.

The Projection: Streetball may not be everyone’s thing but, if they’re worth their salt, Lionsgate’s marketing braintrust has already planned on flooding March Madness and the NBA playoffs with ads for this. USD $35-45 million which is probably $35-45 million more than it will make overseas.

Theme Song: “Basketball Jones”- Cheech & Chong

7/6

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP (BV)

The Story: Paul Rudd is back as Ant-Man and Evangeline Lilly from TV’s “Lost” suits up as The Wasp in the sequel to 2015’s “Ant-Man”. Peyton Reed returns to direct.

The Projection: The original topped off at USD $180 million, one of the lowest Marvel offerings in the past few years, but certainly strong enough to warrant a sequel, especially considering the USD $339 million mark overseas. I’m not convinced that Ms. Lilly brings much to this and by the time July 4^th rolls around there may be some superhero/tentpole fatigue. USD $140-150 million.

Theme Song: “Antmusic”- Adam and the Ants

THE FIRST PURGE (Universal)

The Story: Blumhouse’s prequel is the fourth installment in the franchise and it is the rare series where each film has outgrossed the previous. Ethan Hawke is long gone so Marisa Tomei is the only recognizable name here.

The Projection: 2016’s “The Purge: Election Year” topped the group at USD $79 million but a prequel always feels a bit like it’s jump-the-shark time. USD $50-55 million

Theme Song: “Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights)”- Pat Travers Band

SORRY TO BOTHER YOU (Annapurna)

The Story: Lakeith Stanfield stars as a telemarketer who discovers a magical key to business success while also uncovering the secrets of his unscrupulous bosses.

The Projection: Rapper Boots Riley steps into the director’s chair for the first time and this film has been gaining buzz after early screenings. If critical reviews are especially positive the film has a chance to break through. If not, then it could very well overwhelmed by a tsunami of summer tentpoles.

Theme Song: “Money For Nothing”- Dire Straits

7/13

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA: SUMMER VACATION (Sony)

The Story: Adam Sandler takes a break from his Netflix career to return to the big screen, at least in vocal form, in this third installment in the “Hotel T” franchise.  Most of the crew is back again and that sound you hear is moviegoers everywhere rejoicing that by some miracle David Spade was still available.

The Projection: Sony Animation has a moneymaking franchise going and there’s little to suggest it’ll stop now. Both “Hotel T”’s came out in September and with this move to summer the film will benefit from weeks of summer vacation weekdays, although they will now have to deal with competition rather than family-film-free autumn. USD $125-140 million.

Theme Song: “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”- Bauhaus

SKYSCRAPER (Universal)

The Story: Universal’s summer of thrills and chills continues as Dwayne Johnson heads to the Middle Kingdom for this thriller set, wait for it, in a Chinese skyscraper. Cut to Bruce Willis kicking himself for not thinking of that for “Die Hard 6.”

The Projection: Here’s a news flash—it’s not advisable to bet against The Artist Formally Known as The Rock. Throwing out “Baywatch” (and don’t we wish Paramount had), he’s six for his last six in actioners, all of which grossed north of USD $125 million and four of those totalled more than USD $225 million. Unless Neve Campbell has an insanely large underground following that we’re not privy to he doesn’t have the co-stars this time out for something to that level but there’s no reason why he can’t go 7-for-7 all by himself. USD $130-150 million.

Theme Song: “Bull in a China Shop”– Barenaked Ladies

JULY 20

THE EQUALIZER 2 (Sony)

The Story: The plot for this Denzel Washington sequel is being kept under wraps but I’ll take a wild stab at it and say everyone’s favorite hardware store salesman sets out to right another horrific wrong committed in Boston. May I suggest Hanley Ramirez?

The Projection: Very quietly, the original topped the USD $100 million plateau and in this day and age in Hollywood that calls for a sequel. This would seem a good bet to come close to that number again but by this point in summer are moviegoers starting to develop another case of the sequelitis which befell them last summer? USD $75-85 million

Theme Song: “One Way or Another”- Blondie

MAMMA MIA: HERE WE GO AGAIN (Universal)

The Story: (Please don’t make me do this. Ugh ok.) Previously hidden pasts are brought to life all to the beat of Benny, Bjorn, Agnetha and Anne-Frid. (There)

The Projection: Somewhere Benny and Bjorn have to be thinking to themselves, “yeah, we don’t get it either”. This incredible fascination with the fashionably colorblind 70s band from Sweden rolls on but didn’t we already work most of Abba’s hits, and I do use that term loosely, into the first “Mamma Mia”? What’s left? A bouncy and breathtakingly produced song and dance number through the streets of seaside Croatia set to “I’m a Marionette”?  Incomprehensibly, the original grossed USD $144 million domestic and another USD $465 million internationally which single-handedly extinguishes any hope I had of other countries being even a tad more sensible than we are. USD $95-105 million.

Theme Song: “Oops, I Did It Again”- Brittany Spears [Surely it’s “Money, money, money” by ABBA again? -Ed.]

JULY 27

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE-FALLOUT (Paramount)

The Story: It’s the sixth installment in the always reliable franchise as Tom Cruise leads the IMF force in a race against time. I don’t know if that’s actually the synopsis or not, but don’t the synopses of all the MI movies start with “Tom Cruise leads the IMF force in a race against time”? Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Rebecca Ferguson, Alec Baldwin and Henry Cavill co-star.

The Projection: “Ghost Protocol” was the second highest entry in the franchise with USD $209 million domestic while 2015’s “Rogue Nation” slipped a bit to USD $195 million. The thinking on the street is that “Fallout” may take a steeper drop, especially if the previously mentioned sequelitis continues to plague moviegoers. As a side note if you’re looking for a fun little diversion this July why not play the Tom Cruise Did His Own Stunts Drinking Game where you take a shot every time an interviewer fakes incredulity that Mr. Cruise performed his own on-screen athletic manoeuvres. You’ll be hammered in no time. USD $150-165 million.

Theme song: “All My Own Stunts”- Arctic Monkeys

TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES (WB)

The Story: Cartoon Network brings the “Teen Titans Go!” animated series to the big screen in the form of kid superheroes Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy. I know what you’re thinking. Exhibitor screenings would be a hell of a lot more palatable if that last superhero were the Beastie Boys.

The Projection: To say that “Teen Titans Go! To The Movies” skews young is an understatement. This series is for any kid who hides behind the sofa in fear during an episode of Counting With Paula. USD $35-40 million.

Theme Song: “The Wheels on the Bus” – The Wiggles

AUGUST 3

DISNEY’S CHRISTOPHER ROBIN (BV)

The Story: Christopher Robin, now all grown-up, reunites with his childhood friend, Winnie The Pooh who helps him rediscover the joys of life. Ewan McGregor plays Christopher Robin and the character voices come thanks to from Jim Cummings, Chris O’Dowd, Toby Jones, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo and the most perfect casting of the year, Brad Garrett as Eeyore.

The Projection: As much fun as this movie looks to be, our excitement has to be tempered by the fact that films based on the creation of childhood characters are hit-or-miss. “Finding Neverland” could only manage USD $51 million and though “Saving Mr. Banks” did gross USD $83 million that film had Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson and was talked about for Oscar consideration. Ewan McGregor is not quite Hanks in the boxoffice department but still and all there is something so quaint about this film it may turn out to be the perfect parents/kid afternoon at the movies. Here’s guessing it surprises. USD $85-95 million.

Theme Song: “Cuddly Toy”- The Monkees

THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME (Lionsgate)

The Story: Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon star as best friends who take on a spy mission after an ex-boyfriend turns out to be a secret agent. The film is directed by Susanna Fogel and also stars Gillian Anderson and Justin Theroux. Here’s your tragic fact for the day, “The Spy Who Dumped Me” is the first film of the summer to be directed by a woman. Yep, it only took 15 weeks and 30 films before that happened. Don’t pull a muscle patting yourselves on the back for all those gender gains, Hollywood.

The Projection: As with “The Hustle”, the movie should benefit greatly from trailer placement on the plethora of late spring and summer female comedies. McKinnon livens up any movie she’s in and Kunis knows how to pick additions to her IMDB page. The last five wide release films she’s been in have totalled nearly USD $700 million in domestic boxoffice. This won’t come close to approaching those numbers but figure on “The Spy Who Dumped Me” to be a midrange hit $55-65 million.

Theme Song: “Undercover Angel”– Alan O’Day

THE DARKEST MINDS (Fox)

The Story: Set in the future, the film revolves around a pandemic which has killed nearly every child while the survivors have gained telekinetic powers and have been sent to internment camps. Amandla Stenberg from “Everything, Everything” and TV’s “Mr. Robinson” stars.

The Projection: Director Jennifer Yu Nelson directed the second and third installments in the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise and this is her first live action studio effort. These films that are geared towards teens and tweens and are culled from young adult novels are so difficult to call this far in advance. USD $30-35 million but don’t bet the kids’ college tuition on that.

Theme Song: “In the Year 2525” – Zager & Evans

MILE 22 (STX)

The Story: A CIA agent and an Indonesian police officer team up in a race against time. Mark Wahlberg reunites with one of his favorite directors, Pete Berg, while Rhonda Rousey and Iko Uwais co-star.

The Projection: Wahlberg actioners have been all over the place as of late. The high was 2013’s “Lone Survivor” at USD $125 million. The lows tend to be more in the USD $35-50 million range. The addition of Rousey would have been more alluring 2-3 years ago and Uwais isn’t a name on these shores so Wahlberg will have to do the heavy lifting on his own. USD $40-50 million.

Theme Song: “I Can Do Bad All By Myself”- Mary J. Blige

AUGUST 10

“THE MEG” (Warner Brothers)

The Story: 70-foot prehistoric shark terrorizes the California coast and the only one who can destroy it is Turkish from Snatch. In all seriousness, Jason Statham plays a man who must confront his own fears to save divers trapped in a sunken submarine.

The Projection: Trundle through a list of recent Statham action titles and the pickings become slim rather quickly. “The Italian Job” was 15 years ago and things didn’t get sunnier for Handsome Rob after that.  USD $30-35 million.

Theme Song: “Fins”- Jimmy Buffet

AUGUST 17

THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS (STX)

The Story: From The Henson Company comes this “Roger Rabbit”-like comedy mystery with Melissa McCarthy as a disgraced cop trying to find out who is killing members of the 1980’s “HappyTime” animated TV show. I read the script for this and if they somehow manage to slip the Silly String scene past the MPAA it may be the funniest moment in film all year.

The Projection: Oddly enough I don’t know too many in the industry who are high on this but the script is very funny and McCarthy, as we stated earlier, is on a roll and perfect for this. USD $50-60 million.

Theme Song: “Puppet on a String” – Sandie Shaw

CRAZY RICH ASIANS (Warners)

The Story: A Chinese American woman travels to Singapore and finds out her boyfriend is the heir to a massive fortune. Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh and Ken Jeong star.

The Projection: Warners will have to pull some rabbits out of a series of hats to expand its audience past Asian Americans in order for this to break through. USD $20-25 million

Theme Song: “Marry for Money”- Trace Adkins

THREE SECONDS (Aviron)

The Story: Joel Kinnaman plays a man convinced by the FBI to infiltrate the Polish mafia in prison. I don’t know the story other than that but I’m going to guess that all does not go according to plan. Clive Owen, Common, and Rosamund Pike co-star.

The Projection: While Kinnaman isn’t a household name the film has interesting premise and a chance at a late summer quick smash-and-grab. $25-35 million.

Theme Song: “Back on the Chain Gang” – The Pretenders

AUGUST 24

SLENDER MAN (Sony)

The Story: Based on a creepy internet meme, Slender Man is a tall, thin, faceless figure with absurdly long arms who terrorizes children and teens.

The Projection: If you think this is just some stupid internet hoax creation take a look at “Slender Man” YouTube views. The most recent video amassed 4.5 million views.  Watch for a surprise here. $55-60 million

Theme Song: “Somebody Got Murdered”- The Clash

REPLICAS (Ent Studios)

The Story: Keanu Reeves plays a neuroscientist (ok, stop giggling right this instant) who wants to bring his family back from the dead after their fatal car accident.

The Projection: Other than the presence of Reeves, I’m not sure what the hook will be to lure moviegoers. And having said that, recent Keanu movies have ranged form the sublime and successful (“John Wick”) to the ridiculous and dreadful (“Knock Knock”). Figure more towards the latter here. USD $15-20 million

Theme Song: “Never Gonna Give You Up”- Rick Astley

AUGUST 31

KIN (Lionsgate)

The Story: The synopsis of the film starts off with “The sci-fi film “Kin” stars Jack Reynor…”. I’ll stop there. Raise your hands if you’ve heard of Jack Reynor (put your hands down, members of the Reynor family). Dennis Quaid, James Franco and Zoe Kravitz co-star. Maybe that will mean something. Nah.

The Projection: See above. Unless Mr. Reynor overnight becomes James Dean this film should prove why it was slotted on the cinematic Martian outpost that is Labor Day weekend. USD $8-12 million.

Theme Song: “Who Are You”- The Who