BOX OFFICE/RT PREDICTIONS OF 2017 COMIC BOOK MOVIES (PART 1)

   BOX OFFICE/RT PREDICTIONS OF 2017 COMIC BOOK MOVIES 
                                                       (PART 1)

              Ladies and Gentlemen, we live in the golden age of comic book movies. There's no doubt about it. And with that transition, comes even more anticipitation and anxiety. "Which of our favorite superhero films will cross one billion?". "Which one will bomb?". "Which one will be negatively received?". "Which one will be positively received?" Finally, comic book films and super heroes are respected and given the treatment they deserve. But that doesn't always bode well results. And after the most controversial year of comic book films about to be over, (with one more strange film coming our way), we as fans want nothing more than for all of next year's slate of movie's to be critically acclaimed and make heaps of money. But reality checks in, and we realize that we don't live in a perfect world.

.........And thats where I come in. To make the predictions that you are too scared to make yourselves. To lay down the law of what could happen.

.......Or I could be completely wrong, come 2017. Either way, let's dig right in, shall we?

                         THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE (FEBRUARY 10TH)
                 

                   The Lego Batman Movie is, let's face it, not the most anticipitated comic book movie for people around here. But, as the follow up to the immensely popular "The Lego Movie", it is safe to say that it will make big bucks at the box office. "The Lego Movie", which came out in 2014, was able to gross over 469 million dollars worldwide. Now, that seems so little compared to comic book movies and animated films coming out today. But "The Lego Movie" managed to do alot more. It garnered a huge fanbase. It became a

huge sensation around the world, and it became popular among children. And one of the most popular character's of the film, was none other than the Caped Crusader himself. Or atleast a parody version of him. Now, we are in 2016 and so far, two trailer's have been released for The Lego Batman Movie, and have been met with absolute praise. People are excited to see this. Now, it is stuck in a tight corner with John Wick: Chapter 2, (which also garnered its own fanbase), and Fifty Shades Darker, (which should dominate the female audience rate), as well as The Great Wall and The Dark Tower a week later. But The Lego Batman Movie has something that no other film there has: Its an animated movie. Its has better chance of being a success than of those other films coming out.

Now, the film will be directed by Chris Mckay, who co-directed "The Lego Movie", and is being produced by Phil Lord And Chris Miller. I actually expect this film to better critically than "The Lego Movie", which garnered an outstanding 96% on RT. Why? Its alot simpler and more fluid, from what we've seen atleast. And lets face it, comic fans: Batman is a pool of jokes that you can swim through. Pratically anything about the character and his history, can be turned into a clever joke. And I trust the team behind this film, to make us look at Batman in a more hilarious way than ever before. So, final verdict:

RT SCORE: 97%
OPENING WEEKEND: $85 Million
DOMESTIC: $250 Million 
INTERNATIONAL: $350 Million 
BOX OFFICE WW: $600 Million

                                                           LOGAN (MARCH 3RD)
                    

Ah, Logan. The very last film starring Hugh Jackman as The Wolverine, (according to Hugh). Its also our third Wolverine film, after the critically panned "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"(2009), and the modestly received, and quickly forgotten, "The Wolverine"(2013). Its also our very first Rated R Wolverine film starring Jackman, after the success of Deadpool. We are also about 5 months away from the release date with a single trailer, a poster and multiple black and white vignettes posted on the film's official instagram page.......

So I have no idea. Thats not true, I have a sense of an idea, but this is the wild card of next year. The last two Wolverine films have done modestly well at the box office, despite Jackman's draw. And the X-Men films are not really known for bringing in heaps of cash, atleast not as much as the MCU or DCEU films. But they are a staple in pop culture, atleast. The point I'm trying to make right now, is that this could go anyway. It could absolutely do abymsal at the box office, and there is a high chance. It comes out in a very busy month filled with other interesting blockbusters, and with a new comic book film coming out every few months, another Wolverine film might not appeal that much to audiences. On the other side, it could. Its obvious that FOX is hoping to replicate their success from Deadpool, with Logan. And a Rated R Wolverine film is something alot of fans of the canadian animal have hoped to see. A chance for the Wolverine to finally shed some blood? Sign us up. Not to mention that FOX would be pretty dumb not to make it obvious to the general audience that this is Jackman's last hurrah, to get in some sympathy from the countless fans who've watched him for the past sixteen years.

Now, the film is being directed by James Mangold, returning from "The Wolverine", and is written by Michael Green, who's credits include a bunch of TV shows, and Green Lantern. Now, Green Lantern wasted alot of writers, so I wouldn't put that on him. Interesting tidbit though, is that right after Logan, Green is set to be the writer for "Alien: Covenant" and "Blade Runner 2049", so its obvious that the studios have found something in him. Anyway, Mangold, the director, has very impressive film credits, and was almost able to make the best Wolverine film possible with "The Wolverine", until it was hijacked in its third act by studio interference. It's not confirmed, but the third act was basically tonally different from the rest of the film and gave off some huge X-Men Origins vibes. Let's hope that FOX doesn't interfere with Logan, and give Jackman the proper send-off he deserves. So, final verdict:

RT SCORE: 80%
OPENING WEEKEND: $90 Million
DOMESTIC: $230 Million
INTERNATIONAL: $420 Million
BOX OFFICE WW: $650 Million

                                 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (MAY 5TH)
              

Ladies and gentlemen, the original under dog of 2014. A film that many people were proclaiming to be "MCU's first flop". "I mean, a film that star's a talking raccoon and tree? C'mon Marvel, you've let your success get to your head." Well, the film was released, and most of the naysayers were forced to eat crow. Garnering critical acclaim, and grossing almost 800 million dollars worldwide, GOTG became an instant hit. From the much loved retro soundtrack, to adorable fan favorite characters like Groot and Rocket, the world was having a bit of GOTG fever. But while the original had a breezy month to go through, GOTG 2 doesn't exactly have the same luxury. Choosing a May release date instead of August could prove costly, especially since August of next year is pretty empty. Fast 8, a mega franchise, comes out two weeks before GOTG 2, and the next Pirates Of The Carribean installment comes out at the end of that month. Not to mention that the next month after that is probably the busiest of the year. But thats okay. Like I said, GOTG is pratically a pop cultural phenomenon. It can easily make the majority of its gross in its first two weeks. Hell, I think it could reach a billion, if its as good as the first one, or just plain good. With the MCU logo, (which has become a benefit of its own), and the demand for these characters, there's no way this film will fail.

Now critically, GOTG managed to score a hefty 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Thats exremely impressive for a stand alone film that alot of people thought would be too "weird" or "out there" for critics. Not to mention that alot of people had doubt, because of James Gunn's filmography. I mean, the guy is a great writer, as seen in GOTG and Dawn Of The Dead, but then again, he wrote both Scooby-Doo films, so he's sort of a mixed bag. Not to mention the fact that the last film he directed before GOTG, in which he had full creative freedom, was Super, a movie that got mixed reviews. James Gunn is really good at Black comedy and absolute weirdness, but at times, it can prove to be too much, as seen in the aformented film, Super. Now, GOTG worked because it was a right balance of MCU goodness and James Gunn weirdness, with neither overmatching the other. But, as Gunn stated multiple times, he has more creative freedom with GOTG 2. And from what we've heard and seen from the film, it seems that the James Gunn influence has doubled from the first film. I mean, a humanoid planet who managed to sleep with a human woman and had a kid? Yeah, thats weird. But it may prove to be too much for some critics. Like I said, Super managed to alienate alot of critics and people because it was too much. And now that Gunn has more freedom to do what he wants, some people who loved GOTG might not love GOTG 2. But as long as James Gunn still manages to keep a tight script and direction, I think the film will be absolutely positively received, but not as much as the first. Still, thats not a bad thing at all. So, final verdict:

RT SCORE: 85%
OPENING WEEKEND: $140 Million
DOMESTIC: $400 Million
INTERNATIONAL: $601 Million
BOX OFFICE WW: $1.001 Billion

                                               WONDER WOMAN (JUNE 2ND)
                 

A female solo comic book movie is coming out next year! And it actually has potential! Long are the years of crappy female led super hero films, like Catwoman and Elektra. Ever since the debut of Black Widow, female heroes have been recieving generally better care by studios, as seen from Black Widow herself, Gamora, Scarlett Witch, and now one of the very first female superheroines herself, Wonder Woman. As we all know, Wonder Woman made her very first cinematic debut in this year's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice". Even though the film itself was seemingly the most controversial film of the year, opening up to negative reviews from critics and a divisive response from fans, one of the few aspects of the film that recieved universial acclaim, was Princess Diana herself. Yes, Gal Gadot's casting was extremely controversial, as was other BvS castings, (sensing a pattern?), but she was ultimately able to win over the non believers with her performance. So as you can imagine, there are alot of people hyped for her solo flick. A female superhero film finally managing to be a box office success? Thats the dream anyway, but there's a huge chance that it might not happen. June is probably the busiest month of 2017. Wonder Woman comes out the same weekend as Captain Underpants, a children's animated film, with The Mummy a week later, a film headlined by Tom Cruise. Not only that, but two weeks after that comes the Pixar sequel, Cars 3, and finally, the month ends with Transformers: The Last Knight and Despicable Me 3....................Yeah. I am beyond scared for this film. I really am. We all need this film to do well. To show studios that female led super hero films can work and can be successful. It doesn't matter if you are a DCEU lover or DCEU hater, our future rests in this film. And I think it could do well at the box office. I can see it having a close fight with Captain Underpants, but ultimately opening at number one. I can see it toppling The Mummy, Tom Cruise be damned. Hell, I could see it staying in the top three with Cars 3 and Transformers, and staying there when Despicable Me 3 comes out. I of course think that the fifth Transformer's installment won't have the same mass appeal domestically as it once used to, and will ultimately drop to number 4 the week after its release. 

 So yes, it will be a bloody, knock out drag between these movies, but ultimately, Wonder Woman will come out as one of the lucky survivors. On one condition, of course.......

The film needs good word of mouth. No, what am I saying? The film needs GREAT word of mouth. Listen, everyone on this site knows that I am a fan of the DCEU. I have currently loved two of their films, while immensely disliking their latest installment. But that doesn't change the fact that the DCEU has had a very trippy journey. Let's look at their history for just a quick second. MOS opened up to mixed reviews from critics and, surprise, surprise, a very divisive response from fans. It finished around with a solid 668 million worldwide, although many believe that it could have done much more, if it didn't have the divisive response. Even though the film did receive an "A" from audiences, so who know's, really? BvS came out this year, and with negative reviews and a very divisive response from fans, only managed to gross 872 million dollars. Now, hold on. 872 million? That's alot. That's a success, right? Not to WB. With a much higher rumored budget, and an expectancy of one billion dollars, (which is understandable), it was ultimately deemed a box office disappointment. Come August, Suicide Squad came out to, guess again, negative reviews and a divisive response from fans, (Im really getting tired of saying this). Although this time around, things were different. Suicide Squad had the lowest budget of all three DCEU film's, and it managed to have the best legs possible, as it grossed over 742 million dollars, and counting. The DCEU's first success story, commerical wise. Why? It was simply more "fun" than the previous entries.


            Now, the reason why I went over this, is to show how fragile and unpredictable the DCEU is. It isn't as seasoned or as well received as the MCU yet, so there are no guarantees that a film will be probably be well received and a box office success. Wonder Woman won't be able to do well based on incredible marketing. It will need great word of mouth. And there are doubts, of course. First off, the director herself, Patty Jenkins. Patty is known for the critically acclaimed film, "Monster". Problem? That was the last film she ever directed, and it came out thirteen years ago. So naturally, alot of people are scared that she's too out of it to direct Wonder Woman, and her lack of experience with big budget films. And the biggest doubt on everyone's mind, is the DCEU themselves. Like I mentioned above, the DCEU has been ripe with controversy and mixed to negative reviews. Not to mention the fact that for two films in a row, WB managed to practically release hazardly edited theatrical cuts of their films, leading to extended and director cuts. Many people are scared that WB will interfere with Wonder Woman in a negative way, or maybe the script won't be up to par. But, there are also alot of reasons to have hope. Even though Patty is inexperienced, from everything we've seen and heard from her, her vision for Wonder Woman is beautiful beyond belief. She practically understands the character in a manner that we haven't seen yet. Let's hope she can translate her love for the character, to the big screen properly. And the biggest hope of all? This is the very first DCEU film that will undergo post production under Geoff Johns and Jon Berg. Hell, John's actually co-wrote the script, so his influence is already there. Anyway, this is the first DCEU film that is under the new regime, which means its the first under a unified vision. Now, this gets many people excited for many reasons. Geoff and Berg are the Feige's now of the DCEU, and that could entail many things. Polished scripts? Perhaps. Comic accurate character traits? Probably. But the most important part? Watching over the post production. Like I mentioned already, BvS and SS had rough post production processes, which ultimately shambled their final cut's. Wonder Woman is the very first film since MOS, that has potential to be broken away from WB's studio hazard interference, and we hope that Johns and Berg can be the ones breaking that chain. Like I said, this could go either way. We could finally have our first positively received DCEU film, or it could just be another one to end up in the 20's on Rotten Tomatoes. Let's hope thats not the case. So, if everything goes right like I mentioned, I forsee this film to do, atleast, well enough critically and commerically to warrant a sequel. So, final verdict:

RT SCORE: 70%
OPENING WEEKEND: $85 Million
DOMESTIC: $300 Million
INTERNATIONAL: $380 Million
BOX OFFICE WW: $680 Million 








                                                       TO BE CONTINUED...................