Another year, another summer. Summer is typically the biggest movie-going period of the whole year. On average, the summer can accumulate over 1/3 of the year's box-office total. However, last summer wasn't so good. Despite some big films, like Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith ($380 million), War of the Worlds ($234 million), Wedding Crashers ($209 million), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ($206 million) and Batman Begins ($205 million), the overall summer gross was down an alarming 7.1% from the summer of 2004, the biggest drop off since 2000. Films that were expected to do well ended up doing poorly, including The Island ($36 million), Kingdom of Heaven ($47 million), and more.

This summer, studios hope to prevent another disappointing box-office summer, and judging from the schedule and how weak last summer actually was, 2006 should have no trouble at all topping last year. Superman Returns, Mission: Impossible III, X-Men: The Last Stand, Cars, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest should help the overall box-office, along with many more promising films hoping to make some cash. Here's a look at what I think will be the top twenty films of the summer.

20. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift - $55 million

The popular franchise about street racing is back this June, but with a whole new cast, a new location and a new type of racing. The original film grossed over $140 million, exceeding all expectations and making Vin Diesel a star (for a little while, anyways). After Vin Diesel dropped out of the second film and left Paul Walker, director Jon Singleton took over and Tyrese joined in. The second film grossed an impressive $125 million, showing that the film is about the cars and not the stars. Now, we have a whole new director and a whole new cast, with the only recognizable star being young rapper, Bow Wow. The film now takes place in Tokyo. Unlike 2 Fast 2 Furious, this film changed all aspects of the film except for the cars, while the second one still had a similar feel and some of the cast returning. The film has an impressive trailer, but I don’t expect it to gross more than $60 million total. Tokyo Drift gives me XXX: State of the Union vibes, and that’s not good. The opening weekend should be in the mid-$20 million range and the final gross should be above $50 million, but not too much higher.

19. The Omen (2006) - $55 million

The Omen, a remake of the 1976 horror classic of the same title, revolves around a young boy named Damian who just might be the devil. This remake, like other horror remakes lately, should do reasonably well. Horror films, in general, have been doing well. This one packs an impressive trailer, as well as a brilliant marketing campaign. Ironically, the famous number used in reference to the devil, 666, falls this year. The Omen will be released on June 6, 2006 (06/06/06). It’s unusual because the 6th of June is Tuesday this year, meaning that the film will have three full days before the weekend. As we come closer to the release, more hype should build on this one and an impressive gross should be expected. The opening weekend won’t be that big thanks to the frontloaded nature of horror films and the three days it has prior to the weekend. But, with strong summer weekdays, it should be able to achieve at least $50 million total before leaving theaters, joining the other horror hits of the year (Hostel, When a Stranger Calls, etc.).

18. Little Man - $60 million

Little Man is another comedy from the Wayans brothers. This time, Marlon Wayans will play a 2ft. tall robber (thanks to some awful CGI) who must pretend to be a baby in order to retrieve a diamond from a family. It’s sad, but when White Chicks can gross over $70 million, this one should be expected to do well too. The trailer is quite stupid, but also very funny. The Wayans Brothers have had numerous hits, including the first two Scary Movie flicks and White Chicks. The only thing that can really stop this from doing well is the incredibly heavy competition surrounding it, with Superman Returns and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest being released within a week of Little Man. Still, Independence Day weekend should help a lot. Similar to White Chicks, the film should be somewhat leggy and not about the opening weekend. Expect at least $50 million total.

17. Snakes on a Plane - $75 million

Snakes on a Plane’s concept isn’t so complicated. Basically, an assassin on board a plane releases a crate of deadly snakes that begin an attack on the flight. Ever since the trailer has been released just a short few weeks ago, the buzz for this film sky-rocketed to unexpected levels of excitement. The action flick, starring Samuel L. Jackson, has stirred up the interest of millions with its awesome trailer, great title, and the later news that the film was re-edited just to make the film rated R. The anticipation will die down for a little while, but once August hits, this film should be one of the bigger hits of the month, as well as one of the more frontloaded films of the summer. An opening weekend above $30 million is possible, followed by a free-fall in the weeks after, resulting in a $70-80 million total.

16. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - $85 million

A Will Ferrell comedy in the summer. Need I say more? Will Ferrell is back once again with Talladega Nights, a NASCAR-related comedy that is sure to be a hit. The film has a similar release date to last year’s The Dukes of Hazzard, a funny trailer, and a great lead. It’s hard to imagine the film not doing well. It has a chance to cross the $100 million mark, but most likely, it’ll fall short considering that even Anchorman couldn’t achieve that total with a lot more anticipation and a better trailer. The opening weekend should be in the $25-30 million range, similar to Anchorman and other popular summer comedies.

15. Miami Vice - $90 million

Director Michael Mann brings us the film adaptation of the hit TV show, Miami Vice, to the bring screen this summer. The film is about two cops who take on the drug world of Florida. Michael Mann has had many nice action hits, including 2004’s Collateral, which opened decently and became a sleeper hit and barely crossed the $100 million mark. Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell, two respectable draws, will star in the film. The film has an excellent trailer, but with competition and the lack of Tom Cruise, the film should come in just under $100 million total. The opening weekend won’t be extremely high, but the legs should be good, similar to Collateral and The Italian Job, two summer action-sleepers.

14. World Trade Center - $95 million

World Trade Center is about Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin (Cage) and William Jimeno (Peña), who become trapped under the rubble of the World Trade Center after the September 11 attack. The film is one of the more unpredictable films of the year, along with United 93. Both films tackle the events of 9/11, but this film has the better release date, a more recognizable star (Nicolas Cage) and a respected director (Oliver Stone). It’s hard to tell how audiences will react to both films, though. Some say it’s “too soon” to release these two films and might avoid it. But, curiousity might be the one factor that’ll help both films. At the moment, I think World Trade Center should out gross United 93 and finish close to or just above $100 million total, although United 93 is generating a ton of buzz. But, closer to August, the buzz for World Trade Center should reach a similar level.

13. Monster House - $100 million

Monster House looks like a solid CGI hit, but it won’t reach its potential thanks to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest hogging up the audiences for most of July. The film has a nice trailer, but that won’t be enough to help the film gross huge numbers. An opening weekend in the $20-30 million range should be expected, and with strong summer weekdays, a $100 million total should result. It has a reasonable shot at grossing a lot higher, but that’ll depend on how big Pirates is or how fast it might fall.

12. Lady in the Water - $110 million

Lady in the Water will be an interesting film to look out for. The film is directed by M. Night Shymalan, a director that has had four straight hits (The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, and The Village). His name seems to draw in large crowds, and shown by Signs’ $60 million opening and The Village’s $50 million opening. There’s no signs of Lady in the Water disappointing in the box-office; however, there are two factors that might prevent a large opening and/or total. The Village was not well-received in the summer of 2004. After an excellent $50 million opening weekend, bad WOM spread quickly and the film ended with a good $114 million, although the multiplier was quite awful. It’s hard to tell whether M. Night’s name will still be able to draw such an opening weekend as the last two films or not. In addition, Lady in the Water is a little different from his previous films. The film story is more of a fairy tale, unlike his other films. If WB does not market the film properly, either the opening weekend will be low or the legs will be as awful as The Village’s legs. As of right now, I expect the film to open to less than his last to films with around $35-40 million and with decent legs (assuming WOM won’t be bad), a nice $110-120 million total is in order.

11. You, Me and Dupree - $120 million

You, Me and Dupree jumped into the same weekend last year’s biggest comedy, Wedding Crashers, was released on. For those who don’t remember, Wedding Crashers surprised with a nice $33 million opening weekend last July, but the film had amazing drops in the weeks after and finished with an outstanding $208 million total. You, Me and Dupree will probably not get as lucky, but it looks to be a hit. Owen Wilson, Matt Dillon and Kate Hudson make up the impressive cast. The trailer is quite funny and should attract a big audience this summer. An opening close to $30 million should be in store, and similar to other summer comedies of this nature, a long run should be in store, resulting in over $100 million total.

10. Poseidon - $130 million

Poseidon is this year’s disaster flick, but on a smaller level. The Wolfgang Peterson remake is about a tidal wave that causes a luxury ocean liner to capsize, forcing a handful of survivors to find a way to the water’s surface before it’s too late. Disaster films are quite popular. War of the Worlds grossed an excellent $234 million last July, while The Day After Tomorrow finished with an impressive $186 million total. However, although Poseidon is an expensive project ($150 million budget) and is still a summer blockbuster, it looks weak in comparison to the other films in May. With M:I-3 opening a weekend prior and The Da Vinci Code and X-Men: The Last Stand opening afterwards, Poseidon is stuck in a position where it’ll be hurt by competition. Marketing is no where near the levels of The Day After Tomorrow or War of the Worlds, but Poseidon should do well. The film reminds me of Troy, another Wolfgang Peterson film that opened in the second weekend of May in 2004, similar to where Poseidon is opening this year. The film opened to around $46 million and went on to gross over $130 million. A similar run should be expected for Poseidon, though the weekend could be higher and the legs could be cut short thanks to competition.

9. The Break-Up - $140 million

The Break-Up looks to be a hit. Similar to Mr. and Mrs. Smith last June, The Break-Up stars two people who have a relationship on and off the screen. Jennifer Aniston and the rising box-office draw, Vince Vaughn, headline this film about breaking up with a loved one. Vince Vaughn is becoming a huge star. After Wedding Crashers, Vince Vaughn has reached a whole new level of popularity and his box-office hits look to continue. Jennifer Aniston is also a reasonably popular actress. That said, the trailer looks hilarious and the release date couldn’t be better. The Break-Up will benefit from the strong summer weekdays and should do well over $100 million total. The opening won’t be huge, but similar to what Wedding Crashers did last year.

8. Click - $150 million

Adam Sandler is back for his usual summer comedy in Click, a film about a father that has discovered a remote to control the world around him. Adam Sandler is, without a doubt, one of the most consistent box-office draws today. He consistently draws teens out in large numbers and the majority of his comedies have grossed well over $100 million. Click looks to do the same. A similar film would be Bruce Almighty, another comedy with a huge box-office draw and a somewhat similar concept. Adam Sandler movies are usually predictable; the majority of his comedies open in the $38-45 million range, although Adam Sandler’s last film, The Longest Yard, enjoyed a $48 million opening weekend last May. Click looks to join his usual opening range and obtain nice legs over the mid-summer season. Although there is some competition ahead, Click should hold up well as a nice alternative to bigger films like Superman and Pirates of the Caribbean and find its way to around $150 million total.

7. Over the Hedge - $180 million

Over the Hedge, the next CGI animated film this year, is about a mischievous racoon and his sensitive best-buddy turtle along with other forest creatures trying to resist the evils and temptations of encroaching suburbia. Over the Hedge is being released by Dreamworks, who haven’t quite matched Pixar’s box-office runs but have had many hits. Last Memorial Day weekend, Madagascar opened to about $48 million and finished with an excellent $193 million. Madagascar had the advantage of having little direct competition, however, while Over the Hedge must go against Pixar’s Cars in its fourth weekend. The opening should be similar to Madagascar, or somewhat higher, with around $50-55 million thanks to no direct competition and an excellent May 19 release date. In the following weekend, it should hold up extremely well thanks to Memorial Day weekend, the biggest movie-going weekend of the year. Until Cars releases, Over the Hedge has a lot of room to make a good amount of money and should find itself with just under Madagascar’s gross in the end. However, it wouldn’t shock me if Over the Hedge finished with over $200 million. Dreamworks has started marketing quite early and they have a tendency to release their animated films in over 3,900 theaters. Over the Hedge could be huge.

6. Mission: Impossible III - $190 million

Ethan Hunt is back! Once again dispatched by the IMF, Ethan Hunt (Cruise) confronts Owen Davian (Hoffman), an international arms dealer with no conscience and no remorse. Mission: Impossible III is in the best position right now. The film opens the summer season, a weekend where big films have found great success (X2, Van Helsing, The Mummy Returns, etc.). The first two films were both huge, but also opened on Memorial Day weekend (and on Wednesdays), making the actual three-day figures smaller than they could have been. M:I-3 looks to break-out with a huge opening weekend. The buzz is extremely high, especially with Tom Cruise’s name being all over the news as of late. Competition will be tough and M:I-3 won’t get the full benefit of Memorial Day weekend, but a huge hit should be expected. Look out for an opening weekend over $70 million and a total near $200 million total. For a more detailed analysis, you can read the box-office preview for M:I-3 (http://www.worldofkj.com/boxoffice/Previews/MissionImpossible3.php).

5. Superman Returns - $220 million

Superman returns to the big screen this June. After a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel returns to Metropolis, only to find Lex Luthor is back to his old tricks -- and Lois Lane may have moved on. Superman Returns is WB’s biggest film of the summer, but oddly, there is currently little buzz and marketing. With less than two months from the film’s release, we have yet to even see a final trailer for the film. The teaser was released last November with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, although it was nothing to brag about. Right now, Superman Returns looks like this is another Batman Begins in terms of a final gross. WB’s Batman Begins also had somewhat poor marketing last summer and opened with slightly disappointing numbers. However, thanks to excellent WOM, it bounced back and found its way to $205 million total. A low opening is not expected for Superman Returns, which also has the Independence Day weekend to help. However, the biggest obstacle will be overcoming Pirates of the Caribbean just seven days after its release. Right now, a total of around $210-230 million seems likely, although it wouldn’t surprise me if it grossed a little less.

4. The Da Vinci Code - $225 million

The Da Vinci Code is a bit difficult to pin down a prediction for. Based on the worldwide best-selling book by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code looks to be a huge hit. The book is one of the best-selling books ever. The film stars one of the biggest box-office draws today, Tom Hanks, and is directed by Ron Howard. There’s no reason to believe that the film won’t be a hit. With the perfect summer release date, the film should capitalize on the adult audiences throughout May and June. Hype for the film is quite big. An opening above $60 million should be expected, and with summer weekdays, a long run should result. Look for at least $200 million in the box-office.

3. X-Men: The Last Stand - $235 million

The third part in the hit franchise releases this Memorial Day weekend. A cure for "mutancy," the resurrection of a lost comrade, and the escalating tensions between mutants and humans threaten to trigger the war to end all wars. All the characters have returned for the film, and hype is huge, as expected. X2 surprised everyone in 2003 and opened to an outstanding $85 million opening weekend and found its way to over $210 million total. X2 opened the summer in 2003, while X3 is releasing on the biggest weekend of the year for the box-office. X3 could bring in record numbers this May. Its 3-Day weekend has a great shot at topping the second’s already excellent $85 million opening, and with Monday off, the 4-Day weekend figure will be huge. The Day After Tomorrow opened on Memorial Day weekend in 2004 with $86 million in four days. X3 has the potential to make $100-110 million in just four days. However, the legs won’t be that great, similar to the last one, and X3 will likely fall quickly. A total ahead of the second part should be expected, but it’s unlikely to go higher than $250 million. Still, X3 looks to take the #3 spot for the summer, and maybe, the entire year.

2. Cars - $250 million

Disney and Pixar’s next big hit looks to be Cars. En route to a big race, a hot-shot stock-car known as Lightning McQueen (Wilson) gets waylaid in the town of Radiator Springs. During his idle time, McQueen befriends some locals who help him begin to realize that there might be more important things in life than fame and fortune. Pixar is a realiable company for CGI films, in terms of quality and box-office. Without even knowing what the film is, people are attracted to the Pixar name and usually, they never seem to disappoint. Cars should be no different. Although the concept isn’t as great as their last few, it should be a hit, nonetheless. I expect the opening and total to be somewhat smaller than the last few as well. The Incredibles and Finding Nemo were able to open with $70 million opening weekend, while I expect Cars to come in with around $60-65 million. After that, the legs will be excellent. It has a full month to make money before Pirates of the Caribbean 2 releases, and a total around $250 million should be expected.

1. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest - $325 million

This year’s biggest film of the summer, and most likely the whole year, will be Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the sequel to the surprise blockbuster hit of 2003. The original cast, including Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and more have returned for the anticipated sequel. The original grossed an amazing $305 million off of just a $46 million opening weekend, indicating that the WOM was fantastic. Additionally, DVD sales for the film were off the charts. It’s in the perfect position to rule the summer. Instead of getting mixed with all the May competition, POTC2 is being released in the second weekend of July with no other blockbusters to be released afterwards. Superman Returns will provide some competition, but most likely, Superman will be hurt more than Pirates will. Expectations are quite high for the film, with predictions ranging from $250 million to over $400 million. In my opinion, it’s more likely to land right in the middle, with just $20 million than the original.

Other films to look out for:

Just My Luck – Lindsay Lohan’s second teen-targeted chick flick should do fairly well. With a fun premise and nice counter-programming for biggest summer blockbusters, Just My Luck could open low but find its way to around $50 million total.

The Lake House – Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in a romantic drama could do well in June. The release date is similar to The Notebook in 2004, so a quiet but successful run is possible.

Nacho Libre – Jack Black is a good box-office draw and people might be interested in the Napoleon Dynamite director’s next flick. I don’t expect a large gross, but a decent gross around $40 million should be possible.

Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties – The original Garfield scored around $70 million in the box-office in June of 2004. I don’t expect this to do as well with Cars opening two weeks before, but it should also do well enough.

Super Ex-Girlfriend – Uma Thurman could bring this fantasy/comedy some nice numbers in July. Little is known about the film right now, but it sounds like it could be fun.

Clerks II – Clerks is a cult hit. There are lots of Jay and Silent Bob fans out there and a lot will see the film. The fanbase isn’t big enough to register large numbers, though around $40 million is possible.

Idlewild – Outkast star in this musical film that has been stirring up some quite buzz over the year. With a nice release date at the end of the summer, we could see a mini-hit.

Basically, I don’t believe the headlines will say “box office slump continues” during and after this summer.

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