The rules of the GEBOC 09 are simple. Predict what will be the biggest film of the weekend for every weekend of the summer. Points will be tallied at the end of the summer. Predictions can be made until Friday, May 1st, 18 p.m. One point will be awarded for every correct answer that week. Putting a number to your prediction is voluntary.
On top of guessing the #1 film there will be three bonus questions: which film will be the biggest of the summer in terms of box-office, which film will have the largest opening weekend and what low-budget film ($15 million and under) will earn the most.
In order to help you with your decisions I’ve assembled the films that are set to be released this summer below (as of April 27).
(Dates courtesy of the Coming Soon site. Go there to find more about the films.)
May 1-3
- A Wink and a Smile (NY; LA release: June 12)
- Battle for Terra
- Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (limited)
- Ghosts of Girlfriends Past
- Home (NY)
- The Limits of Control (limited)
- The Merry Gentleman (limited)
- Naked Ambition, An R-Rated Look At An X-Rated Industry (limited)
- Revanche (NY)
- The Skeptic (limited)
- Three Monkeys (NY)
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine
May 6
- Life in Flight (limited)
May 7
- Star Trek (7pm/conventional theaters and IMAX)
May 8-10
- Adoration (NY, LA)
- Julia (limited)
- Little Ashes (limited)
- Love ‘N Dancing (limited)
- Next Day Air
- Outrage (limited)
- Powder Blue (NY)
- Rudo y Cursi (NY, LA)
May 14
- O’Horten (limited)
May 15-17
- Angels & Demons
- Big Man Japan (limited)
- The Brothers Bloom (limited; wide: May 29)
- Jerichow (NY, LA)
- Management (limited)
- Summer Hours (limited)
May 21
- Terminator Salvation
May 22-24 (Memorial Weekend)
- Dance Flick
- Easy Virtue (limited)
- The Girlfriend Experience (NY, LA)
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (conventional theaters and IMAX)
May 25
- Pontypool (limited)
May 29-31
- Departures
- Drag Me to Hell
- The Lonely Maiden (limited)
- Up (Disney Digital 3-D)
June 3
- Unmistaken Child (NY)
June 5-7
- Away We Go (NY, LA)
- Ball Don’t Lie (limited)
- Downloading Nancy (limited)
- The Hangover
- Land of the Lost
- My Life in Ruins
- Seraphine (limited)
- Tennessee (limited)
June 11
- Tetro
June 12-14
- Dead Snow (limited)
- Food, Inc. (limited)
- Imagine That
- Moon (NY, LA)
- Sex Positive (limited)
- The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
June 16
- Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg (limited)
June 19-21
- $9.99 (limited)
- The Proposal
- Whatever Works (NY, LA)
- Year One
June 24
- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (conventional theaters and IMAX)
June 26-28
- Cheri (limited)
- Fireflies in the Garden (limited)
- The Hurt Locker (NY, LA)
- My Sister’s Keeper
- The Stoning of Soraya M. (limited)
- Surveillance (limited)
July 1
- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
- Public Enemies
July 3-5 (Independence Day)
- The Girl From Monaco (limited)
- I Hate Valentine’s Day (limited)
July 10-12
- Bruno
- I Love You, Beth Cooper
- Soul Power (NY, LA)
July 15
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (conventional theaters and IMAX)
July 17-19
- (500) Days of Summer
- All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (limited)
July 24-26
- All Good Things
- The Answer Man (limited)
- G-Force
- In the Loop (limited)
- Orphan
- The Ugly Truth
July 29
- Adam (limited)
July 31 – August 2
- The Cove (limited)
- Funny People
- Lorna’s Silence (NY, LA)
- They Came From Upstairs
August 7-9
- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
- Julie & Julia
- Paper Heart (NY, LA; expands: Aug. 14)
- Shorts
- When in Rome
August 14-16
- A Perfect Getaway
- Bandslam
- District 9
- The Goods: The Don Ready Story
- Ponyo
- Pool Boys (limited)
- Spread (limited)
- Taking Woodstock (limited)
- The Time Traveler’s Wife
August 21-23
- Goose on the Loose! (limited)
- Inglourious Basterds
- It Might Get Loud (NY, LA)
- Post Grad
- World’s Greatest Dad (limited)
August 28-30
- The Boat That Rocked
- Final Destination: Death Trip
- H2
May 1-3 – Wolverine, 100m
May 8-10 – Star Trek, 73m
May 15-17 – Angels & Demons, 67m
May 22-24 (Memorial Weekend) – Terminator 4, 107m
May 29-31 – Terminator 4, 53m
June 5-7 – Land of the Lost, 41m
June 12-14 – Taking of Pelham 123, 34m
June 19-21 – Year One, 31m
June 26-28 – Transformers 2, 118m
July 3-5 (Independence Day) – Transformers 2, 67m
July 10-12 – Bruno, 42m
July 17-19 – Harry Potter, 93m
July 24-26 – Ugly Truth, 37m
July 31 – August 2 – Funny People, 29m
August 7-9 – GI JOE, 61m
August 14-16 – GI JOE, 32m
August 21-23 – Inglorious Basterds, 31m
August 28-30 – H2, 27m
Biggest Total Box-Office – Transformers 2
Biggest Opening Weekend – Transformers 2
Biggest Low-Budget Film – 500 Days of Summer
Biggest Total Box-Office, Harry Potter
Biggest Opening Weekend–Transformers
Biggest Low-Budget Film–I’ll get back to you
Man, I have no idea on the opening weekend numbers.
May 1-3
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine
May 8-10
- Star Trek
May 15-17
- Angels & Demons
May 22-24
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
May 29-31
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
June 5-7
- Land of the Lost
June 12-14
The Taking of Pelham 1-2-3
June 19-21
Year One
June 26-28
- Transformers 2
July 3-5 (Independence Day)
- Transformers 2
July 10-12
- Bruno
July 17-19
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (conventional theaters and IMAX)
July 24-26
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (conventional theaters and IMAX)
July 31 – August 2
- Funny People
August 7-9
- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
August 14-16
- G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
August 21-23
- Inglourious Basterds
August 28-30
- H2
Biggest Total Box-Office – Transformers 2
Biggest Opening Weekend – Transformers 2
Biggest Low-Budget Film – H2 (does that count?)
The Ugly Truth is an interesting pick for July 24, Nick. There’s usually at least one break-out romantic comedy (although often not one that hits the top spot).
I think you’re underestimating Museum a lot.
From what I understand about The Ugly Truth it’s a film both girls and guys can see, has actors that both guys and girls dig, who have both had hits in the genre before, and has at least one laugh-out-loud scene. Spells hit to me.
Still, I might be underestimating the hold of Harry Potter. HP5 made 77 its first weekend and 37 the weekend after that.
I don’t doubt it will be huge, but I think T4 will be bigger the first week and the second week there’s Up taking up space.
My main worry is the weekend of June 26-28. I don’t know if Transformers 2 has what it takes to beat My Sister’s Keeper.
As Joe rightly pointed out, the old GEBOC was just about what films would be #1, with no predictions on how much. So from now on we’ll just have this be about predicting what film will be top dog every weekend and not its take.
You can still predict how much, but it won’t affect your score (just our belief in your awesome powers of divination).
Is this clearly written and understood by everyone?
Ahh, I thought something was amiss.
Rereading my original thread is hilarious. Especially Brian’s feint that he wouldn’t win, filmman hardly able to contain himself with 10 points the first two weeks, and James permanently confused about the rules.
Ah, those were the days.
May 1-3: Wolverine
May 8-10: Star Trek
May 15-17: Angels & Demons
May 22-24: T4 or Night at Museum…haven’t decided
May 29-31: UP!
June 5-7: Land of the Lost
June 12-14: Taking of Pelham 1-2-3
June 19-21: Year One
June 26-28: Transformers 2
July 3-5: Ice Age
July 10-12: Transformers 2
July 17-19: Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince
July 24-26: G-Force or Harry Potter…haven’t decided
July 31-Aug2: Funny People
August 7-9: GI Joe
August 14-16: GI JOE
August 21-23: Inglorious
August 28-30: H2 or Final Destination…two horror movies battling it out…hmm
Biggest BO: TF2
Biggest Opening: TF2
Biggest low-budget: ???
Hopefully I’ll edit my unknowns before the clock strikes 18
I expect one of them to blink. Neither is going to benefit from head to head competition.