HOLLYWOOD -- So Thor proved you don't have to be a teen bitten by a radioactive spider or an electromagnetized industrial magnate in order to have a Marvel-ous opening weekend.
Its $66-million North American opening (and $242-million worldwide tally to date) handily crushed the competition and got the 2011 summer movie season off on a much-needed high note.
But what about all those other hopefuls eagerly waiting in the wings?
Here's our annual pre-summer sampling of those titles heading into theatres with a lot to prove--and potentially more to lose if they fail to click with audiences.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)
At length: Setting sail for the first time since 2007's At World's End, Captain Jack Sparrow and crew (including newcomer Penelope Cruz as an old flame) are looking to add handsomely to that worldwide $2.68 billion booty taken by the trilogy.
At stake: While we're sure Johnny Depp's still got his sea legs, there's a new director at the wheel--musical helmer Rob Marshall --whose Nine was a major commercial disappointment. Also looking to get his b.o. mojo back is producer Jerry Bruckheimer, in a rare slump after last year's Prince of Persia and The Sorcerer's Apprentice .
Mr. Popper's Penguins (June 17)
At length: Jim Carrey plays a driven Manhattan businessman who inherits a half-dozen Gentoo penguins in this family comedy based on the beloved 1938 classic book of the same name.
At stake: Although those tux-wearing birds have previously clicked with moviegoers (see: Happy Feet, March of the Penguins), Carrey, who inherited the role from original choice Ben Stiller, hasn't had a family-sized hit since A Christmas Carol.
Larry Crowne (July 1)
At length: It's back to school for out-of-work businessman Tom Hanks, who strikes up a romantic relationship with his professor (Julia Roberts) in this throwback dramedy.
At stake: Where to begin? The last time Hanks and Roberts jointly appeared on-screen (not counting their recent lame Oprah's Favourite Things giveaways) was in the equally uninspiring Charlie Wilson's War. Hanks hasn't directed a film since 1996's That Thing You Do! Co-writer Nia Vardalos' last produced script was I Hate Valentine's Day"¦
Friends with Benefits (July 29)
At length: Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis intend to bring sexy back to the tired romcom genre, playing a pair of professionals who embark on a no-strings-attached physical relationship.
At stake: The leads are young, cute and gave personal best performances in previous big screen outings--Timberlake in The Social Network and Kunis in Black Swan -- but, to date, neither has profitably carried a movie on their own shoulders. And doesn't it sound an awful lot like that Ashton Kutcher-Natalie Portman movie?
The Smurfs (July 29)
At length: Some three decades after the little Belgian creatures (born Les Schtroumpfs) crossed the ocean to become a pop culture Saturday morning TV phenom, they're making their big screen debut, 3D live-action style, featuring the voices of Katy Perry, Jeff Foxworthy, Paul Reubens and the late Jonathan Winters.
At stake: Pee-wee Herman and Jonathan Winters? They're blue. They're fun. They're so '81.
Its $66-million North American opening (and $242-million worldwide tally to date) handily crushed the competition and got the 2011 summer movie season off on a much-needed high note.
But what about all those other hopefuls eagerly waiting in the wings?
Here's our annual pre-summer sampling of those titles heading into theatres with a lot to prove--and potentially more to lose if they fail to click with audiences.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)
At length: Setting sail for the first time since 2007's At World's End, Captain Jack Sparrow and crew (including newcomer Penelope Cruz as an old flame) are looking to add handsomely to that worldwide $2.68 billion booty taken by the trilogy.
At stake: While we're sure Johnny Depp's still got his sea legs, there's a new director at the wheel--musical helmer Rob Marshall --whose Nine was a major commercial disappointment. Also looking to get his b.o. mojo back is producer Jerry Bruckheimer, in a rare slump after last year's Prince of Persia and The Sorcerer's Apprentice .
Mr. Popper's Penguins (June 17)
At length: Jim Carrey plays a driven Manhattan businessman who inherits a half-dozen Gentoo penguins in this family comedy based on the beloved 1938 classic book of the same name.
At stake: Although those tux-wearing birds have previously clicked with moviegoers (see: Happy Feet, March of the Penguins), Carrey, who inherited the role from original choice Ben Stiller, hasn't had a family-sized hit since A Christmas Carol.
Larry Crowne (July 1)
At length: It's back to school for out-of-work businessman Tom Hanks, who strikes up a romantic relationship with his professor (Julia Roberts) in this throwback dramedy.
At stake: Where to begin? The last time Hanks and Roberts jointly appeared on-screen (not counting their recent lame Oprah's Favourite Things giveaways) was in the equally uninspiring Charlie Wilson's War. Hanks hasn't directed a film since 1996's That Thing You Do! Co-writer Nia Vardalos' last produced script was I Hate Valentine's Day"¦
Friends with Benefits (July 29)
At length: Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis intend to bring sexy back to the tired romcom genre, playing a pair of professionals who embark on a no-strings-attached physical relationship.
At stake: The leads are young, cute and gave personal best performances in previous big screen outings--Timberlake in The Social Network and Kunis in Black Swan -- but, to date, neither has profitably carried a movie on their own shoulders. And doesn't it sound an awful lot like that Ashton Kutcher-Natalie Portman movie?
The Smurfs (July 29)
At length: Some three decades after the little Belgian creatures (born Les Schtroumpfs) crossed the ocean to become a pop culture Saturday morning TV phenom, they're making their big screen debut, 3D live-action style, featuring the voices of Katy Perry, Jeff Foxworthy, Paul Reubens and the late Jonathan Winters.
At stake: Pee-wee Herman and Jonathan Winters? They're blue. They're fun. They're so '81.