"The Avengers," May 4th (Paramount):
Just a couple months before the movie's release, Paramount has released a full-length trailer that gives us a little bit of an idea of what "The Avengers" will actually be about, other than a bunch of really cool superheroes all beating up bad guys together.
With Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) leading the way, our heroes must all come together in order to stop a sinister plot from Thor's brother and archenemy Loki (Tom Hiddleston), giving the usual need for cool vehicles, dramatic speeches and an array of things going boom.
For those already interested in "The Avengers," and there are many, the new trailer takes the safe route and hits all the expected notes, though that is exactly what fans are likely hoping for.
But even though we all know "The Avengers" will be big, whether it can take the next step as a blockbuster will depend on whether or not there is a good plot surrounding the villain.
Any superhero needs an interesting villain to balance out the screen, and Loki will have his work cut out for him as he goes up against Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, the Black Widow, Hawkeye and the Incredible Hulk.
With an estimated production budget in the $300 million range (about 50% more than "Avatar"), "The Avengers" definitely didn't skimp on the special effects, but we'll see if writer/director Joss Whedon has come up with a story that will be able to keep up.
The trailer for "The Avengers" can be viewed at the movie's official site.
Box office outlook:
There is no doubt that "The Avengers" will bring in tremendous crowds no matter what, but it will have to be good enough to warrant repeat viewings from fans if it's to challenge "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Hobbit" as the top box office draws of 2012.
With a combined marketing and production budget that likely pushes "The Avengers" well past $400 million, expectations are sky-high and a worldwide intake of anything less than $800 million would be viewed as a disappointment considering the hype.
Either way, "The Avengers" should kick off the summer release schedule with a bang when it hits theaters May 4th.
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