Box Office Blitz: Week 23

Last week was a pretty down week for the box office.  The low-budget horror flick "The Purge" came in first while the only other new movie couldn't crack the top 3.  We need someone to revive this "summer" moviegoing season.  This looks like a job for Superman!

For me this is the year's most anticipated superhero movie.  I mean sure Iron Man 3 made a shitload of money but we already know all about Iron Man from three previous movies.  This week we finally get to see what the creative team behind my favorite superhero movies (ie The Dark Knight and Watchmen) can do with the first superhero, Superman.

Of course I'm one of those people who didn't really think Superman Returns (the previous attempt to revive the franchise) was that terrible of a movie.  But this time around we get the reboot treatment.  I'm hoping the Snyder/Nolan tandem can find something to say that wasn't already done in the Christopher Reeve movies or "Smallville" and put the iconic hero back at the top of the heap.  If anyone can, I think it's them.

Oh, right, and there's also a Seth Rogen movie opening.

Here's the list of movies from my local megaplex (* denotes a new release)

• 42
• After Earth
• Epic
• Fast & Furious 6
• Iron Man 3 
• Man of Steel*
• Mud 
• Now You See Me
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• The Great Gatsby 
• The Hangover 3
• The Internship
• The Purge
• This is the End* (Please let this title refer to Seth Rogen's career)
• What Maisie Knew

  My picks this week will be:

1. Man of Steel $100M
2. This is the End $28M 
3. The Purge $20M

You should be aware that "Man of Steel" is produced by Christopher Nolan, who helmed the Batman reboot.  So the bonus question for 375 points:  Will "Man of Steel" make MORE, LESS, or EXACTLY twice as much as "Batman Begins"'s opening of $49M?  (That's $98M if you do the math.)

Answer in the comments along with your picks.

And now for some extra credit.  I put together a little promo movie for my imprint, Planet 99 Publishing.

I'll give you 100 points if you Tweet the link to the video to your followers.  The link is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgpQMuoCcKM&feature=youtu.be
You can put @planet99publish, @affabulldog, or @ptdilloway in the Tweet so I'll be able to see it.  Make sure you do it by Sunday morning, since results will be posted that afternoon!

(And if you don't have Twitter then I guess you're out of luck this week.)