What? You haven't watched the leaked copy yet? Tsotsi bought enough good will for director Gavin Hood for me to overlook Rendition, and writer David Beniot has turned in some decent scripts (25th Hour, Kite Runner). And Gambit, motherfucker! Gambit!

On the other hand, I never really thought this was a good idea, and the trailers get me psyched only in spite of myself.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The only thing that could possibly challenge this is Star Trek and that doesn't come out until...oh, next week? Well, it'll have this weekend! $235mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

THE LIMITS OF CONTROL

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Isaach De Bankole does the Way of the Samurai thing.

WILL IT SUCK?
I don't care if it looks like writer/director Jim Jarmusch is returning to Ghost Dog territory with this one, I want to go to there. Supporting cast includes Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray, John Hurt, Gael Garcia Bernal and Hiam Abbas. And if you don't recognize De Bankole by name, you'll recognize his face.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
About as close as this gets to competition is next week when we get even more Garcia Bernal in Rudo y Cursi. $4mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------
MAY 8
-----------------------------------------------------------

STAR TREK

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Kirk Begins

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is pretty much along the lines of "I need to change my pants." Literally, one guy said, "It melted my pants!" That was after what had to be the best bait-and-switch ever.

I have to say this comes as a pleasant surprise. I have faith in J. J. Abrams and most of the cast, but writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci have let me down before (Transformers). When teamed with Abrams, however, they tend to up their game (Alias, Mission Impossible III - and I hear Fringe is improving).

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
There are blockbusters and there are blockbusters. This is the latter. $294mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

NEXT DAY AIR

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
If Guy Ritchie directed an "urban" comedy.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. I'll watch Donald Faison and Mos Def in just about anything.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
There will probably be a few people who can't get into Star Trek. But they will probably go see Wolverine, since they couldn't get into that last weekend. $15mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

RUDO Y CURSI

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Two brothers (Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna) vie for a professional soccer slot.

WILL IT SUCK?
From writer/director Carlos Cuaron (Alfonse's younger brother). Carlos also co-wrote Y Tu Mama Tambien with Alfonse, so he's got the chops. And the reunion of Y Tu Mama's Bernal and Luna is almost too good to resist. Early buzz is positive.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Some trouble from Brothers Bloom next week, but love for Bernal and Luna should win out. $3mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

LITTLE ASHES

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Apparently, Salvador Dali, Frederico Garcia Lorca and Luis Bunuel all knew each other back in the day, two of them in the Biblical sense.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. Robert Pattinson (Twilight) plays Dali.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Will draw about as much of the Twilight crowd as December Boys did of the Harry Potter crowd. $2mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------
MAY 15
-----------------------------------------------------------

ANGELS & DEMONS

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Da Vinci Code sequel (though novel was a prequel) with better hair.

WILL IT SUCK?
Director Ron Howard has built up enough good will in the second half of his career (not that the first half sucked, it just wasn't consistent) for me to watch pretty much anything he makes. And I didn't exactly hate the original. I didn't think it was the bees knees, but it was entertaining for a spell.

Screenwriters Akiva Goldsman and David Koepp both shoot about 50% and Goldsman already wrote the first one so I wouldn't expect much to change. Ewan McGregor, Armin Mueller-Stahl and Stellan Skarsgard should all be welcome additions to the cast.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If you're going to open between Star Trek and Terminator: Salvation you might as well be a sequel to The Da Vinci Code. Still, probably not going to be the phenom that its predecessor was. $145mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

THE BROTHERS BLOOM

(Moved from December)

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Dirty Rotten Indie Scoundrels

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. From Brick maestro Rian Johnson. Outfitted this time with Rachel Weisz, Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rinko Kikuchi and Robbie Coltrane.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Not as overshadowed here as it would have been last December. $6mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

MANAGEMENT

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Steve Zahn stalks Jennifer Aniston, but in a cute romcom-y kind of way.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. From the guy who wrote Tape. But probably less creepy.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Brothers Bloom has a bit more buzz going for it. But Aniston tends to hit, even in indieville. $7mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

O'HORTEN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
After Norwegian Hours

WILL IT SUCK?
From the writer/director of quirky Norwegian comedy Kitchen Stories. Early buzz is mixed.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Since the director's American debut Factotum didn't make him an art-household name, probably not much better than Kitchen Stories. $500,000.

-----------------------------------------------------------

BIG MAN JAPAN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Trials and tribulations of a giant man who fights giant (and generally fucked up) monsters.

WILL IT SUCK?
As a guy who grew up on Japanese monster movies, I'm predisposed to like this film. So I'm happy to report that the early buzz is very, very good.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This is one of those situations where my tastes don't represent the majority. $250,000.

-----------------------------------------------------------
MAY 22
-----------------------------------------------------------

TERMINATOR: SALVATION

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
John Connor (Christian Bale) fights terminators in the future, and people who step in front of his light.

WILL IT SUCK?
McG is not quite the handicap you might think. Admittedly, I actually liked the Charlie's Angels pictures (in a shameful, "don't look at me!" kind of way). And Fastlane had some tight storytelling to go along with the slick visuals. But what interests me more is the ultragrimy look he's going for here, which is not his usual m.o.

He seems to have gained the confidence of ComiCon-goers, and what's more, tantrum or no, Bale brings it with every performance.

All of this falls apart when you consider the screenwriters, who penned the better-than-expected Terminator 3, but also penned such fare as Catwoman and The Net.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Night at the Museum sequel is an issue. And it's the kid-friendlier of the two. It would almost be better if Salvation ended up with an R to better distinguish itself. $165mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Title is pretty self-explanatory.

WILL IT SUCK?
I'm still waiting for Night at the Mutter Museum. That would be fucked up.

Same writing/directing team at work here as the first, which was fun-but-forgettable. They've really bulked up the cast, adding Amy Adams, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader (whom I'm looking forward to as General Custer), Hank Azaria, Eugene Levy, Christopher Guest, Ed Helms, Craig Robinson and Clint Howard.

I'll probably catch it when it comes to cable is what I'm saying.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Maybe not the best weekend to open, what with Up right around the corner, but I think the proof is in the original's box office pudding. $225mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

DANCE FLICK

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Another in the long line of Genre Movies, 'xcept this one's from the guys who started that trend in the first place.

WILL IT SUCK?
The Wayans Bros. versions of the _____ Movie movies are marginally better than the latter ones, but that's essentially acknowledging that White Chicks is barely more watchable than Disaster Movie. That having been said, I will admit to giggling more at this trailer than most Wayans fare. Maybe it's the introduction of the second generation of Wayans comedy (they've been around that long), Damien Wayans at the helm, nephew of Keenan, Marlon et al.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Pretty much in its own niche, so fairly insulated from the blockbusters. $44mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

EASY VIRTUE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Adaptation of the Noel Coward play in which guy brings his American bride home to meet his British family. Period piece culture clash ensues.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. You've got Colin Firth spewing witty Noel Coward bon mots, so why not? From the director of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and co-starring Jessica Biel and Kristen Scott Thomas, who got a Best Supporting Actress nod from the British Independent Film Awards for this one.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This has art-house-friendly written all over it. $10mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
The title refers to a especially thorough form of prostitution.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mad good for this, Steven Soderbergh's latest foray into lo-fi digital reality. Adult film star Sasha Grey's lead perf is getting raves.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Soderbergh's forays into lo-fi digital reality tend not to do so well. $1mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------
MAY 29
-----------------------------------------------------------

UP

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy attaches a bunch of balloons to his house and goes on an adventure with an accidental sidekick.

WILL IT SUCK?
Not likely. Even if you consider Monsters, Inc. to be one of the weaker Pixar efforts, it's still a great film, and that film's director co-directs here with up-and-comer Bob Peterson, who co-wrote Ratatouille and Finding Nemo before penning this. Put another way: Relax. It's Pixar.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Relax. It's Pixar. $237mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

DRAG ME TO HELL

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Never turn an evil old woman down for a mortgage extension.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz indicates that Evil Dead II Sam Raimi is back and kicking Spider-Man 3 Raimi's ass.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Horror can be tricky in the summer. $45mil.

-----------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTURES

WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy loses job as cellist, becomes mortician.

WILL IT SUCK?
It better not. Flick cost me my Best Foreign Oscar pick when it upset Waltz With Bashir. Early buzz is good. Nabbed a score of other awards, too, including a sweep of the Awards of the Japanese Academy.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Winning Best Foreign doesn't always guarantee box office. Especially if you weren't well-known going into the race. $1mil.

Next Month: Go back in time with Will Ferrell and Jack Black, just not in the same movie.