PREDICTED WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

The summer movie season continues to heat up this weekend with the release of two long awaited remakes of classic '80s properties, The A-Team and The Karate Kid, finally hitting the charts. But will the "'80s flashback weekend" be enough to put an end to the reign that Shrek Forever After has had over the box office for the last three weeks? According to early predictions it will, as The A-Team is set to be "accused of a crime they did commit" by taking the top spot at the box office with an estimated $46.5 million in it's opening weekend.

The A-Team is of course an adaptation of the classic '80s TV show, The A-Team, which starred George Peppard, Dirk Benedict, Dwight Schultz and Mr. T. The film features an all-star cast which includes Liam Neeson as Col. Hannibal Smith, Bradley Cooper as Face, Quinton Jackson as B. A. Baracus and Sharlto Copley as Howling Mad Murdock. Together they are an elite unit of soldiers of fortune, eventually living in the Los Angeles underground, hunted by the government for a crime they didn't commit. The film acts as an origin story for the series and shows us how the team first met and why they were accused of crimes they didn't commit. 20th Century Fox should be happy with the film's opening weekend total as it will bring the film close to earning back half of it's purported $110 million production budget in it's first weekend on the charts.

Currently the film has thirty fans on our site and has received an average rating of a 4.0. Out of the twenty people who have rated the film, fifteen have given it four stars or above while the trailer for the film has had over 200,000 views. Here is what one of our readers who has already seen the film had to say about it: "The A-Team serves its purpose as a movie and entertains us for now. It doesn't reach the level of becoming the great, amazing film that we're still waiting to have come out, but it keeps us happy." He also added this about the film's visual effects. "Many will complain the action was too ridiculous. I didn't expect anything less, in fact I welcomed it, nothing like a good action film with tons of ridiculous action scenes and humor to make you smile." Finally, he had this to say about the movie. "Compared to other summer action films this summer The A-Team is ranked as one of the better ones in my book. With films like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Robin Hood, I'd pick The A-Team over them both."

Predicted to debut at number two this week is the re-make of the classic Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita underdog story The Karate Kid. The film moves the action from California to China and stars Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in the lead roles. The movie was produced by Smith's superstar parents Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. The movie is predicted to pull in an estimated $35.4 million this weekend in it's debut, which will make Colombia Pictures extremely happy since the film only cost around $35 million to make.

Currently the film has twenty-one fans on our site and has received an average rating of a 3.8. Out of the twenty-one people who have rated the film fifteen have given it four stars or above while the trailer for the film has had over 54,000 views. The film has taken quite a bit of criticism from our readers. Here is what one fan had to say about it: "Some movies just shouldn't be remade, they are classics." Another reader added, "I like Will and Jada Pinkett Smith's kids but this movie should not be a remake." While yet another reader added," It looks cute but I agree that classics should stay classic. But you have to consider that some kids have never heard of The Karate Kid. For that their parents should be beaten." Finally one reader said, "It would be alright to watch this movie, but why did they called it The Karate Kid? Karate is from Japan and this is Kung fu because the setting is China. So why am I looking forward to this movie?"

Predicted to fall two places to number three and giving up it's number one spot on the charts for the first time since it's debut almost a month ago is the forth installment of DreamWorks Animation's phenomenally successful Shrek series, Shrek Forever After. The film stars the returning voice talents of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas and Eddie Murphy. While the film may have dropped around 41.6% last week from the previous week, it was added in nineteen new theaters for a total of 4,386 screens, earning around $5,768 on each screen. As of last weekend, the film had earned $183.04 million in just three weeks at the box office, earning back its $165 million production cost. It is predicted to add an additional $18.6 million to its earnings this weekend.

Predicted to fall two places to number four this week from it's debut last week is the rock n' roll comedy Get Him to the Greek, produced by Judd Apatow. The film stars Jonah Hill (Superbad) as a record company assistant who is told by his boss (Sean Combs) that he has three days to get a washed-up, alcoholic rock singer played by Russell Brand (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) from London to Los Angeles for his comeback show. Last week the film was seen on 2,697 screens and earned almost $6,460 on each for a total of $17.4 million in its opening week. It is predicted to take in an additional $11.3 million at the box office this weekend.

Finally, rounding off the top five this week and predicted to fall one space back from last week is Disney Studios and super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer's adaptation of the classic video game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton (Clash of the Titans), Ben Kingsley and Alfred Molina. The film did better than predicted last weekend earning an additional $13.9 million. While the film may have dropped around 53.8% from the previous week, it played in 3,646 theaters, earning around $3,672 on each screen. The film hasn't performed that well domestically, with just $59.4 million, but the film has done well internationally, with a worldwide total of $215 million, already turning a profit from its massive $200 million production budget. The movie is predicted to add another $9.1 million to its total earnings this weekend at the box office.

The rest of the top ten films at the box office this weekend are predicted to look like this. Predicted to fall back three spaces to number six in its second week is the action comedy Killers starring Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy) as an average woman unknowingly engaged to an international super-spy played by Ashton Kutcher (Valentine's Day). Last weekend the film earned roughly $16.1 million at the box office. The movie was seen on 2,859 screens and earned almost $5,631 on each. While the film is predicted to add an additional $7.2 million this weekend, it will still be a far cry from earning back it's purported $75 million production budget.

Predicted to drop two spots from last week to number seven is the sequel to the film adaptation of HBO's hit series, Sex and the City, Sex and the City 2. The movie features returning stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon. Last week the film dropped over 60% from its debut week but was still seen on 3,445 screens and earned $3,583 on each for a total of around $12.3 million. That brought it's total to about $73.1 domestically in two weeks on the charts. The film has now earned more overseas than it has in the states with around $105 million, bringing it's worldwide gross to around $183 million and surpassing it's purported $100 million production cost. The film is predicted to earn an additional $5.0 million this weekend.

Predicted to fall back one space from last week to number eight is undeniably this summer's biggest hit so far, Iron Man 2. The film features the return of actors Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow and this time they are joined by new cast members Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard from the first film, Mickey Rourke and Sam Rockwell as the film's villains, and Scarlett Johansson as S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Black Widow. Once again, the film is directed by Jon Favreau and actor Samuel L. Jackson also returns as S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury. The film dropped over 50% last week in its fifth week on the charts and was seen in 797 less theaters. The movie made about $2,633 on each of its 3,007 screens for a total of $7.9 million, bringing its total domestic gross to an impressive $291 million. The film has now earned about $582 million worldwide in just over a month, placing it at fifty-eight on the highest grossing films of all-time list. It is predicted to earn an additional $4.8 million this weekend.

Predicted to fall three places back from it's debut last week is the family film, Marmaduke, based on the classic comic strip about the beloved canine. The film features an all-star cast that includes Owen Wilson (Marley & Me), William H. Macy (Fargo), Kiefer Sutherland (24) and Emma Stone (Zombieland). The film failed to score with audiences last week only earning around $11.3 million. The film was seen on 3,213 screens and earned almost $3,517 on each. Earning around $5 million overseas, the film has only earned around $20 million worldwide, which is still quite short of its purported $50 million production cost. The film is predicted to earn an additional $3.1 million this weekend.

Finally, rounding off the top ten this week and predicted to fall back two spots from last week is the sci-fi thriller Splice starring Oscar winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist) and actress/director Sarah Polley (Away From Her) as genetic engineers who make a fateful mistake while experimenting with splicing human and animal DNA together. The film couldn't find its audience last week debuting at number eight with a disappointing $7.3 million opening weekend. The film was seen on 2,450 screens and earned around $3,014 on each. The movie is predicted to earn another $2.9 million this weekend, but will still have far to travel if it hopes to earn back it's $30 million production cost. Be sure to check out Box Office Beat Down this Sunday to see who is crowned the King of the box office this week and check back here next week for more box office predictions!