The ten films most likely to lead the 2015 box office

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As much as I clearly obsess myself with trying to accurately predict the Oscars, I also have a slight fascination with attempting to figure out which film will wind up as the most successful at the box office, even if the actual numbers are incredibly difficult to pinpoint. Sadly, most of the time the movies in contention for that crown are iffy at best in terms of quality, but his year might very well be different. 2015 offers up a number of potentially very strong flicks that will vie to be number one at the box office, including a couple that might actually contend for the all time crown. That’s pretty rare (though with the numbers we see year in and year out, it’s slowly getting less and less rare), making the next nine months or so possibly very interesting…

As a quick refresher, this was what the top ten box office hauls of 2014 were, including what some of these made after the calendar changed over:

1. American Sniper ($341,380,905) *and counting
2. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 ($337,103,873) *and counting
3. Guardians of the Galaxy ($333,176,600)
4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($259,766,572)
5. The LEGO Movie ($257,760,692)
6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies ($254,916,285) *and counting
7. Transformers: Age of Extinction ($245,439,076)
8. Maleficent ($241,410,378)
9. X-Men: Days of Future Past ($233,921,534)
10. Big Hero 6 ($221,690,346) *and counting

Here now are the ten most likely films to run away with the 2015 box office crown:

10. The Good Dinosaur – The first of two Pixar releases on this list (as well as the first of two to involve dinosaurs), you know that an animated feature is going to rake it in during 2015…the question is just, which one? This has been a slightly troubled production, so that might be an issue, but if it’s not, watch out. Marketing wise, this is a dream for Disney/Pixar.

9. Trainwreck – I spoke about this comedy yesterday, but there’s a chance that this could be even bigger than Bridesmaids. Consider this Judd Apatow flick a dark horse. I think it’s possibly the least likely, but it’s still one very much worth keeping at least one eye on. A comedy always seems to break out, so why not this one, particularly if it’s the critical favorite it’s shaping up to be?

8. Terminator: Genysis – Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as the Terminator in a franchise sequel/prequel/reboot that could bring in a whole new generation of fans. It has a high risk of straight up flopping, but if the quality is there, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if it was a huge success. We shall see, I guess.

7. Furious 7 – This franchise is a safe bet each year to rake in the dough, but this one could be even bigger than usual since it functions as a farewell to the late Paul Walker as well. Flying cars (not really, but…kind of) seem to sell, so I wouldn’t be shocked if this surprised and really broke records for the series. We’ll have to stay tuned for what happens, but it’s a distinct possibility.

6. Inside Out – The other Pixar offering for 2015 is a truly high concept outing, looking at the emotions and mind of a teenage girl. It’s hard to get a good read on this one, but it probably has the best chance of appealing to adults as well as children. That’s always a plus. This is another X factor, essentially.

5. Spectre – James Bond returns with much of the cast and crew that made Skyfall an incredibly big blockbuster a few years ago. Considering how much this installment could call back to 007’s early days, especially involving the villain, I wonder if this is likely to make more than the last one by a substantial margin? We’ll know in about six months…

4. Jurassic World – Here’s the other dino centric release this year, the next picture in the Jurassic Park franchise. I have to imagine that there will be massive numbers for this one, but the other titles still to come on this list will likely keep it from outright dominating. If it’s especially good though, watch out for it to almost be this year’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

3. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 – This franchise wraps up with what could be its most profitable installment yet. Every other movie in this series has made boatloads of money, so expect more here, with perhaps an added kick for it being the finale. At the very least, it should do better than Part 1 did last year, which is saying something for sure.

2. Avengers: Age of Ultron – If it weren’t for this number one pick on this list, I’d feel very confident in saying this superhero sequel would run away with the box office crown. Marvel is seeing their cinematic universe just make more and more money, so if Captain America: The Winter Soldier is any indication (not to mention The Avengers a few years back, which is just one of the top three highest grossing films of all time), count on this to make gargantuan sums of money. If it does better than The Avengers, it could even challenge Avatar for the all time crown. The next title to come might have something to say about that, but stay tuned…

1. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens – The most hotly anticipated film of this year, as well as perhaps in the last few decades, begins a new Star Wars trilogy. At one point, Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope had the crown, so if there’s an odds on favorite not just to take the 2015 title but the all time one as well, it’s this one. Even if it’s terrible, just look to the prequels…they made some serious bank. Now, if it’s good or even great, oh man, this will be a massive moneymaker. Disney is going to have a very strong 2015, regardless, but this could put it towards unheard of levels. We’ll see what happens, but we might very well be in for a record breaker.

Honorable Mention: Ant-Man, Alvin and the Chipmunks 4, Fantastic Four 2, London Has Fallen, and The Martian

Stay tuned to see which film wins the box office title this year when all is said and done!

Louis Tomlinson & Eleanor Calder: Why Friends Think They’ll Get Back Together

Louis and Eleanor may have called it quits, but their friends are convinced this is just a ‘hiccup in their relationship’, a source tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. Here’s why they’re convinced a Louis and Eleanor reunion is in the cards!

Perhaps it’s not the end of the road for Louis Tomlinson, 23, and Eleanor Calder, 22, after all! The couple’s friends acknowledge the “tough time” they were in before their sad split, but are pretty optimistic the One Direction hottie will get back together with his former girlfriend of four years. HollywoodLife.com can EXCLUSIVELY tell you why!

Eleanor Calder & Louis Tomlinson Getting Back Together? Friends Think They Will

“It’s been a tough time for Louis and Eleanor, and it’s true they drifted apart after his excessive tour commitments,” an insider tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “But a lot of their friends believe that this is just a hiccup in their relationship, and as soon as he returns back to the UK they’ll resume back to normal.”

Rob Kardashian Compares Kim To ‘B***h’ From ‘Gone Girl’ — Calling Her Psycho?

He’s back! After being MIA from social media, Rob made quite the comeback when he posted a pic of Rosamund Pike’s psychotic ‘Gone Girl’ character — and compared her to Kim! Is Rob calling his big sis a psycho?

Rob Kardashian, we missed you. But this wasn’t exactly the social media comeback we had in mind! Rob shocked his fans and followers when posting Rosamund Pike’s sociopathic Gone Girl character on Instagram and said his sister Kim Kardashian was the “b–ch from Gone Girl.” Yikes!

Rob Kardashian Disses Kim: Calls Her ‘B–ch’ From ‘Gone Girl’

Rob, who recently turned 28, has been out of the limelight for some time, but this pic is sure to get people talking! He posted the pic of Rosamund’s character, Amy Dunne, covered in blood after she murdered someone.

Jennifer Lawrence & Bradley Cooper Reunite For ‘Serena’ — See Cute Pics

At last! Jennifer and Bradley together again! The co-stars and BFFs reunited to promote their latest film, ‘Serena.’ Click to see all their adorable PICS!

We are not worthy of such a reunion. Bradley Cooper, 40, and Jennifer Lawrence, 24, met up to celebrate the release of Serena on March 21, and the pictures of JLaw and BCoop are guaranteed to make you smile. From their constant laughing to playful moments on the red carpet, it’s clear Jennifer and Bradley missed being around each other so much!

Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence At ‘Serena’ Premiere

Do you need a moment to discuss the never-ending cuteness of Jennifer and Bradley? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

America’s acting sweethearts shared adorable moment after adorable moment at the release of their movie, Serena. In multiple photos, Jennifer and Bradley were captured giggling up a storm. Knowing Jennifer, she likely told a dirty joke right there on the red carpet!

Jennifer — always the jokester — playfully slapped Bradley at Serena after-party. And not even that could wipe away Bradley’s smile.

Miley Cyrus Parties In Vegas Alone — Disinvited Patrick Schwarzenegger?

Miley’s not going to let her breakup get her down! The pop star enjoyed a wild night out in Vegas on March 21 for a club appearance — without Patrick. Did she disinvite him after his spring break scandal?

Patrick Schwarzenegger might be desperate to win Miley Cyrus back, but Miley is busy twerking away her tears. The singer danced the night away at Las Vegas hotspot Omnia on March 21, and Patrick was a no show! HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY learned that Patrick was originally invited to the wild event — did she disinvite him last minute?

Miley Cyrus Single: Parties In Las Vegas Without Patrick Schwarzenegger

Uh oh! There’s definitely still trouble between Miley and Patrick, and it sounds like she didn’t want him to be there on her club night out.

HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY learned that Miley was planning on bringing Patrick to the nightclub — before PDA pics of him with his ex-girlfriend in Cabo surfaced right in front of her face!

“Patrick has been invited and this will be the first time they will be seen with each other, she wants to show the reconciliation between the two that night,” an insider told us before pics with his ex Taylor Burns came out.

Selena Gomez Dreams Of A ‘Faithful’ Boyfriend: Dissing Justin Bieber? — Listen

There’s a few standout qualities in a guy for Selena — and one of them is ‘being faithful,’ the singer revealed to Radio Disney. Was she throwing shade at her notorious ladies man ex, Justin? Listen to her interview here!

Selena Gomez’s heart wants what it wants, but she has an amazing head on her shoulders, too! The singer opened up about her ideal boyfriend on Radio Disney on March 20, and her mature perspective on relationships seemed to take a jab at her tumultuous relationship with Justin Bieber!

Selena Gomez & Justin Bieber’s Relationship: She Disses Him In Interview

2015 Kids' Choice Awards

1. 2015 Kids' Choice Awards

   Award ceremony
2. Nickelodeon's 28th Annual Kids' Choice Awards will be held on March 28, 2015, at the Forum in Inglewood, California and hosted by Nick Jonas. The show, to be broadcast at 8:00 PM, is produced by Nickelodeon Productions.
4. Date: March 28, 2015
5. Other ceremonies: 2014
6. Nominees
   1. Favorite Movie

   Maleficent

   Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

   The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

   Guardians of the Galaxy

   The Amazing Spider-Man 2

   Transformers: Age of Extinction

Why Lady Gaga And Vin Diesel Should Be In Every Movie And TV Show

EXCLUSIVE: Wondering why singer Lady Gaga ended up on the next American Horror Story? Or how Vin Diesel is driving massive interest in the upcoming Furious 7 movie? For some quick clues, take a look at our annual compilation of Hollywood’s biggest performers on social media, put together by RelishMix, which tracks film and TV properties across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube for studios and networks.

This year’s Top Ten compilation shows three of the Furious 7 stars skyrocketing in social media, including Diesel, newcomer to the Facebook top 10 Jason Statham (No. 8 with 48.1 million page likes) and Dwayne Johnson (No. 9 at 46.4 million), notes RelishMix CEO Marc Karzen. Diesel, of course, is Facebook royalty, with a whopping 90.5 million likes of his official page.

Together, the three Furious 7 stars have seen their Facebook followings explode over the past year, adding nearly 50 million followers in the past year combined, which is great news for Universal when the film debuts April 3. The movie’s own Facebook presence is also huge with 54 million likes.

Not surprisingly, a performer’s social media footprint is strongly considered when studios start strategizing a film’s marketing campaign, so it’s not surprising that late last year Universal took to social media to debut a trailer on the film’s FB page which quickly drew 100 million views.

Gaga, who sang at the Oscars last month (where her performance was the most talked about thing on social media all night), is a two-platform threat: No. 5 on Twitter (with 17.2 million followers) and a fast-growing Facebook presence, with another 18.7 million likes. In fact, she’s tops among all “actors” on Twitter, with 44.6 million followers, and No. 3 on Facebook, with 67.3 million likes of her official page.

Three other performers also known as much or more for their singing as their acting are just behind Gaga on the Twitter top 10, includingJustin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez and Selena Gomez. Timberlake also had the single biggest jump in Twitter followings this year, adding 10.7 million to grow to 42.5 million followers, a one-third increase.

The seemingly omnipresent comic actor Kevin Hart made social-media marketing waves with Think Like A Man 2 and still has a formidable presence, including a No. 5 spot on Twitter. Last year’s hit film Ride Along helped drive awareness for the film on social media and Hart himself is heavily engaged with his fans. Diesel is the same way, while other stars like Emma Watson has an entire social media team behind her.

The Hunger Games 3 Honest Trailer Points Out All The Little Problems With The Film

Are you the world's biggest fan of The Hunger Games franchise and can't stand it when people criticize the films in the series? Well, you may want to turn away now, as the most recent title, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - 



This video is the latest installment from Honest Trailers, and you'll notice while watching it that all of their complaints really stem from one central issue: the fact that the film is an adaptation of only half of a book. We'll be seeing the second half of the story and the finale of the franchise play out later this year, but these guys really didn't love the fact that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 didn't really operate as its own story. 

So what are the consequences of trying to craft a movie from half a plot? As Honest Trailers says, the big problem is that everything feels like it is being drawn out to satisfy an expected running time. Instead of getting Hunger Games arena-type action, audiences instead see the characters do quite a lot of idle waiting and repeating themselves. It's understandable why folks hoping the movie would be an action flick on the level if its predecessors might be disappointed. 

These Honest Trailers are built to nitpick, however, and the truth is that The Hunger Games Mockingjay - Part 1 actually had a great deal of redeeming qualities that prevented it feeling like a cash grab. It's true that the installment didn't have quite as many action sequences, but that's simply because the movie was trying to tell an alternate kind of war story - and it was quite effective at doing so. What's more, the propaganda stuff and the politics of war is some of the most fascinating material in the film, and I think it's a touch unfair to dismiss it like this video does. 

It's also worth pointing out that The Hunger Games franchise wasn't exactly the genesis of the "split the last book in two" idea that has become popular in the genre of young adult fiction adaptations. It was actually the Harry Potter movies to first pull this off - releasing The Deathly Hallows as two separate features - and that in turn was followed by Twilight: Breaking Dawn making the exact same move. It may be fair to criticize the strategy for diminishing the impact of the franchises, but it's also inaccurate to point the finger at The Hunger Games or even Lionsgate as being the ones who are "casually redefining the word trilogy." 

Do you agree with the points that this Honest Trailer is making, or would you argue against some of their complaints? Hit the comments section with your thoughts! 

'Downton Abbey' Star Dan Stevens Joins 'Beauty and the Beast' -- But Who's Playing Gaston?

Dan Stevens will play Beast to Emma Watson's Belle, but he's not the only UK heartthrob cast in the upcoming Disney film.

In the live-action retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the Downton Abbey star takes on the role of Watson's love interest, while Fast & Furious 6 star Luke Evans will play the vain villain Gaston, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

VIDEO: Lily James' Cinderella Waistline: Corset or CGI?

Disney

The classic fairy tale tells the story of a cursed prince (Stevens) and a beautiful young woman (Watson), who helps him break the spell that's turned him into a beast.

It's yet to be determined if the film will be a musical, but Watson did imply that there would be singing when she confirmed her role in the movie this past January. "It was such a big part of my growing up, it almost feels surreal that I'll get to dance to 'Be Our Guest' and sing 'Something There,'" she wrote on Facebook. "Time to start some singing lessons."

NEWS: Emma Watson Reacts to Rumors She's Dating Prince Harry

Disney has been big on live-action films recently. Cinderella comes out March 13, while last year's retelling of Sleeping Beauty,Maleficient, did quite well at the box office, pulling in $758.4 million worldwide.

Do you think Stevens and Evans are right for these roles?Stars In Their Underwear—See Them All!

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American Idol Top 8 Guys Recap: W(ednesday's) T(errible) F(allout)

My smile is my makeup
I wear since my break up with you
So Idol, take a good look at my face
You’ll see my smile looks out of place
If you look closer, it’s easy to trace
The tracks of my tears

RELATEDReality Check: Agony and Ecstasy of American Idol’s Top 24! Plus: Should Voice Singers Show Their Tax Returns?

My name is not Smokey Robinson, and yet tonight, I feel his pain.

AND YES I KNOW I AM BEING MELODRAMATIC.

After all, on Wednesday’s American Idol Season 14 Top 8 Guys Performance Night, there was only one terrible, horrible, no good, very bad elimination.

RELATEDThe Voice Recap: Suspense & Disbelief

But when you juxtapose Savion Wright’s (and perhaps even Riley Bria’s) ousters against lesser lights who advanced — and how those lights flickered, sputtered and died out in their subsequent Motown-themed performances — these tiny ripples in the ocean of reality singing competitions feel like soul-crushing tsunamis.

This crisp slap in the face to Savion — like the ones delivered to Kendra Chantelle, Sabrina Sloan, Katelyn Epperly, Aloha Mi’Sho and so many other Idol semifinalists before him — shall pass. But I need at least a little time between now and tomorrow’s dawn ’til I can take Princess Elsa’s advice and let it go.

On that note, let’s get to the proceedings. Eliminated in the course of Top 8 Guys’ Night: Michael Simeon, Riley Bria, Savion Wright and Trevor Douglas.

And now, a rundown of the Top 8 guys:

Daniel Seavey – Marvin Gaye’s “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” — Grade: C- | I’ve seen more natural movin’ and groovin’ onTeletubbies. But while Harry rightfully pointed out the lack of rhythmic urgency in the teenager’s delivery, how come nobody mentioned his iffy falsetto and his utter lack of emotional connection to the material? J.Lo’s “you’re gonna be a favorite around here” — when she knows the kid is completely out of his depth — was perhaps the most galling comment of the night. Then again, you could go with Keith’s “All you need is to just keep doing this!” NOOOO! Go back to school and focus on your studies, Daniel!

Mark Andrew – The Temptations’ “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” — Grade: C | To quote Sex and City’s Lexi Featherston, “I’m so bored I could die!” I know, I know… at first blush, that seems like an overly harsh assessment of a performance that was mostly in tune. But Mark’s Dave Matthews-esque arrangement — combined with his total failure to dig in to any portion of the song — left me scratching my head wondering if he’s following The C.J. Harris How to Finish Sixth on Idol (But Leave the Impression You Finished 11th) Handbook.

Ratings: Empire Breaks 14 Million, Idol Drops, CSI: Cyber Solid, Middle Rises

Fox’s Empire this Wednesday drew 14.2 million total viewers and a 5.7 demo rating, ticking up another 2 and 6 percent and delivering the highest demo number for any regular broadcast drama in over five years (since Grey’s Anatomy circa October 2009, Fox notes).

Versus its January debut, the musical sudser is now up 43 and 50 percent.

Ready, set, take these cookies!

Opening Fox’s night, American Idol (8.8 mil/2.1) dropped 15 and 19 percent week-to-week.

Elsewhere….

CBS | CSI: Cyber officially debuted to 10.3 mil and a 1.8, improving sharply on Stalker’s most performance (7.6 mil/1.4) leading out of a fresh Criminal Minds, though shy in the demo of Stalker’s own launch (9.1 mil/2.0). Opening the Eye’s night, Survivor (9.9 mil/2.3) ticked down while Criminal Minds (10.5 mil/1.9) grew in audience yet was flat in the demo.

ABC | The Middle (8.3 mil/2.2) rose two tenths, black-ish (6.8 mil/2.3) and Nashville (5.3 mil/1.4) each ticked up one tenth, andThe Goldbergs (7.9 mil/2.5) and Modern Family (9.6 mil/3.4) were flat.

THE CW | Leading out of an Arrow rerun, Part 1 of The 100‘s Season 2 finale (1.5 mil/0.5) held steady