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7. Get Him to the Greek (June 4, 2010)

This one's rolling into town with one clear goal in mind: to introduce the seemingly very workable pairing of Jonah Hill and Russell Brand, rematched from Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Hill is not evidently playing the same character, although it really doesn't make a difference), with Brand's unbridled vulgarian pitted amusingly against Hill's repressed straightman. Outside of Superbad, neither member of this particular comic pairing has really headlined a film before, though both are currently conspiring to repeatedly do so, with Brand especially looking to become a much better known comic persona stateside. Greek is also 2010's sole Judd Apatow movie (he's one of the producers), but unlike some of his more successful films, there's no clear romantic angle to appeal to women. But hey, critics seem to like it, so I see good things for this one, if not quite blockbuster-level reception.

Opening weekend: $22 million / Total gross: $61 million

8. Killers (June 4, 2010)

She's back. Katherine Heigl, that reigning queen of leading ladies (at least when it comes to the under-40 set), has now found herself in cahoots with Ashton Kutcher, who seems a good foil, especially coming off two recent hits (Valentine's Day, What Happens in Vegas). The whole thing is helmed by Robert Luketic, who certainly has a history with female-aimed hit summer films, having previously unleashed Legally Blonde, Monster-In-Law, and Heigl's own The Ugly Truth (the title was a lie: that truth wasn't nearly so unattractive). So, we're good on the background here, but something about the trailer seems a little sour, and the plot is frighteningly similar to that of Knight & Day, even if the action here appears to be decidedly more comic than kinetic. Still, I like Heigl, so let's give her the benefit of the doubt, even if the film did put its foot down and refuse to be screened for critics.

Opening weekend: $17 million / Total gross: $45 million

9. Marmaduke (June 4, 2010)

This month's talking canine movie, though we all know that it's really just marking time until the much-anticipated Cats & Dogs 2. As is always the case in these films, the human roles aren't exactly the highlight, and thus Marmaduke's vocal talent is headlined by Owen Wilson's laid-back sarcasm, along with an army of the usual suspects (George Lopez, Steve Coogan, Fergie, and a Wayans brother), here to give voice to furry fiends of every vocation. Not much else about Marmaduke stands out, but as I keep telling whoever'll listen, movies about cute, talking animals and their precious little misadventures always do at least pretty well. It's just part of life.

Opening weekend: $14 million / Total gross: $43 million

10. Jonah Hex (June 18, 2010)

I can't say that I didn't always have a bad feeling about this one, but Jonah Hex does have something going for it: the script is by Neveldine and Taylor, the makers of none other than Crank: High Voltage - which was demented but sort of brilliant - and Gamer - which came in mostly on the demented side. As far as cast goes, it's got Josh Brolin leading the way, along with Megan Fox as a gun-wielding hooker (possibly with a heart of gold), John Malkovich as his usually hiss-inspiring bad guy, and Michael Shannon, providing no doubt even more abundant villainy. It's all fairly conventional as summer movies go, and old west tales have a tendency to disappoint at the box office - or at the least the ones with fantasy elements do. Opening opposite Toy Story 3 may be the cinematic version of putting up a white flag.

Opening weekend: $14 million / Total gross: $31 million

11. Splice (June 4, 2010)

Here's a strange story - I don't mean the plot of the film, but the plot behind it. See, Splice is a vaguely Canadianish low-budget horror movie that was originally scheduled for limited release last September, but was rescued by a major studio and injected into the summer big leagues. There aren't a whole lot of draws in the cast: just Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley (last seen on a multitude of American screens way back in 2004, in Dawn of the Dead); but Splice is produced by Guillermo del Toro and helmed by Vincenzo Natali (Cube), so it's definitely got some genre cred - and the critics have so far mostly been nodding approvingly. That's something, but sometimes, rags-to-riches stories only go so far.

Opening weekend: $10 million / Total gross: $24 million

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