Long Range Forecast: 'Dark Shadows' and 'The Dictator'

We've added WB's Dark Shadows and Paramount's The Dictator to our Long Range Forecast this weekend. Both films are scheduled to open on May 11.

Dark Shadows

PROS:

- Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have a great track record together. 2010's Alice in Wonderland turned into a billion-dollar hit for Disney. Reaching even half of that would be a huge victory for Dark Shadows.
- Few actors are as big as Johnny Depp right now—his drawing power is immense.
- Warner Bros. will put a lot of marketing muscle behind their first summer tentpole

CONS:

- Dark Shadows doesn't look nearly as commercially accessible as Alice in Wonderland. It might have a tough time reaching families.
- Adaptations of old television shows have a tendency to bomb. The Avengers, anyone? How about My Favorite Martian?
- The Twilight Saga has both started and put a damper on the recent vampire craze. Will audiences really want to see Johnny Depp as a vampire?

The Dictator

PROS:

- Has the advantage of being the first male-skewing comedy of the summer.
- Star Sacha Baron Cohen is a pro at generating publicity.
- Great exposure during the Super Bowl and the Oscars helped raise awareness in a big way.

CONS:

- Bruno left a bad taste in the mouth of many a viewer. People may not be so quick to forgive.
- Twitter awareness is not where it should be at this point in the release cycle.
- Cohen's schtick may have run its course. Maybe he should stick to juicy supporting turns like the one he had in Hugo. Also: What's up with the planned Freddie Mercury biopic?

Check out our predictions for these films and others in the table below.

Phil Contrino, Daniel Garris, Alex Edghill and Shawn Robbins contributed to this article.