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Will they soar to billion-dollar glory or crash and burn at the box office? Join us as we break down the most highly-anticipated upcoming movies and predict which ones will dominate pop culture — and which ones are already DOA before the lights even dim!
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00:07Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at 10 of the most highly anticipated summer movies, and predicting their pop
00:13culture dominance.
00:17You're welcome.
00:22The Mandalorian and Grogu.
00:30This is the way, to the top of the box office.
00:34Star Wars is finally returning to the silver screen, and it's bringing its most universally liked modern characters.
00:40Gen Alpha still views Grogu as a premium must-have merchandising icon, and Pedro Pascal is still enormous with older
00:47Gen Z and millennials.
00:48Gangsters, war criminals.
00:51Long live the Empire.
00:54We'll take out every bad guy in your deck of cards.
00:56And any new, adorable Grogu antic is instant GIF material, so the meme-ability here is sky-high.
01:03That, and The Mandalorian, is probably the most beloved thing that Star Wars has done in decades.
01:08While it probably won't reach the jaw-dropping billion-dollar heights of the sequel trilogy due to some broader franchise
01:14fatigue,
01:15this movie is still an incredibly safe bet.
01:17The Force is definitely strong enough to make The Mandalorian and Grogu a huge hit.
01:22Are you scared?
01:24You should be.
01:27Do we run?
01:30Or do we fight?
01:31I like this kid.
01:33Masters of the Universe.
01:36I know most of you don't remember me.
01:40But I know all of you.
01:42By the power of Greyskull, this one might be in trouble.
01:45While Gen X and older millennials hold a deep nostalgic love for He-Man,
01:49this upcoming live-action reboot faces a huge uphill battle to capture the youth market.
01:54Let's be real here.
01:55He-Man holds almost zero cultural relevance for the younger crowd today.
02:00Everything changed since you left.
02:03Sokka.
02:04If you went to a middle school today and asked them who their favorite Masters of the Universe character is,
02:08you'd be met with the deadest of dead stares.
02:11Unless the marketing takes a hyper-meta and self-aware approach like Barbie,
02:15modern audiences simply won't engage.
02:18Nostalgia alone cannot carry a movie with a $200 million budget.
02:22And without a youth culture hook or a viral TikTok trend to boost its visibility,
02:25this one will be DOA.
02:27You may have the power,
02:32but you're too scared to use it.
02:34Scary Movie.
02:36My God! He stabbed her!
02:38Oh, not her!
02:40My pronouns are they, them.
02:42He stabbed them!
02:44We beg!
02:47What's your favorite scary movie to meme?
02:49The Y2K aesthetic is hot right now,
02:51and fans of the original have kept the franchise relevant for decades.
02:54Old clips are still being quoted and shared online on the regular.
02:58Plus, the chaotic, absurdist humor of the franchise fits flawlessly into modern internet culture.
03:04Should we hug?
03:04I really want to, but I'm a Republican now, so I'm supposed to be racist.
03:08Oh, girl, I think all white people are racist anyway. Come here.
03:11Okay.
03:12This reboot is promising to spoof recent horror heavyweights like Longlegs, Megan, and Sinners,
03:17so you can guarantee strong cultural relevance here.
03:20Silly parodies like this are also famously cost-effective to produce
03:24and boast a built-in Friday 19 audience looking for easy laughs and the freshest memes.
03:28By perfectly balancing modern horror tropes with that classic slapstick energy,
03:33we are predicting a highly profitable viral hit.
03:38Mom, Santa gave me a severed arm.
03:41Be sure to thank him.
03:43Disclosure Day.
03:45What did you steal?
03:47Secrets.
03:50The data they paid me to protect.
03:52Steven Spielberg returning to classic UFO thrillers sounds awesome,
03:56but Disclosure Day is a bit of a mixed bag.
03:59Of course, Spielberg holds enormous sway with older viewers,
04:02and watching him return to the types of movies that made him famous is pure nostalgia.
04:07But it's also fair to say that Spielberg is now more of a legacy director,
04:12and he hasn't had a hit in years.
04:14Are they people?
04:25That said, this thing is primed for deep-dive explanation videos and lore breakdowns on YouTube,
04:31and both conspiracy theories and aliens are big draws.
04:34The secretive trailer will also draw in people who just want to know what's going on.
04:38Think of this as the Oppenheimer counter-programming for the early summer season.
04:42It's an original event film helmed by the master,
04:45and it will absolutely draw the adult demographic.
04:49We'll just have to wait and see how it performs with the kids.
04:52After all, that is where the money is.
04:54Whatever happens, don't you let go.
05:06Toy Story 5
05:07Bonnie!
05:09There's a package for you!
05:11Oh, thank you, thank you!
05:13Hi there, I'm Lilypad!
05:15Let's play!
05:16Ah!
05:17Extinction!
05:18Not again!
05:19Like Disclosure Day, this one is pretty tricky to gauge.
05:23Toy Story is obviously huge,
05:25but there's definitely a growing cynicism around both the franchise itself
05:28and Hollywood's continued insistence on milking things dry.
05:33Explosive viral potential usually relies on a breakout new character like Forky,
05:37so we'll see how Lilypad performs.
05:39Online discussion has also centered around restraint rather than excitement,
05:43with many people noticing how old the cast sounds.
05:46I want to talk to you, device.
05:48Please, call me Lily.
05:49Me and the toys have been working all summer to try and get Bonnie to make friends,
05:53but then you had to ruin it.
05:55Got it.
05:55You're not even listening to me!
05:56I'm always listening.
05:58See?
05:58But despite the endless murmurs of franchise fatigue,
06:01we can't bet against Woody and Buzz.
06:03We all said the same thing about Toy Story 4,
06:05and then that made over a billion dollars.
06:07At the end of the day,
06:09nostalgic parents will be taking their kids to the theater,
06:11and this will probably rake in some fantastic money.
06:15Buzz, you stay here.
06:16I'm going with them.
06:17You don't think I can do it?
06:18Well, Buzz, no!
06:21Nice poncho.
06:22It's good to see them fighting again.
06:24It sure is.
06:26Supergirl.
06:28I'm worried you're not going to find your people.
06:30Yeah, well, that's the thing, Clark.
06:33I have no people.
06:35Is superhero fatigue finally setting in?
06:38Maybe, but James Gunn's new DC universe is offering a fresh, desperately needed slate.
06:43Millie Alcock stepping into the cape appeals heavily to the book talk and fantasy-loving Gen Z crowds
06:47looking for a grittier approach to their comic book movies.
06:50Crypto and I at least had each other.
06:54Honestly, I thought we were lucky.
06:58But luck almost by definition runs out.
07:02We also expect some heavy aesthetic edit culture on social media,
07:05similar to the moody, atmospheric online presence of the Batman and Dune.
07:09This visually distinct space epic looks to have a unique style.
07:13The cynical tone is perfect for younger audiences, and Alcock is a big draw.
07:17James Gunn being involved also helps.
07:19People want superhero movies to be good again,
07:22and we expect that with this much-needed youthful energy,
07:26Kara Zor-El will fly high this summer.
07:28Your eyes are beautiful when you cry.
07:31A lot of pain.
07:34A lot of suffering.
07:36Minions and monsters.
07:37You see those large, heavily armed men?
07:39They suspect you have killed their leader,
07:42and they want you dead.
07:44Quink.
07:45Uh, quink?
07:46Never, ever, ever bet against the minions.
07:50We know they're annoying.
07:51That doesn't matter in the slightest.
07:53Illumination are the adorable masters of cross-generational appeal,
07:56and they are arguably the most it animation studio right now.
08:00The massive gentle minion suit and tie trend prove that Gen Z loves this franchise ironically,
08:06while Gen Alpha adores it genuinely.
08:08You wrote a monster movie?
08:09Si, come pick a kaiju!
08:11Arr, arrr!
08:12What are you going to use for your monster?
08:15Ah, uh, uh, pfft.
08:17Uh-huh.
08:18In fact, Illumination actively caters its marketing directly to TikTok algorithms,
08:23so the internet footprint for this entry will be completely inescapable.
08:27Adding literal monsters to the established formula is basically pure sensory joy for younger kids,
08:32and the meme-ability will be off the charts.
08:35With universal appeal baked into its core DNA,
08:38this animated juggernaut is an absolute lock to be one of the highest-grossing films of the year.
08:43Expect a Billy.
08:50Oh, please!
08:58Moana.
08:59Stories are true.
09:01The story has just begun.
09:05Make way, make way, because Disney is heading back to Moana after 10 years.
09:10This live-action remake has faced some choppy waters online.
09:14People have become increasingly critical of Disney's live-action remakes,
09:17often and maybe rightfully dismissing them as unnecessary cash grabs.
09:21The trailer certainly didn't help,
09:23with many laughing at The Rock's goofy appearance and the copy-pasted shots from the original.
09:27Maui, demigod of the wind and sea.
09:31Hero of men.
09:32Huh?
09:32So it goes like this.
09:34Maui, shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea, hero of men.
09:39Ah!
09:40Women.
09:41Women too.
09:42Men and women.
09:43But let's be honest and look at the cold hard facts here.
09:45The original film is still a cultural juggernaut.
09:49The Rock has huge star power, goofy looks aside.
09:52The soundtrack will be everywhere,
09:53and strong family turnout is an absolute lock.
09:56Expect this one to join movies like The Lion King in the
09:59we-didn't-need-this-but-it-will-still-make-well-over-a-billion crowd.
10:03Are you ready to be the hero?
10:04Let's go save the world.
10:06I got your back.
10:15What?
10:16Is there something in my teeth?
10:18The Odyssey.
10:18No one could stand between my men and home.
10:26Just take a look at this lineup.
10:28Christopher Nolan, Tom Holland, Zendaya, John Bernthal, Matt Damon, Robert Pattinson.
10:34There's no way in Homer this thing flops.
10:36The Odyssey is what would happen if Letterboxd made a movie,
10:39and the film talk community is already championing this
10:42as the defining cinematic event of the entire year.
10:45It will probably inspire endless prestige edits,
10:49viral red carpet fashion moments,
10:51and this-is-what-movies-are-all-about posts.
10:53Heck, they even have the older and more academic demographics
10:56simply by virtue of being a Homer adaptation.
10:58Nolan's legendary name alone practically guarantees a blockbuster turnout.
11:02When you combine his unparalleled eye for spectacle
11:05with a top-tier cast like this,
11:07you get a guaranteed cultural juggernaut.
11:09Prepare yourselves, because the Odyssey will be everywhere this summer.
11:13Unless me, you will come back.
11:16What if I can't?
11:26Before we continue, check out this single from Sound Mojo's album, Balance.
11:31Classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal.
11:34Check out the full track and album below.
11:38Born in the sunlight, born in the rain,
11:42life is a rhythm running through veins.
11:51Spider-Man, Brand New Day.
11:53I can't believe our first day at MIT!
11:56MJ, come on.
11:58Pretend like you're not the happiest you've ever been in your entire life!
12:02I can't.
12:03If there's one movie that can beat the Odyssey this summer, it's this one.
12:07Spider-Man remains the single most bulletproof superhero across all demographics.
12:12Tom Holland and Zendaya are pop culture royalty,
12:14and the movie's grounded, street-level story
12:16is exactly what the older fans have been begging for for years.
12:19You don't remember me, but we used to know each other.
12:23Something bad was going to happen, and the only way to stop it
12:26was to make everyone forget about me.
12:29MCU movies inherently generate massive internet chatter, memorabilia, and video game tie-ins.
12:34So you can guarantee an inescapable cultural footprint here.
12:37And following the monumental success of No Way Home and the record-breaking trailer,
12:42the hype train for Brand New Day is more than chugging along.
12:45Peter Parker is poised to effortlessly dominate the late-summer box office
12:49and probably swing away with the year's biggest pile of cash.
12:53Nice flowers.
12:53Oh, they're a housewarming gift.
12:56I'm MJ.
12:57I'm just a neighbor from across the hall.
12:59Friendly neighbor.
13:00What do you think? Flop or fly?
13:02Let us know in the comments.
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