This superhero is Green

It is a superhero's world right now! Thor and X-Men: First Class have already been raved about by critics and their box office collections have not been bad either. Captain America is slated for a late-July release that will complete the introduction of all the Avengers. But for this weekend Marvel comics is taking a backseat as a DC comics character is going to fly in the sky. Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds as the lead, is the story about Hal Jordan, the first human to become part of an intergalactic squadron called the Green Lanterns that are tasked with maintaining peace within the universe. There is a lot of material about the Green Lantern in the comic world and so there should be enough to create an interesting plot for a movie. But Green Lantern has never been the leading superhero character in DC comics. He is more known for being part of the Justice League which features more prominently the likes of Batman and Superman. Fans of The Big Bang Theory might also find a connection as Sheldon is seen wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt (the green one!) quite regularly. With the lack of a big built-in fan base, Green Lantern will be counting a lot on the trailers generating enough curiosity amongst the audience and maybe good reviews to support its cause. With a production budget estimated to be about $200 million (some interviews mention total cost of $300 million!), the stakes are quite high for this movie. While collections of above $100 million in US are all but guaranteed, reaching big highs, say $250 million, seems a long shot, given that movies of superior franchisees like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides are finding it hard to achieve. All said and done, Green Lantern will definitely be at the top of the US box office this weekend, pushing Super 8 to the second spot. Super 8 has done well for itself, with $35 million collections in its first weekend. And in comparison to Green Lantern, its production budget of $50 million appears measly that would help it attain the hit status quite quickly. Will Green Lantern be able to keep its producers happy too? Will the ring of the Green Lantern be able to mesmerize the audience? Questions that will be answered this weekend....

PS: An old blog on the superhero movies of the past --> http://bucksandcorn.blogspot.com/2010/09/superheroes-that-walk-amongst-us.html