Box office predictions: Wave of new films hits prior to July 4th; however, quantity does not outweigh quality

SALT LAKE CITY — It is only appropriate to start off this week's article paying tribute to Nora Ephron. Her many talents will be greatly missed.

Disney-Pixar's "Brave" scored a clear victory at the box office last weekend with a solid first-place win. In second was "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," followed by "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" in third. "Prometheus" dropped to fourth, while "Snow White and the Huntsman" impressively managed to hold on to fifth place. "Snow White" has secured an impressive four weeks on the Top 5 list given the flood of summer releases..

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While no longer on the Top 5 list, it is worth mentioning that "The Avengers" has now earned the third-place position on the list of all-time highest film grosses, unadjusted for inflation. The only two films ahead of "Avengers" are the James Cameron films "Avatar" in first, followed by "Titanic" in second. "Avengers" is only a little over $50 million away from beating "Titanic."

Four new films hit theaters this weekend. In no particular order, the first is "Magic Mike," an R-rated comedy-drama directed by Steven Soderbergh. Next is "People Like Us," a PG-13 drama. The third new film out is "Ted," an R-rated comedy. Last is "Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection Program," a PG-13 comedy.

The predictions for the weekend of June 29 are:

1. "Brave"

It would be journalistic malpractice to suggest that "Brave" would come in anywhere other than first place this weekend. Given its strong opening weekend, in addition to the summer months where families are desperate to occupy children of all ages, "Brave" will retain its position. Historically speaking, there is strong precedent. "Madagascar 3" retained its first-place spot for two weeks. "Brave" features Disney-Pixar's first female protagonist in a fight to break a curse and save her kingdom, relying on bravery and a penchant for archery.

2. "Magic Mike"

"Magic Mike" features stripper Channing Tatum in this R- rated comedy drama. As part of the film, Tatum's character is tasked with training a newcomer in the art of stripping. For some bizarre reason, industry pundits expect this to land in second place this weekend. Featuring a cast that includes porn stars, this is a film that will definitely be catering to a peculiar audience.

3. "Ted"

Another R-rated film, "Ted" is a comedy featuring Mark Wahlberg and directed by Seth MacFarlane. This will be the first film MacFarlane has directed, famous for his role as creator of "Family Guy." "Ted" features the story of a man who has wished as a child that his teddy bear would come to life. Now, decades later, Wahlberg is forced in comedic fashion to navigate the difficult line between childhood and adulthood.

4. "Madea's Witness Protection/a>"

This release represents the seventh film in the Madea film franchise. Rated PG-13, this comedy features a CFO accused of spearheading a Ponzi scheme involving individuals from the mob. The CFO enters the witness protection program and has his family relocated into the Madea's house. Based on the drawing power of the Tyler Perry franchise, this film is expected to perform well but score fairly low on the Top 5 given the wave of competition.

5. "People Like Us"

A PG-13 drama, "People Like Us" tells the story of a family divided. Marking Alex Kurtzman's directorial debut, the second directorial debut in this week's new releases, "People Like Us" portrays the story of a man who is down on his luck. At his father's funeral, he learns of an inheritance that he must deliver to a sister whom he never knew existed. This film explores the complexities of familial connections, which are a very real part of this world.

Joseph Irvine is an engineer in Madison, Ala. He finds himself in a situation reminiscent of the new release "People Like Us," chronicled at: http://bit.ly/NIhZlC

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