We’re in full awards season swing, as gross as that process can be. (Just see the attempts to tear down Selma for a good example of the nasty part of this season.) But the guild nominations and awards are always somewhat interesting, if only because they represent the efforts of a focused group to recognize achievements by their direct fellows and colleagues.

Hollywood sure loves its survival narratives. In many ways, these harrowing films have become the tentpole events for dramas delivered in the heart of awards season; ordinary people overcoming an excruciating experience to emerge scarred but unbowed (“12 Years A Slave,” “Wild,” “Gravity,” et al). These films have all the necessary ingredients needed to inspire admiration, awe and wonder, and to stir up emotion by capturing the enduring spirit of human resolve and fortitude.

Bradley Cooper‘s “The Elephant Man” on Broadway broke its own box office record — again — and recouped capitalization costs after just six-and-a-half weeks of performances. The cap costs totaled $3.1 million, which were officially recouped following the week of Dec. 21. The following week, the production broke its own house box office record, grossing $1,058,547.

More than 200 movies received wide theatrical releases in 2014 – some (Captain America: The Winter Soldier: $714M) were sure-fire box office winners, a few (Vampire Academy: $15M) were destined for box office infamy, and others (Ride Along: $154M) managed to surprise at the box office. At the beginning of the year, we picked 13 big-budget films we thought had the greatest financial risk to cover their production and marketing costs.

There are so many amazing movies coming in 2015 that I had to split this feature in two. So today I give you part 1 of my 2015 box office predictions, January to June, perfectly titled (in my completely unbiased opinion) Return of the Avengers. Here’s how we’re gonna do this, I go over 1 […] Read Box Office: 2015 Preview – Part 1 – Return of the Avengers on Filmonic.