Will Smith as a Superhero


Bel-Air, of playing likable characters. But if anyone can handle a gamble, it’s Smith, a face global moviegoers have come to worship. His worldwide gross totals nearly $5 billion. And Hancock is already expected to be a big blockbuster hit: Entertainment Weekly has predicted that the film will make $280.4 million.

If people with special powers aren’t your thing, don’t worry. Look for African Americans in other films at theaters this summer. You can catch Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Get Smart, opening on June 20; Eddie Murphy and Gabrielle Union in Meet Dave, opening July 11; and Ice Cube and Keke Palmer in The Longshots,
on July 25. Yes, summer is here and it’s time to get out to the cinema.

George Alexander’s column on the business of entertainment appears weekly at
blackenterprise.com. He is the author of “
Why We Make Movies” (Random House, $15.95).


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