I’ve always been a Star Wars fan. I adored the first Star Wars when I saw it, but fell asleep at Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The latter was probably too sophisticated for a seven year old, but I never really got into the franchise when I grew older.

Still, I find myself pretty excited about the tomorrow’s release of Star Trek. First of all, all of the trailers have been fantastic.

Secondly, the movie is getting great reviews (95% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer). It seems to me that this new version will reinvigorate the franchise while also raising it to a level it had never achieved previously, when it was eclipsed by the Star Wars and the like. I also believe that the other big-budget movies released this summer will not be as well received, despite being well-known franchises- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Terminator Salvation, etc. This may  propel return viewings of Star Trek.

So basically I’m saying that Star Trek will be this summer’s big blockbuster, making $100 to $125 million domestically during the opening weekend, and grossing over $400 million, just in the U.S.A. Iron Man, 2008′s #2 grosser, made $98.6 million during its May 2 opening weekend; incidentally that title was also a Paramount release. It might be a good time to buy Viacom stock.

Update: Star Trek made an estimated $72.5 million over the weekend, far less than I had estimated, and less than $85 million than X-Men Origins: Wolverine made the previous weekend (currently 2009′s biggest opening weekend). Wolverine’s greater draw is most likely attributed to the star power that the Hugh Jackman brought, as well as the difference in franchise momentum. The last title of the series, X-Men: The Last Stand, made $102.7 million its opening weekend in 2006 while Star Trek’s previous theatrical release, Star Trek: First Contact, made $30.7 million in 1996.