On May 16, a number of films will enter the marketplace hoping to become box office hits.

"Godzilla" - The biggest film of the weekend will be the reboot film by director Gareth Edwards. The movie, which stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Bryan Cranston, Juliette Binoche and David Strathairn, tells the story of Godzilla who is pitted against creatures who, bolstered by humanity's scientific arrogance, threaten our very existence. The film recently premiered and scored rave reviews. The movie currently has an 88 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes with critics raving about the human drama and the visual effects. The movie is expected to win the box office and is tracking to open close to $70 million. The opening would be higher than the last "Godzilla" movie, which was released in 1998. That film went on to open with $44 million and ultimately made $136 million. It would also be bigger than other giant monster flicks such as "King Kong" ($50 million) and "Pacific Rim" ($37 million). "Godzilla" is likely to attract not only blockbuster fans but also indie stalwarts who saw Edwards' first film "Monsters." Warner Bros. has been prepping the release for a number of months with viral campaigns and will show the movie in 3,800 theaters.

"Million Dollar Arm" - Disney is countering the giant blockbuster with a sports movie starring Jon Hamm. The movie tells the story of a sports agent who stages an unconventional recruitment strategy to get talented Indian cricket players to play Major League Baseball. The film has been receiving mixed reviews and has obtained a 53 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie also stars Alan Arkin, Lake Bell, and Suraj Sharma and is likely to open strongly based on other sports films. Last year, the baseball flick "42" went on to open with $27 million and made $95 million by the end of its run. Other successful sports films included "Moneyball" ($75 million), "Secretariat" ($59 million), and "Invincible" ($57 million). Another thing that could make the movie a success is that it stars recognizable Indian actors and based on other Hollywood films with a Bollywood aspect, including "Slumdog Millionaire" ($141 million) and "Life of Pi" ($124 million), this could help the film's box office. Disney will open the movie in 3,000 theaters. 

"The Immigrant" - The biggest indie film of the weekend is James Gray's new film. The new movie stars Marion Cotillard in her first American lead role, as well as Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner and tells the story of a Polish immigrant who falls prey to a charming man that forces her into prostitution. The film opened last year at the Cannes Film Festival where it received mixed reception. As a result the Weinstein Company pulled it from its release schedule and handed it over to its boutique label Radius TWC. However, after its New York Film Festival premiere where it scored good reviews, the Weinstein Company decided to distribute the film. The movie currently has a 93 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes and critics are raving about the Cotillard's performance and subtleness. However, the movie has received a light marketing push and the company will only release it in three theaters. The movie's expansion will be based on how it performs on its opening weekend but given the small marketing, "The Immigrant" could potentially struggle.

"Half of a Yellow Sun" - Monterrey Media will release the movie starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton this weekend. The film tells the story of sisters Olanna and Kainene and their return home to 1960s Nigeria, where they soon diverge on different paths because of the Civil War. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where it received mixed reviews. The movie will receive a limited release and could be helped by Ejiofor's rise to fame. The actor broke out last year when he was nominated for his work in "12 Years a Slave" and that could attract fans of the actor.

A number of films will also expand this weekend. "Palo Alto" will expand into 15 more markets while Fox Searchlight's "Belle" will open in 150 more theaters. Radius TWC will also expand "Fed Up" into more markets while Open Road will expand "Chef."