Gold in "Indy's" future?

Box-office analysts are already predicting that the new Indiana Jones movie, “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” could have a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend.

The film is already tracking well (based on early polling of audience interest), and looks like it could at least equal the opening, holiday-weekend grosses for “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” last year. That film made $153 million in less than a week, and wound up grossing more than $300 million in the United States alone.

But according to Steve Mason, editor of the Fantasy Moguls Web site, there are some analysts (both professional and amateur) predicting that “Indy IV” could make as much as $173 million by Monday night.

The film certainly faces less-fierce cinematic competition that the “Pirates” sequel did. That movie had to contend with “three-quels” for both the “Shrek” and “Spider-Man” franchises. “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” enters opposite Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” which hasn’t been the smash the studio expected, and the slumping “Speed Racer.”

Obviously, “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is expected to be No. 1 when the box-office results are released on Tuesday. But whether it will be this summer’s biggest movie remains to be seen. Which film do you think will be the summer champion?