Who Will Be the Sandra Bullock of 2010?

By our guest blogger, Rob Stammitti

2009 was a huge year for Sandra Bullock. "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side" are the most financially successful features of her career, bringing in more than $500 million combined, along with bringing Bullock considerably more critical praise than she's had in years. It's safe to say that when it comes to Hollywood, 2009 was definitely Bullock's year.

So, who will conquer Hollywood and the box office in 2010? Well, I can only imagine, but imagine I will. The one man who seems to me to be due for some financial success and some critical praise is none other than everyone's favorite madman (OK, perhaps just my favorite), Nicolas Cage.

To be fair, Cage hasn't had quite the dry spell Bullock had for so many years. But he's spiralled into critical oblivion this decade, and though some of his bigger films tend to bring in some cash, a year of constant hits is what the man needs, especially after the financial concerns he's had lately. I think 2010 is the year for it to happen, with three vastly different but widely accessible features coming our way before year's end.

To start, we've got "Season of the Witch" in March. Cage plays a 14th century Crusader tasked to transport a woman accused of witchcraft to an abbey where monks are expected to list the witch's curse, the plague, from the land. The thriller is directed by "Kalifornia" and "Gone in Sixty Seconds" helmer Dominic Sena, who directed Cage to fiscal success in "Gone in Sixty Seconds" in 2000 and could very well do it again. "Witch" seems like a perfect film to appeal to both the action and horror crowd.

Cage follows it up in April with "Kick-Ass," the latest film from "Layer Cake" and "Stardust" director Matthew Vaughn and, like "Wanted," based on a comic by Mark Millar. It's wild, over-the-top, violent, and from the looks of the trailers, also quite funny, just the kind of thing Cage needs after so many years away from the genre. Cage is at his best in comedy, as he proved in "Raising Arizona" and "Adaptation," so it's about time he returned.

July sees the release of Cage's third and final film this year with Walt Disney's "The Sorcere's Apprentice." Let's be honest here. Whether the film is good or not, which I can't really speculate on just yet, it's a Disney film based on a beloved property. If "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Haunted Mansion" are any indication, this one is tailor-made to make a ton of money. And, like "Kick-Ass," it sees Cage as a much lighter and funnier figure than usual.

So, with those three films coming right in a row, it's hard to imagine Cage won't be making a big financial comeback this year, and if he plays it right, he'll get some attention from critics as well. He's already made a decent start with the not-yet-wide-released "Bad Lieutenant," where he gave one of his best performances, well, ever.

Hey, it's all guesswork, but I have a good feeling for Cage this year. I'm a big supporter of the guy, even at his most cringe-inducing ("Ghost Rider," anyone?). I may be wrong, but it'd be great to see Cage be the Bullock of 2010.