The summer movie season heats up with the arrival of Paramount’s Star Trek on Friday — on the heels of current hit X-Men Origins: Wolverine — while E1 Entertainment is targeting arts-minded moviegoers with Atom Egoyan’s Adoration.

A slow rollout for Adoration will see the drama open at Toronto’s Cumberland, Vancouver’s Fifth Avenue and Montreal’s Forum and Quartier Latin theaters, with plans to expand to other key markets next week. Reviews are lukewarm for the film, which stars Devon Bostick as a teen who becomes embroiled in a fabricated story about his parents, killed years earlier in a car crash.

E1 says marketing initiatives were centered on the film’s numerous festival appearances and awards, and on its acclaimed director and cast, which also includes Scott Speedman and Rachel Blanchard.

Expectations are high for Star Trek, the latest in the 10-pic strong franchise, which is likely to draw out more than the usual Trekkies, according to Cineplex spokesperson Pat Marshall.

‘[It’s a] great example of a film that may have appealed to a specific genre, but once word of mouth gets out on it, will have broad appeal,’ she says, adding that the exhibitor expects a ‘tremendous’ summer at the box office thanks to a diverse schedule.

She points to ample product for families, including Disney’s Up and Fox’s Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, plus the usual shoot-’em-ups such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and comedies including Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and Bruno.

As usual, sequels such as Ice Age, Museum, Transformers and July’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will play an important part in the summer box, according to Marshall, because ‘they all have regular, loyal audiences who want to follow the characters and storylines.’

She believes many of the titles will compete in the $200-million to $400-million range, though they’re not likely to surpass the record-setting take of The Dark Knight, which rang in over $500 million last year.

Also opening Friday is the documentary Tyson, from director James Toback, in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal through Mongrel Media. The film, which offers a sympathetic portrait of the controversial boxer, also screened at Hot Docs as a special presentation.

The Mother’s Day weekend will also see the release of Carl Bessai’s (Normal) drama Mothers & Daughters on one screen each in Vancouver, Victoria and Ottawa via Kinosmith Films.