THE Hollywood summer season has started in Malaysia and its fever is spreading like H1N1.

While movie fans are excited with the prospects of watching Hollywood's best popcorn movies, some Malaysian producers are also feeling the heat but for another reason.

They fear that the import of Hollywood blockbusters will trample their films.

Among the major Hollywood blockbusters to open within the next few months are Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Terminator Salvation, Harry Potter And The Half-blood Prince, State of Play and Up.

In the past few weeks, blockbusters like X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Star Trek and Angels & Demons opened to packed cinema halls.

But do Hollywood summer blockbusters really kill local movies?

In 2004, Shuhami Baba's Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam had the bad karma of opening on the same day as Van Helsing, a film about a vampire slayer.

Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam was given smaller cinema halls because most of the major halls were showing Van Helsing.

Yet, despite opening disadvantage, Pontianak made a killing at the box office. It raked in more than RM3 million.

In 2005, Aziz M. Osman's science fiction comedy, Senario XX, opened on the same day as Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.

Many industry players thought it was a bad move to open against the final installment of Star Wars.

But Senario XX ended being one of the most lucrative movies in the Senario series. It collected RM3.5 million.

Metrowealth Movies Productions' Jangan Pandang Belakang and Congkak were up against Hollywood summer blockbusters.

Both films were profitable.

And the most recent example of how a Hollywood summer movie does not affect its Malaysian counterpart is Bohsia Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam.

The Skop Production film opened against X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Bohsia has touched RM4 million and is still showing in the cinemas.

This is its fourth week.

On May 21, Metrowealth Movies Productions's Syurga Cinta opened against Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and will compete against Terminator Salvation, the next week.

The producer will also release its horror comedy, Jangan Pandang Belakang Congkak, on June 4, the same day as Hannah Montana The Movie will open here.

On July 16 Abdul Razak Mohaideen's horror flick, Skrip 7707, will compete against Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

On July 30, Kabir Bhatia's romance Setem will open against Hollywood romance Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.

But one local producer did pull out from competing against a Hollywood blockbuster.

Yasmin Ahmad's controversial and eagerly awaited Mualaf was supposed to open on June 24 on the same day as Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen.

It is learnt that Yasmin has decided not to screen Mualaf on that date.

Let's see which producer will be brave enough to replace Mualaf and open against the giant robots.