Summer is usually the season for sure box office bets -- action blockbusters, sequels to big-name hits and new remakes of well-loved classics. But early signs suggest movie tickets for the usual fare may be a harder sell than usual…

When Peter and Benjamin Bratt grew up in San Francisco's Mission district in the 1970's, it was a neighborhood of Native American and Latino activists, low rider cars, Peruvian flute players, and vibrant murals that related the local history.

Moviegoers will soon be able to decide which films to see based not on stars or tomatoes, but on how well they're being traded by investors. Two investment firms are working to develop a futures market for movie derivatives that…