So last week, I made what I thought was a rather bold prediction that The Avengers might actually beat Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’s opening weekend record with just over $170 million! Gosh, could it really happen? Well, yes…and then some. So with that, let’s get some obvious things out of the way. The film will make $1 billion in its theatrical run. Period. This will also put it in prime position for the top ten highest-grossing films of all time. That’s not a leap of faith. Finally, I’m not going out on a limb in predicting that The Avengers will be the first movie in history to rake in $100 million during its second weekend in theaters. What will be the unfortunate victim of this juggernaut’s second go-round?
Luckily, it’s arguably the most tired actor/director collaboration of modern times returning again to trot out tired macabre “kookiness” as the most banal form of recognizable cinematic branding. Their last work together, Alice in Wonderland, was the absolute worst film I saw in 2010. Of course, it also happened to be a smash hit. Dark Shadows – loosely, loosely, loosely based on the cult gothic fantasy soap opera – stars Depp as Barnabas Collins, a wealthy aristocrat who breaks the heart of a vengeful witch is cursed as a vampire and buried alive. Finally freed in 1972, he sets out to restore honor to the family name. Very little of this is based on the original story beyond a few characters, but hey, a vampire comedy might be refreshing in this age of sparkly vampires in theaters and oft-screwing creatures of the night on HBO. Then again, maybe not, since critics are characterizing the film as a tonally and narratively scattershot mess. I can’t imagine a lot of die-hard fans of the show itching to see this film and families won’t be as eager to see this the way they suffered through flocked to Alice in Wonderland. It’ll be making $25-30 million under the shadow of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Read more on Weekend Openings (May 11-13)…
And so, in what seemed like an impossible dream to just about every comic book geek in the world, the first-ever major superhero crossover film finally opens in America today. There’s really no point in pretending that this won’t absolutely kill at the box office this weekend, it’s just a matter of how high it can soar at this point:
Read more on Weekend Openings (May 4-6)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: adaptation, Bill Nighy, Captain America: The First Avenger, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, comic book films, Demi Moore, Dev Patel, Event movies, fanboyism, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2, iron man, Jeremy Renner, John Madden, Joss Whedon, judi dench, Maggie Smith, Mark Ruffalo, middlebrow art films, Miley Cyrus, Mother's Day, popcorn movies, Rebecca De Mornay, remake, robert downey jr, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, superhero movie, the avengers, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Thor, Tom Hiddleston, Tom Wilkinson, Weekend Openings
- Wow, where do I even begin? This was the James Cameron of weeks here The Awards Circuit. We delivered big, and as a result our success was tantamount to Camerons’ Avatar and Titanic in my book. As you can see, The Awards Circuit has undergone a huge transformation, evolving what you all know and love into the finest site for Movies, Television, and Awards Prognostication. The final bits will be completed on Tuesday, coinciding with the actual 4th Year Anniversary Day! The passion we have in making this site the empire we all know it will soon become is unlimited, and I hope all of you are genuinely satisfied with the new revamp. Furthermore, we didn’t slow down when it came to delivering the latest and greatest in movies and television. Without a doubt, this week was the most numerous in volume when it came to articles hitting the site on a daily basis. I hope you appreciate our boost in quantity and quality! Because this was an enormous week, I’ll try and boil everything down as definitively as possible, so bear with me.
Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 4/29)…
Categories: Circuit Round-Up Tags: 4 year anniversary, american idol, anna belickis, award profiles, awards circuit round-up, clayton davis, dancing with the stars, Joey Magidson, joeys dvd pick of the week, John H. Foote, Joseph Braverman, Mark Johnson, Michael Ward, Robert Hamer, site revamp, Terence Johnson, The Voice, Weekend Openings
Almost there, folks. One week from today will be the official start of the Summer Movie Season: Franchise Flicks, Explosions, CGI, the whole works. As we say goodbye to the general dumping ground (with the occasional peppering of gems between them), we say hello to four new films debuting today:
A film about a wedding…a box office hit?! Ha! Like that’ll ever happen! Okay, okay, lame-obvious-sarcasm aside, the Judd Apatow-produced The Five-Year Engagement, about a couple whose engagement goes through the ordeal of having their Big Day perpetually delayed hopes to join the ranks of past nuptial-themed comedies that found unexpected success. Does it have a chance? It faces an uphill climb; reviews have been alright but hardly as rapturous as Kristin Wiig’s smashing success last year, with most critics praising the romantic chemistry between Jason Segel and Emily Blunt and the script’s mature views on marriage but with a running time that feels like five years. Online activity has also been solid and Segel has made a career of headlining films with respectable openings. I wouldn’t bet on a Bridesmaids-level success but certainly somewhere in the ballpark of $18-23 million.
Read more on Weekend Openings (April 27-29)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Bernie, Best Animated Feature, Emily Blunt, Jack Black, Jason Segel, Jason Statham, judd apatow, Richard Linklater, Safe, The Five Year Engagement, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, The Raven, Weekend Openings
*Gasp* could it be?! The Hunger Games may be knocked off #1 this weekend? Hey, it had to happen sometime, and while the likely champ is a far cry from Gary Ross’ high concepty teen sci-fi thrilliness, Lost in Space and Dear John didn’t scream usurper when they were on the horizon, either…
Yes, it’s that time again when a film aimed at African-American audiences makes a lot of money and brings with it the usual amount of veiled white condescension and theater demographic number-crunching from media analysts still trying to figure out the existence of this thing called “black people” going to the movies. Plus, there’s also the usual lamenting from me at the kind of films that talented actors like Taraji P. Henson and Michael Ealy have to accept because they’re the only significant roles offered to them. But maybe Think Like a Man is worthy of their talents? It looks like a lazy, stereotypical rom-com (and some critics seem to agree after having seen it), but the film made headlines recently when it became one of Hollywood’s highest-scoring films among test audiences. There’s also the fact that Tim Story – the man behind the delightful Barbershop – directed this fiction adaptation of Steve Harvey’s relationship advice book about four men who find out about their mates reading the book and deciding to turn the tables. Regardless of whether or not Think Like a Man will exceed my own expectations, anticipation is rather high for it, leading me to believe it will gather anywhere between $23-28 million this weekend.
Read more on Weekend Openings (April 20-22)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: adorable animals, Best Documentary Feature, chimpanzee, Disneynature, Marley, movies about pretty white people and their problems, Nicholas Sparks, The Lucky One, The Moth Diaries, Think Like a Man, Weekend Openings
Did I just hear a cannon? It looks like Gary Ross will not be returning to direct Catching Fire, even though The Hunger Games will probably clean up at the box office for the fourth week in a row. It will be challenged by three new releases, one of which is apparently much better than anticipated…
Not only has the new creature feature from Drew Goddard and Joss “horror with a wink and a nudge” Whedon been receiving a lot of online buzz for a low-budget Lionsgate horror flick not called Saw, but it has been attracting some serious rave reviews. Critics have been calling The Cabin in the Woods a stupendously clever and genuinely frightening movie comparable to genre-bending classics like Evil Dead II. Because I am one of those who wants to see this movie with as little knowledge of the plot as possible, I’m not even going to publish a bare-bones synopsis beyond speculating that it has to do with a cabin located somewhere in a woodland area. For box office, I’m predicting a respectable $13-18 million opening just slightly below The Hunger Games. Read more on Weekend Openings (April 13-15)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Best Foreign Language Film, Blue Like Jazz, Guy Pearce, Joss Whedon, Lockout, Monsieur Lazhar, The Cabin in the Woods, the Farrelly brothers, The Hunger Games, the lady, the three stooges, Weekend Openings
- It was another momentous week here at The Awards Circuit. Kicking things off, we began with Joey Magidson’s positive review of Kung-Fu Action Cinema’s newest treasure, ‘The Raid: Redemption.’ Despite the film containing 25% story and 75% action, it certainly proved more rewarding a view for Joey than its bizarre title. The recent high quality of action cinema continues to follow the likes of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Haywire. Good things should be coming our way with The Bourne Legacy. Julia Robert’s ‘Mirror Mirror‘ was the last film reviewed this week by our very own Michael Ward, whose tepid reception only seems to “mirror mirror” the state of Julia Robert’s current film career. Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 4/1)…
Read more on Circuit Round-Up (Week Ending 4/1)…
Categories: Circuit Round-Up Tags: ACCA 2002, american idol, anna belickis, Awards Profile, clayton davis, Gold Geek, Joey Magidson, joeys dvd pick of the week, Joseph Braverman, Michael Ward, Mirror Mirror, oscar 2013 predictions, Robert Hamer, The Voice, Weekend Openings
This weekend, the odds will not be in favor of the two opening titles vying against The Hunger Games at the box office. Strong word-of-mouth and momentum of ticket sales throughout the weekdays could see it score a jackpot that may even challenge Avatar’s record for second-weekend grosses.
That’s not to say its take won’t fall a little, primarily due to competition from films like Wrath of the Titans. This sequel to Clash of the Titans finds Hollywood butchering Greek mythology yet again, with the Austrailian-accented Perseus leaving his quiet life as a fisherman once more to save the world when the Titans overthrow Zeus. Despite expressing a desire to continue this franchise, Louis Leterrier is not returning for this installment, instead ceding to Jonathan Liebesman of Darkness Falls and Battle: Los Angeles…which, you know, whatever. At least according to critics the special effects are an improvement, even if most of them say it is just as soulless and incoherent as the first film. Audience enthusiasm seems to be weaker than the last one as well, with online activity relatively weak and advance ticket sales being swamped by The Hunger Games, though it does have the advantage of being in more 3D and IMAX theaters. I’m expecting a $35-40 million weekend take.
Read more on Weekend Openings (March 30-April 1)…
So there’s this little film coming out this weekend. I’m not sure you’ve all heard of it. It’s called The Hunger Games, and um…yeah, I suggest checking it out. Oops, turns out my one million friends on Facebook already saw it, and gave it nearly $20 million in midnight show earnings. Never mind, things aren’t looking so bad for this small film after all. If you see it, great. If not, don’t sweat it. It’s not like it’ll break records or anything.
 Read more on Weekend Openings (March 23-25)…
We got a real short preview of the new releases this weekend. Only one film is making its wide premiere today, making it the guaranteed box office victor in the wake of John Carter’s failure (God! Who would’ve thought that film would be a flop?). But the arthouse circuit has its own share of interesting arrivals. Let’s check them out:
Read more on Weekend Openings (March 16-18)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: 21 Jump Street, Adrien Brody, Casa de mi padre, Channing Tatum, Detachment, Jay and Mark Duplass, Jeff Who Lives at Home, Jonah Hill, parody, remake, Tony Kaye, Weekend Openings, Will Ferrell
And so one season ends, and before you know it, the next one seems like a million years away. Tons of possibilities and opportunities (i.e. wishful thinking) abound here at Awards Circuit during the “off-season,” but that doesn’t mean the movies don’t stop coming. Whether or not they’re any good is another story…
The Lorax, the adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ famed children’s novel, is almost guaranteed to be The Artist of this weekend. Universal has been selling this one pretty hard and their efforts should pay off with a $42-47 million opening weekend. Personally, I’m a little put off by this classic story of anti-industrialization being given so many marketing tie-ins, but I suppose it could be worse, and truth be told it looks a lot better than the vast majority of Seuss films and even many animated films we usually get this time of year. Critics have mostly shrugged at this film, calling a colorful and charming but ultimately forgettable children’s yarn. Interestingly enough, this is arguably the first real Oscar contender of 2012, though a certain Scottish epic from Pixar will most likely block its prospects of actually winning Best Animated Feature… Read more on Weekend Openings (March 2-4)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Best Animated Feature, crimes against art, Dr. Seuss, Jafar Panahi, Oscar hopefuls, Project X, Snowtown, The Lorax, This Is Not a Film, Todd Phillips, Weekend Openings
Whoa, where did I go? Well, duty called for the last few weeks, and in my stead Joseph graciously stepped in for me to inform you all of January’s openings. For this week I’ll be able to “drink to the foam” as they say and preview the new releases for the last week of January to distract us from, ahem, some news that hit last Tuesday. Gadzooks, one of them might even be good:
Liam Neeson vs. the elements. A winning combination if ever I’ve heard one. Successfully reinventing himself as a kickass action star with Taken and capitalizing on that with mixed results in Unknown, Neeson’s struggle to survive the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash looks to continue that formula. And why not? With so many blank-faced, talentless hunks headlining action pictures (but more on that in a minute), isn’t it nice to see audiences clamor for a cerebral, seasoned actor in these roles? Even better is that this film has been praised by critics as an almost unbearably intense survival thriller with surprising philosophical rigor. Its low-key marketing and extreme subject matter won’t make it a bonafide hit, but its star should propel it to the top of the box office with $13-18 million. Read more on Weekend Openings (January 27-29)…
Well it’s another January weekend release, folks. That just means that more movies that the studios want to get off their hands and distribute will be heading to thousands of theaters for us to soak up, even if their quality ranges from middle-of-the-road to downright unwatchable. Early word from the new releases, Joyful Noise and Contraband, has been generally mixed. They are not receiving praise across the board, and neither are they getting kicked to the dirt like last week’s The Devil Inside, which despite a 30 million+ weekend gross, received an “F” from CinemaScore. Unlike the scathingly reviewed horror flick, do not expect Contraband or Joyful Noise to break the bank.
 Read more on Weekend Openings (January 13-15)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: 3D, animated film for best picture, Beauty and the Beast 3D, Ben Foster, box office, CinemaScore, Contraband, Disney, dolly parton, Giovanni Ribisi, Joyful Noise, kate beckinsale, mark wahlberg, martin luther king weekend, musicals, queen latifah, The Devil Inside, The Lion King 3D, Weekend Openings
Ah, January. Along with February (and to a lesser extent March) it’s that ever-so-reliable dumping ground for shitty movies not good enough for the Oscar season and not marketable enough for summer. The first weekend of 2012 sees the movie gods being especially gracious to us as they have only sent one wide release to test our faith in the power of cinema…
I suppose with the recent success of the “found footage” Paranormal Activity series and the historical success of The Exorcist, there was bound to one day be a horror flick that tried to capitalize on the success of both. Except…that film already happened over a year ago. So what new gimmick does The Devil Inside bring to the table? Oh, this time there are multiple demons possessing her! OOOOooooOOOoooo! At the very least, you can always count on an exorcism movie to pull out all the stops to try and get your attention. Even though the vast majority of critics say that it does nothing interesting other than pull out one of the worst endings in many years out of its ass, we can remain hopeful, right? It sure seems like the rest of the internet is, as online activity and lack of competition points to The Devil Inside making a healthy $21-26 million in its debut frame. Read more on Weekend Openings (January 6-8)…
New Year’s Eve weekend is a no-show for wide releases, and is even somewhat bare in quantity of limited releases (though quality is a different story). Let’s saddle up and see what we have to work with…
For Oscar-watchers, the most important new release of the year is arguably The Iron Lady, Phyllida Lloyd’s flattering biopic of Margaret Thatcher. Many of our more vociferous readers have been hopeful that this would net the distinguished actress her third Oscar (because my God, if she doesn’t win another one, it will be as if the Academy is spitting in her face!). Who knows, she just might do it this year: she’s already been singled out as the Best Lead Actress of the year from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Southeastern Film Critics Association, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe. Then again, a younger and more ubiquitous contender has been snatching up even more precursor prizes, and many critics have not taken kindly to Streep’s vehicle (because let’s be honest, The Iron Lady exists mainly as an acting vehicle for her). Many reviews have slammed the film’s by-the-numbers biopic approach to storytelling and its noncommittal, doting treatment of one of the world’s most hotly controversial politicians. The film expands wider on the 13th of January. Read more on Weekend Openings (December 30-January 1)…
Per usual, the year’s end is very crowded with ambitious Oscar contenders and highly-anticipated prestige projects. The surprisingly (or perhaps it isn’t; Brad Bird is a movie maestro, no?) acclaimed Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol looks to edge past the competition by a hair, and based on Joey’s report is entirely deserved. But what of the new releases?
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been in theaters since Tuesday, but now mainstream moviegoers will get the chance to really turn out in droves for it; a rare feat for a disturbing serial killer mystery. Then again, David Fincher achieved commercial success with Se7en, and his newest is based on a best-selling novel, so why not another brutal and nasty box office success from him? I’ll estimate an $18-23 million take over the next three days. Joey and I were both pleasantly surprised by the unusual tension and lurid style of this remake/adaptation, though I still had serious issues with the story’s empty nihilism. Such dark material will prove a difficult sell for the Academy, and likely has little chances of making Best Picture, Director or Adapted Screenplay. Craft nods, on the other hand, are not out of the question, especially since many of them were feted last year from their Social Network nominations. Read more on Weekend Openings (December 23-25)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Albert Nobbs, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, In the Land of Blood and Honey, Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, Oscar contenders, Oscar hopefuls, Pina, The Adventures Of Tintin, The Darkest Hour, the girl with the dragon tattoo, war horse, We Bought a Zoo, Weekend Openings
Wow. Just…wow. What a brutal weekend! I mean, no harm on my end; as far as I’m concerned, American audiences couldn’t have picked a more perfect wide release to ignore than New Year’s Eve. But it looks like Hollywood is looking to strike back with some major new films. It doesn’t take a genius to deduce what the likely hit is going to be…
Everyone’s favorite detective returns to the big screen in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, this time possibly meeting his match in the insidious Professor Moriarty. The first installment was a huge hit – not sure why, I thought it was terrible – and online buzz plus its sizable marketing push plus the presence of box office draw Robert Downey, Jr. looks to exceed that sum even if critics are less generous in their reviews. I’m pegging the film busts the business’ slump with a $61-66 million debut frame. The first film “earned” two Academy Award nominations, and if this one is as popular then it could re-score Art Direction and Original Score nods…maybe other crafts as well.
Read more on Weekend Openings (December 16-18)…
Greetings, readers! It’s that time again…
What the hell? We’ve barely recovered from Thanksgiving and it’s already New Year’s Eve?! Oh wait; it’s just a barely-veiled rehash of that cloying, paper-thin romantic comedy pretending to be some kind of “mosaic” of love. Phew! Anyway, it’s looking like a Razzie contender based on the overwhelming critical consensus. Despite that, will this film be the box office success that its predecessor was? Though it has far more competition than Valentine’s Day’s opening weekend, online buzz suggests that audiences will repeat their habit of seeing movies almost destined to bore them to death, which will be enough for a $20-25 million haul. Read more on Weekend Openings (December 9-11)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Charlize Theron, Diablo Cody, Ezra Miller, Gary Oldman, golden globe hopeful, Jason Reitman, Madonna, New Year's Eve, Oscar hopefuls, The Sitter, Tilda Swinton, tinker tailor soldier spy, W.E., We Need To Talk About Kevin, Weekend Openings, Young Adult
Hope y’all enjoyed your Turkey Day last week, folks. Now that your hangover is hopefully recovered, let’s take a look at what’s opening this weekend:
Well…um, that’s interesting. No wide releases this weekend. Oh well, that’s not so bad; the limited circuit has had two very sexually daring movies making their theatrical foreplay. The more anticipated of the two is Steve McQueen’s Shame, about a sex addict whose life spins out of control when his troubled sister moves in with him. The film has been acclaimed by critics – including our own John and Clayton – as a powerful, beautifully-directed cinematic gem with a tour de force performance by Volpi Cup-winner Michael Fassbender. Such widespread kudos would be a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination were it not for one little problem: NC-17. Yep, that dreaded MPAA rating usually spells doom for films trying to reach an audience, as it not only bars the film from being shown in most theaters but the label is often perceived as “pornographic” to mainstream audiences and conservative organizations like the Academy. Then again, it appears as though this film could single-handedly bring back legitimacy to the sexually explicit drama, and AMPAS could reward that with a Best Actor nomination for the ubiquitous thespian. Keep an eye out also for a Supporting Actress nod for Carey Mulligan if that happens. Read more on Weekend Openings (December 2-4)…
For the first time ever, I’ll be starting off my preview of the week’s new films with the limited releases. Not because there’s anything lacking about the wide releases. Far from it, this Thanksgiving weekend is yielding several amazing-looking films both mainstream and indie. No, I’m only switching things around to keep up the theme of David Cronenberg Week. So y’all can guess by now that I’ll first be analyzing…
A Dangerous Method, based on Christopher Hampton’s play The Talking Cure, centers on the professional relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud as well as the complicating presence of the beautiful, intelligent but deeply troubled Sabina Spielrein. The film has been enjoying mostly positive reviews, with its performances, dialogue and production values being singled out for particular praise. Nevertheless, it’s clear that there is a hint of disappointment in its critical evaluations, as many (including yours truly) had initially pegged it as “the” film; the one that would finally catapult the legendary David Cronenberg to an Academy Award nomination for Best Director after a long, distinguished career ignored by the staid organization. While it’s still possible, competition from the likes of The Descendants, The Artist and War Horse required A Dangerous Method to garner more effusive “best of the year!” acclaim to stand a fighting chance considering its subject matter. Even if he personally doesn’t make it, one should still look for it in other categories. Keira Knightley, despite giving a divisive performance with a questionable accent, is showy enough and has been gushed over by quite a few critics, so she is at least on the radar. Viggo Mortensen has been cited as one of the most purely entertaining parts of the film, and Michael Fassbender could get a consolation nomination if his more acclaimed work in Shame proves too transgressive for the Academy to embrace (think Dennis Hopper). It could also get possible nods for its screenplay, art direction and costumes. Read more on Holiday Openings (November 23-27)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: a dangerous method, arthur christmas, Berenice Bejo, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, best picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, biopics, David Cronenberg Week, Hugo, jean dujardin, Keira Knightley, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Fassbender, Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn, Oscar hopefuls, Rampart, the artist, The Muppets, Tomboy, viggo mortensen, Weekend Openings, Woody Harrelson
Prepare yourselves, readers. This weekend sees the opening of what may very well be The Movie Event Of The Year™. A film so amazing, so epic, that you simply cannot miss it:
The wait is over: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 will finally be upon us! After three films and six-and-a-half hours of some of the most boring, dreary and misogynistic horseshit ever aimed at young adults, now we get to the good stuff! Will The Volturi allow Bella and Edward to live happily ever after? Can poor Jacob’s broken heart ever mend? Who cares! All you need to know is that they finally GET IT ON in this one! Not only that, but there’s a very good chance that Breaking Dawn – Part 1 will feature the most balls-out crazy part of the book series (or it could be teasing that for Part 2). Y’all know what I’m talking about. Critics all over have acclaimed this film as “camp,” “cheesy,” “absurd,” and “laughable”…like I said, you simply cannot miss this one. Not that this film will be hurting for an audience; Fandango reports that over 3,000 shows have already been sold out. Eclipse grossed $120 million in its first three days – this should blow past $150 million by Sunday. Read more on Weekend Openings (November 18-20)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: abstinence propaganda, another happy day, awesomely bad movies, Happy Feet Two, Oscar contenders, Oscar hopefuls, sparkly vampires, terrible female role model, The Descendants, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, tyrannosaur, Weekend Openings
Okay, so in perhaps my worst Weekend Openings yet, I predicted that Brett “rehearsing is for fags” Ratner’s Tower Heist would be “the guaranteed hit of the weekend.” Looks like my crystal ball was broken last week, or more likely I just foolishly underestimated the power of an animated cat with a Spanish accent. Not this time. Puss in Boots will probably hold on to the top spot a third time this Veteran’s Day weekend (though with my luck it’ll tumble now).
The most successful new release will most likely be Immortals. Or, at least it had better be, because dear god America will be lost forever if the other one grosses more. Declaring war on humanity, King Hyperion searches for a weapon that would free the Titans and take revenge on the Gods who imprisoned them. The Gods select as humanity’s champion Theseus to stop the king of Crete. The only interesting thing about this sword-and-sandals epic to me is that it’s from the visually creative Tarsem Singh, who at least will guarantee some great eye candy. Critics are once again dazzled by his impressionistic aesthetic but are less enthused about the film’s shameless style-over-substance. I’m going to predict an $18-23 million opening, and if Immortals ends up on the high side of that, it could be looking at Oscar nominations for Art Direction, Sound, Costume Design and/or Visual Effects. Read more on Weekend Openings (November 11-13)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Adam Sandler, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Director, Best Documentary Feature, Best Foreign Language Film, best picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effects, Clint Eastwood, Elite Squad: The Enemy Within, Immortals, Into The Abyss, J. Edgar, Jack And Jill, Kirsten Dunst, Lars von Trier, Leonardo DiCaprio, London Boulevard, Melancholia, Oscar hopefuls, Tarsem Singh, Weekend Openings, Werner Herzog, William Monahan
We now enter the month of November, which is an interesting year for us Oscar-watchers because it’s just on the cusp of the typically back-loaded season. This means an odd mixture of big pictures that feel like summer film rejects, with several intriguing if not sure-fire prestige hits. Let’s take a look:
The guaranteed hit of the weekend is without question Tower Heist, the heist comedy from Brett Ratner, perhaps the most well-known working director without a single identifiable artistic stamp to his work. Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy headline a cast of blue collar workers aiming to steal from the billionaire who defrauded them. It’s got an all-star cast (including Gabourey Sidibe in her first major film post-Precious) with a high concept zeitgeisty premise and decent-ish reviews…what’s not to love? Well, how about its racist overtones? Am I the only one who finds the idea of a smooth-tawkin’ black man teaching a bunch of neurotic white guys how to be thieves a little, oh I don’t know, objectionable? *Sigh*…never mind. I’m predicting about $25-30 million opening. Read more on Weekend Openings (November 4-6)…
DreamWorks Animation continues to replicate the formula for successful animated films this weekend. Its competition being relatively weak doesn’t hurt either. And, oh yes, the “Shakespeare didn’t write his own plays!” movie also opens. Let’s take a look:
Though the Shrek series has supposedly ended, its spin-offs are only getting started. Puss in Boots is pretty much guaranteed to win the box office by a big margin. A prequel to his introduction in Shrek 2, the suave little kitty bands together a group of heroes to save his town. So you got a popular animated character voiced by a big star in his own film coming out in a year when family films are dominating (more than usual)…I swear, criminals couldn’t print this much money. The fact that it’s also the best-reviewed new release of the year certainly doesn’t hurt its financial prospects, either. I honestly think this’ll bring in at least $45-50 million at the end of the weekend. The lack of Oscar competition from Pixar this year and Puss in Boots’ oft-acknowledged triviality make its chances in the Best Animated Feature race a wash at this point…but we’ll see what happens. Read more on Weekend Openings (October 28-30)…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: anonymous, Antonio Banderas, In Time, Johnny Depp, Justin Timberlake, Like Crazy, Oscar hopefuls, puss in boots, Richard Gere, Roland Emmerich, the double, The Rum Diary, Weekend Openings
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