Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

December 6, 2019

The Aeronauts

Premise: From IMDb: “Pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) and scientist James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) find themselves in an epic fight for survival while attempting to make discoveries in a hot air balloon.”
Box Office Prospects: $35 M
Expectations: Uncertain. This aeronautical adventure might have been a box office draw two decades ago, but today, it all sounds too odd to make much of a run at the box office.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. While the production certain looks like something that could compete in Production Design and Costume Design categories, the wind hasn’t caught this balloon and sent it into the Oscar stratosphere, so it’s probably not getting anything in that regard.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

A Million Little Pieces

Premise: From IMDb: “A young drug-addled writer approaching the bottom of his descent submits to two months of agonizing detox at a treatment center in Minnesota.”
Box Office Prospects: $2 M
Expectations: Weak. There has been little in the way of advertising for this film and the subject matter might be too depressing for a massive box office success, especially with no Oscar buzz to go with it.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Playmobil: The Movie

Premise: From IMDb: “Animated feature film inspired by the Playmobil brand toys.”
Box Office Prospects: $80 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Animated films, even bad ones, have proven potent at the box office in recent years, but I cannot fathom a film based on an intellectual property that’s hardly popular could be much of a success.
Oscar Prospects: None. The film wasn’t even submitted to the Academy for Consideration.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Marriage Story (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Noah Baumbach’s incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Good. In terms of the specialty box office, a film like this can ride buzz and Oscar attention through a platform release to strong box office numbers. I expect that to occur.
Oscar Prospects: Excellent. This film has been building all the right buzz and is sure to be one of the year’s prominent players.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

December 13, 2019

Black Christmas

Premise: From IMDb: “A group of students are stalked by a stranger during their Christmas break. A remake of the 1974 horror film ‘Black Christmas’.”
Box Office Prospects: $75 M
Expectations: Good. While the 1980s had a lot of strong Christmas-themed horror premises, the offerings since have been minimal, giving this film a strong chance of making a lot of money if it’s any good.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Jumanji: The Next Level

Premise: From IMDb: “A team of friends return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own but discover that nothing is as they expect. The players need to brave parts unknown, from arid deserts to snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.”
Box Office Prospects: $350 M
Expectations: Excellent. The first film was a huge success at the box office, hence the sequel. The chances for this film to soar at the box office are high.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

A Hidden Life (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “The Austrian Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, a conscientious objector, refuses to fight for the Nazis in World War II.”
Box Office Prospects: $8 M
Expectations: Good. Terrence Malick has a fanbase that should turn out regardless. If the film is an Oscar nominee, it might goose the final tally some as well.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. It’s the best reviewed Terrence Malick film in years, but hasn’t been building as much buzz as it should have by now. Cinematography, like with all Malick films, should be considered even if the film isn’t competing elsewhere.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Richard Jewell (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “American security guard, Richard Jewell (Paul Walter Hauser), heroically saves thousands of lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics, but is unjustly vilified by journalists and the press who falsely report that he was a terrorist.”
Box Office Prospects: $35 M
Expectations: Weak. Clint Eastwood’s films can be box office juggernauts, but usually only if there’s a major star at the front. This film doesn’t have that and the subject matter doesn’t make it sound like much of a box office player.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Never underestimate a late-year appearance by Clint Eastwood. However, the film doesn’t have the kind of subject matter that usually appeals to the Academy and Eastwood hasn’t had a major Oscar success in a few years.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “When an alien with amazing powers crash-lands near Mossy Bottom Farm, Shaun the Sheep goes on a mission to shepherd the intergalactic visitor home before a sinister organization can capture her.”
Box Office Prospects: $20 M
Expectations: Unexceptional. The first adaptation of the TV series wasn’t terribly successful, so I wouldn’t expect much from it sequel.
Oscar Prospects: None. The film wasn’t submitted for Oscar consideration, so it’s out.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Uncut Gems (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Set in the diamond district of New York City, Howard Ratner, a jewelry store owner and dealer to the rich and famous, must find a way to pay his debts when his merchandise is taken from one of his top sellers and girlfriend.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Uncertain. There aren’t a lot of examples of dramatic films that Adam Sandler’s done to give us an idea of how this will perform. The best is his performance in Punch-Drunk Love and I don’t expect this one to perform that well.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Everyone seems to keep buzzing about Adam Sandler being a contender, but so far I’ve not seen a materialization of support. If he makes a run through the critics awards, that might change the narrative.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

December 20, 2019

Bombshell

Premise: From IMDb: “A few women decide to take on Fox News boss Roger Ailes and the toxic male culture he presided over at the network.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. It’s a film for the times, which could elevate its popularity with audiences, but it could just as easily not matter much to them. Can this one perform like Adam McKay’s The Big Short or will it perform like McKay’s Vice. My inclination is to believe the former, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The film has the kind of subject matter that the Academy might jump on with enthusiasm. With four Oscar-nominated/winning actors in the cast, that’s an even bigger boon. Yet, the film hasn’t caught on in a measurable way yet, which might suggest it isn’t a competitor after all.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Cats

Premise: From IMDb: “A tribe of cats called the Jellicles must decide yearly which one will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new Jellicle life.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Uncertain. This is the biggest unknown of the year. With critics not having seen it, and a trailer that has left some cold and others excited, it’s impossible to tell which way the wind will blow. If the critics ravage it, then it could still do well, just not as well as something like Chicago once did. If the critics declare it to be the best thing since sliced bread, it could be a blockbuster, which would then make it an Oscar contender.
Oscar Prospects: Unknown. The film has a lot of Oscar nominees and winners in its cast and the director is an Oscar winner, but no one ha seen hide nor hair of the film ahead of its mid-December release, which either means that the Visual Effects are still being tinkered with or the film is a dud and will be savaged by critics.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Premise: From IMDb: “The final chapter of the saga from a galaxy far, far away.”
Box Office Prospects: $700 M
Expectations: Excellent. While The Last Jedi was savaged by fans because it was too dark and did other things they didn’t like, this new movie is sure to have “learned the lesson” of its predecessor. That it’s directed by J.J. Abrams whose lack of creativity allows him to mimic every other film director out there, thus impressing audiences (but not necessarily critics), it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Whether it can top its predecessors remains to be seen, though.
Oscar Prospects: Good. While this film franchise has had an uneven history with the Academy, each film has competed in a number of categories. This being the last of the third trilogy could bolster its potential in several categories. That said, unless they want to give parting nominations to John Williams or any of the cast, the likelihood of it picking up more than a couple nominations isn’t great.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

December 25, 2019

Little Women

Premise: From IMDb: “Four sisters come of age in America in the aftermath of the Civil War.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Good. With director Greta Gerwig’s prior success Lady Bird and the literary work’s familiarity and continued popularity, this film is sure to perform in line with both Lady Bird and the 1994 version’s numbers
Oscar Prospects: Good. Early word is strong for this film and Greta Gerwig is a previous Oscar nominee for Directing. That alone gives the film a bit of gravitas. This is likely to be a solid Oscar contender this year even if Oscar wins aren’t necessarily likely.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Spies in Disguise

Premise: From IMDb: “Lance and Walter. One is a super cool and charming spy, and the other invents the super cool gadgets Lance uses. When an event happens, they must learn to rely on each other like never before in order to save the world.”
Box Office Prospects: $200 M
Expectations: Good. Even though it looks rather silly, that’s just what audiences like when it comes to animated features and although it’s a far cry from the quality output of Pixar or Laika or DreamWorks or other better studios, this Blue Sky release is sure to earn lots of box office receipts even if it’s not very good.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. While it has been submitted to the Academy for consideration in Animated Feature, the film itself hasn’t screened yet, which isn’t a good sign. Further, the Animated Feature race is rather off-kilter this year, so it could either be a contender or be ignored. The critics might make that determination for the film.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

1917 (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Two young British soldiers during the First World War, are given an impossible mission: deliver a message, deep in enemy territory, that will stop their own men, and Blake’s own brother, walking straight into a deadly trap.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Good. War films can do well at the box office even when they are about wars the US didn’t participate in. There’s a universality of the struggles of soldiers on the battlefield that make them engaging. While it won’t be as successful as something like Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk, it should do quite well if it’s bolstered by strong reviews, unlike the recent release Midway.
Oscar Prospects: Good. Sam Mendes’ World War I film has gotten solid early reviews and has all the earmarks of a major Oscar contender.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Just Mercy (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Just Mercy shadows world-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson as he recounts his experiences and details the case of a condemned death row prisoner whom he fought to free.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. There is a lot of potential here if the film is well managed and, especially, if it becomes an Oscar contender, but it’s also the kind of film that will do decently, but not exceptionally as the final numbers roll in.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. While there has been some chatter about the film’s Oscar potential, namely for its leads, the early buzz from the festivals has largely died out as bigger films had emerged since. That doesn’t mean the film is out of luck, but it needs to rebuild its support quickly if it wants to contend.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

December 27, 2019

Clemency (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Like Just Mercy, this film about legal injustice has potential, but while Alfre Woodard is a great actress, she’s not as much of a box office draw as Just Mercy‘s Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx are, thus the lower prediction threshold.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Alfre Woodard has received terrific reviews for her performance, but the Best Actress race is fierce this year, so it’s possible, even probable, that she’s ignored.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.