Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

February 7, 2020

Birds of Prey

Premise: From IMDb: “After splitting with the Joker, Harley Quinn joins superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl from an evil crime lord.”
Box Office Prospects: $350 M
Expectations: Good. DC’s Extended Universe always does well even when the films aren’t good and this all-female superhero tale is sure to perform well.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The film’s releasing a bit early for consideration, but Suicide Squad won an Oscar for Best Makeup & Hairstyling, so nothing is entirely out of the question.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

February 14, 2020

Fantasy Island

Premise: From IMDb: “A horror adaptation of the popular ’70s TV show about a magical island resort.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Good. Original and inventive horror films do quite well at the box office and this one looks like it should do decent business for the studio.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Photograph

Premise: From IMDb: “A series of intertwining love stories set in the past and in the present.”
Box Office Prospects: $35 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Obviously angling for the Valentine’s Day weekend crowd, the movie doesn’t look like it has the kind of blockbuster appeal that will support its trajectory.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Sonic the Hedgehog

Premise: From IMDb: “A cop in the rural town of Green Hills will help Sonic escape from the government who is looking to capture him.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Weak. Having been postponed almost a year so that the studio could re-do the terrible character design on the lead character, audiences may have lost what little interest they had in the film and against movies like Fantasy island, it will have to appeal to kids and that’s not really the film’s target demo and nostalgia hasn’t really been selling lately.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Ordinary Love (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “An extraordinary look at ordinary love.”
Box Office Prospects: $1.5 M
Expectations: Uncertain. A film like this would have benefited greatly from Oscar nominations, but without them and being situated post-Oscars, the likelihood of a box office victory is weak.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. When a film like this stars Liam Neeson and Lesley Manville, you have to expect that the Academy would take notice, but releasing in February suggests some real liabilities, so I am doubtful of its chances.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

February 21, 2020

Brahms: The Boy II

Premise: From IMDb: “After a family moves into the Heelshire Mansion, their young son soon makes friends with a life-like doll called Brahms.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Uncertain. A film that made only $35 million at the domestic box office is an odd choice for a sequel, but here we are. Postpone at least twice, Brahms: The Boy 2 might have a mediocre opening weekend, but its ability to break out beyond its predecessor is unlikely.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Call of the Wild

Premise: From IMDb: “A sled dog struggles for survival in the Alaskan wild.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Harrison Ford was a box office draw back in the 1980s, but today he’s not as popular has he once was. Is he trying to go for the Liam Neeson kind of crowd or is this film targeted squarely at young audiences? It’s impossible to know, but the graphics are good and the week’s other competition is lackluster, so a solid debut should be in order.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The early release might hinder its chances, but good reviews and a strong box office performance could help. It’s only real potential is in Best Visual Effects and those prospects aren’t great.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Emma (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Based on the classic Jane Austen novel.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Good. The 1996 version was a box office dud and this film releasing at the end of February seems a poor idea; however, the trailer is definitely funny and should the film score well with critics, it could be a surprise hit. The limited release may hamper its chances, but if it does well and builds word of mouth, we might have an old fashioned platform release on hand, which could push its tally above its filmic predecessor.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Anything releasing before summer has to be discounted in its ability to score with the Oscars. Few early-year releases manage to make it all the way to the Oscars. Last year’s Us is a perfect example. Still, this property has been known to earn award nominations every time it releases, so the possibilities are good. It will just need to hold on for 10 months.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

February 28, 2020

The Invisible Man

Premise: From IMDb: “When Cecilia’s abusive ex commits suicide and leaves her fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia’s works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Good. Universal may not have been able to turn The Mummy into a franchise starter, but this version of The Invisible Man has a much better director at the helm. That said, the early-year release could hurt the film’s chances, but it’s got no competition on its release weekend and the prior weak is also suitably void, so the possibilities of a solid performance are high.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. This Universal Monster series hasn’t done well with the Academy, but we only have one prior film to judge it on. Best Visual Effects could be in store, but like everything else released in February, it must be memorable enough to stick around until the end of the year, which isn’t a certainty unless critics love it and even then, it’s not an easy trip.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.