Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

June 4, 2021

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

Premise: From IMDb: “A chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Good. The box office has yet to see a full return to its prior glory, especially for horror films. The Conjuring series is one of the more consistent performers, so we might see with this film whether audiences are ready to return yet.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Spirt Untamed

Premise: From IMDb: “Lucky Prescott’s life is changed forever when she move from her home in the city to a small frontier town and befriends a wild mustang named Spirit.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The original, released almost twenty years ago, had a solid box office take, but it’s been far too long and the film looks far too dull to be much of a hit, but never underestimate the power of female-targeted animated films.
Oscar Prospects: Unlikely. It will make the finalist list because every eligible animated film usually does, but it won’t make the final five.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

June 11, 2021

In the Heights

Premise: From IMDb: “A feature version of the Broadway musical, in which a bodega owner has mixed feelings about closing his store and retiring to the Dominican Republic after inheriting his grandmother’s fortune.”
Box Office Prospects: $35 M
Expectations: Uncertain. If the box office were in a more solid state, I’d imagine this could be quite the hit, but it’s not and it probably won’t be. We could see a large boost of attendance from the Hispanic community, which might feel a certain kinship to the characters and we cannot count out Lin-Manuel Miranda fans. That said, this was his first musical, not his most popular and I cannot imagine the film will be huge, but it could be another film that shows the potential signs of life the box office might have with relaxed CDC guidelines.
Oscar Prospects: Good. The film is sure to be a player at this year’s Oscars simply because of its Tony-winning heritage. Whether it can secure any wins is doubtful, but I fully expect it to be a major entity this year.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

June 18, 2021

The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (on 6.16.21)

Premise: From IMDb: “Sequel to the 2017 action/comedy.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Another film made of a successful original will try to jumpstart the cinema industry with a raucous comedy that could well be the comedy hit of the summer if it can revive the box office.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway

Premise: From IMDb: “Thomas and Bea are now married and living with Peter and his rabbit family. Bored of life in the garden, Peter goes to the big city, where he meets shady characters and ends up creating chaos for the whole family.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Good. The first film was a surprise hit with audiences in spite of its less than stellar reviews. The sequel is sure to struggle similarly with critics, but audiences will likely ignore them. That family-friendly entertainment has had more success at the pandemic box office than non-family films, this could end up doing better than expected.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

June 25, 2021

F9

Premise: From IMDb: “Cypher enlists the help of Jakob, Dom’s younger brother to take revenge on Dom and his team.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Excellent. This is the film that will either ignite the pandemic-laden box office back to its glory or demonstrate that audiences either aren’t ready to return or won’t ever come back. This franchise has been almost bulletproof.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

I Carry You with Me

Premise: From IMDb: “Ambition and societal pressure propel an aspiring chef to leave his soulmate in Mexico and make the treacherous journey to New York, where life will never be the same.”
Box Office Prospects: $1 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The indie box office hasn’t been boosted yet and I don’t see this picture doing that. Other films might draw bigger audiences.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The Academy has been gunshy about gay-themed indie dramas not made by prominent filmmakers, so its chances at the Oscars might be a bit scattershot.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.