Below is a wrap-up of the predictions I made several months ago, an exploration of what succeeded and what failed, and how I observe things to have gone.

November 6, 2020

Let Him Go

Oscar Prospects: What I said: “None.”
Oscar Results: Not Nominated.
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Box Office Expectations: What I Said: “Uncertain. It’s got a familiar lead and will play well in the midwest, so it could perform well where theaters are most likely to be open.”
Box Office Results: $9.4 M
Thoughts: [Unexceptional] For a pandemic release, these numbers aren’t bad even though it would be well below what would normally be expected.

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Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

April 2, 2021

The Unholy

Premise: From IMDb: “A hearing-impaired girl is visited by the Virgin Mary and can suddenly hear, speak, and heal the sick. As people flock to witness her miracles, terrifying events unfold. Are they the work of the Virgin Mary or something much more sinister?”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Some theaters are starting to re-open in California and New York, but even in areas of the country where they previously opened, box office hasn’t re-energized yet. This isn’t the kind of film you go see in a pandemic, though, so it probably won’t do too well.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

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Below is a wrap-up of the predictions I made several months ago, an exploration of what succeeded and what failed, and how I observe things to have gone.

October 2, 2020

A Call to Spy

Oscar Prospects: What I said: “Uncertain. Some elements of the film feel like they might be Oscar caliber, but with very little forward press, it might be a mirage.”
Oscar Results: Now None. The film never elicited excitement and was quickly forgotten.
Box Office Prospects: $1 M
Box Office Expectations: What I Said: “Weak. The film doesn’t sound like something audiences will rush out to see.”
Box Office Results: $0.159 M
Thoughts: [Minor Flop] Even for an indie film released in the midst of a pandemic, these numbers aren’t great.

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Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

March 5, 2021

Boogie

Premise: From IMDb: “Set in contemporary New York City and follows a Chinese-American basketball phenom who struggles to balance the expectations of his immigrant family with his own dreams of becoming a player for the NBA.”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The pandemic box office is still in full swing and as last week’s weak debut for Judas and the Black Messiah showed, films with minority characters, especially in hard-hit (pandemic) populations, aren’t willing to risk their safety for a movie.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

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Below is a wrap-up of the predictions I made several months ago, an exploration of what succeeded and what failed, and how I observe things to have gone.

September 4, 2020

Bill & Ted Face the Music (Limited)

Oscar Prospects: What I said: “None.”
Oscar Results: Still None.
Box Office Prospects: $2 M
Box Office Expectations: What I Said: “Weak. Since it’s opening online simultaneously with its limited run, it’s not likely to pull in many dollars.”
Box Office Results: $3.4 M
Thoughts: [Unexceptional] Released Aug. 23, 2020. While some films show a pent-up demand by being box office hits, some films show that no one really wanted them, which is why these numbers, even in light of the pandemic, are so bad.

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Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

February 12, 2021

Judas and the Black Messiah

Premise: From IMDb: “The story of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, and his fateful betrayal by FBI informant William O’Neal.”
Box Office Prospects: $12 M
Expectations: Uncertain. This would be the kind of film that might turn out to be a sleeper hit at the early February box office, but the pandemic is still going and its chances are probably minimized because of the simultaneous streaming release that Warner Bros. is forcing on them.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. With February being the last month to release movies for Oscar consideration this year, due to the pandemic, a lot of major contenders are finally making their way to cinemas. This one had some early buzz, but that buzz hasn’t really gone anywhere of late.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

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Below is a wrap-up of the predictions I made several months ago, an exploration of what succeeded and what failed, and how I observe things to have gone.

August 7, 2020

The Broken Hearts Gallery

Oscar Prospects: What I said: “None.”
Oscar Results: Still None.
Box Office Prospects: $1 M
Box Office Expectations: What I Said: “Uncertain. If I say anything but “Uncertain,” I would be blowing smoke. Anyway, this film says it’s going wide, but I don’t believe that. This is a classic platform release, but I suspect with the pandemic, it won’t go much of anywhere.”
Box Office Results: $4.1 M
Thoughts: [Unexceptional] Did not release until Sep. 11, 2020, but was not covered in our September preview. The box office tally, being for a weekend very early in the mid-pandemic release schema, is decent, though unexceptional.

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Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

January 22, 2021

The Marksman

Premise: From IMDb: “A rancher on the Arizona border becomes the unlikely defender of a young Mexican boy desperately fleeing the cartel assassins who’ve pursued him into the U.S.”
Box Office Prospects: $20 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The pandemic still controls the box office and the subject matter might not be enough to pull hardcore Liam Neeson fans to the theater.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The first four months of 2021, which are normally a dumping ground for studio films that no one thinks will be successful is now the playground of pandemic fears asking audiences to decide if they feel safe enough to return to theaters. Several films have been moving around the dial in these months, so this list is unlikely to look the same next week as it is right now, but this is the best idea of where things will stand for the immediate future.

To introduce you to the upcoming films, there will be two preview articles every month and this introduction every four months. The Season Preview article will focus on one of three seasons Spring Season (January through April), Blockbuster Season (May through August) and Oscar Season (September through December). In these introductory articles, I will give you the current release schedule for the specified season, which may change as the release dates get closer.

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Below is a wrap-up of the predictions I made several months ago, an exploration of what succeeded and what failed, and how I observe things to have gone.

July 3, 2020

The Outpost (Limited)

Oscar Prospects: What I said: “None.”
Oscar Results: Still None.
Box Office Prospects: $0.5 M
Box Office Expectations: What I Said: “Uncertain. Released day-and-date, this Rod Lurie-directed film was intended for release on a different July date, but whether or not it succeeds depends on how many streaming viewers take away from its theatrical haul.”
Thoughts: Streamed on Amazon, skipping theaters.

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Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

December 4, 2020

All My Life

Premise: From IMDb: “A couple’s wedding plans are thrown off course when the groom is diagnosed with liver cancer.”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Weak. The premise doesn’t sound like something holiday audiences will want to catch at the box office, but a weepy might find some small audience. It’s just not certain.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

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What should have been the saving grace of the box office season turned out to be a wasteland with no major wide releases and very few minor limited releases.

Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

November 6, 2020

Let Him Go

Premise: From IMDb: “A retired sheriff and his wife, grieving over the death of their son, set out to find their only grandson.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Uncertain. It’s got a familiar lead and will play well in the midwest, so it could perform well where theaters are most likely to be open.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

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With theaters largely closed down and releases few and far between, the report I had planned to write in May was scrapped in its entirety, thus the wrap-up is going to do nothing.

Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings. With few of them and most of them being potentially rescheduled.

October 2, 2020

A Call to Spy

Premise: From IMDb: “In the beginning of WWII, with Britain becoming desperate, Churchill orders his new spy agency — the Special Operations Executive (SOE) — to recruit and train women as spies. Their daunting mission: conduct sabotage and build a resistance. SOE’s “spymistress,” Vera Atkins (Stana Katic), recruits two unusual candidates: Virginia Hall (Sarah Megan Thomas), an ambitious American with a wooden leg, and Noor Inayat Khan (Radhika Atpe), a Muslim pacifist. Together, these women help to undermine the Nazi regime in France, leaving an unmistakable legacy in their wake. Inspired by true stories.”
Box Office Prospects: $1 M
Expectations: Weak. The film doesn’t sound like something audiences will rush out to see.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Some elements of the film feel like they might be Oscar caliber, but with very little forward press, it might be a mirage.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

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