Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

October 6, 2017

Blade Runner 2049

Premise: From IMDb: “Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. Although the original film made less than $100 million at the box office back in 1982 (adjusted for inflation), the film has earned a reputation as one of the big cult hits of the 1980s. As such, there will be plenty of interest in it from old and young audiences, which could make it a solid success.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The original film has since become a classic. The sequel might also, but the Academy has seldom shown an interest in recognizing such productions. It could show up in a few tech categories, but unless it’s among the cream of the crop, it’s not going to get much chance above the line.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Mountain Between Us

Premise: From IMDb: “Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain. When they realize help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across the wilderness.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Weak. Neither Kate Winslet nor Idris Elba are box office draws and this film looks a bit too heavy on the drama and light on the action to draw a sizable crowd.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. Kate Winslet has a better chance elsewhere. Although the film seems to have a lot of dramatic heft, a film like it has seldom been in the Oscar conversation and this won’t result Idris Elba’s first nomination.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

My Little Pony: The Movie

Premise: From IMDb: “When a dark force threatens Ponyville and the Mane 6, they go on a journey to the end of Equestria to save their beloved home and they meet new friends and dangerous challenges along the way.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Is there really enough interest in My Little Pony to be a huge success at the box office? I doubt it, but stranger things have succeeded.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Florida Project (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Set over one summer, the film follows precocious 6-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Disney World.”
Box Office Prospects: $0.6 M
Expectations: Weak. There’s little about the film that screams box office hit, even on the specialty circuit.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Apart from Willem Dafoe’s supporting performance the film doesn’t sound like the kind of thing Oscar voters go out of their way to recognize. While Sean Baker’s Tangerine might have had been a distant factor in the Oscar conversation two years ago, his films have always been off the beaten track.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 13, 2017

The Foreigner

Premise: From IMDb: “A humble businessman with a buried past seeks justice when his daughter is killed in an act of terrorism. A cat-and-mouse conflict ensues with a government official, whose past may hold clues to the killers’ identities.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. It’s been some time since Jackie Chan was a major box office draw and many of those films were successes for other reason. This film might tickle the interests of revenge/thriller fans, but that group doesn’t appear to be that large these days.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Happy Death Day

Premise: From IMDb: “Tree must relive the same day over and over again until she figures out who is trying to kill her and why.”
Box Office Prospects: $20 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The film doesn’t sound that appealing and for a niche horror film to truly succeed, it needs to engage the primal interests of horror fans. I’m afraid it hasn’t done well on that front so far.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Marshall

Premise: From IMDb: “About a young Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.”
Box Office Prospects: $35 M
Expectations: Uncertain. This period biopic doesn’t have a lot going for it. A number of films about prominent historical figures haven’t had a lot of box office success in recent years, though this one might be an exception.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. It’s hard to keep count of how many performances Chadwick Boseman has been in the Oscar conversation for, but I suspect the same will surround this film. A period drama examining a key figure in American history. Whether it succeeds with Oscar depends entirely on how good it is.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Breathe (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Based on the true story of Robin (Garfield), a handsome, brilliant and adventurous man whose life takes a dramatic turn when polio leaves him paralyzed.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The closest analog to this film would be The Theory of Everything. That film was successful because of the Oscar attention it received. This film seems to be trying for the same trajectory, but I don’t think it will have the same level of support thanks to the lack of famous figure at the center of the story.
Oscar Prospects: Decent. This period drama looks at handicap in a familiar and predictable way. That won’t be enough to lift it to competition status, but Andrew Garfield is sure to be in the conversation for a Best Actor nomination.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Goodbye Christopher Robin (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A behind-the-scenes look at the life of author A.A. Milne and the creation of the Winnie the Pooh stories inspired by his son C.R. Milne.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Weak. Poor advertising, an interesting but flawed premise, and a lead that doesn’t exactly inspire box office chatter suggest an unexceptional performance.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. The film seems to have lost a bit of steam recently and doesn’t seem to have a lot of hope of scoring Oscar nominations now that we’ve seen its trailer.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 20, 2017

Boo 2! A Madea Halloween

Premise: From IMDb: “Madea, Bam, and Hattie venture to a haunted campground and the group must literally run for their lives when monsters, goblins, and the boogeyman are unleashed.”
Box Office Prospects: $75 M
Expectations: Good. The previous film was a hit in October of last year. This year, they are trying to hit another one out of the park. The box office tallies should be on par, but may end up lower if it doesn’t improve upon its predecessor.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Geostorm

Premise: From IMDb: “When the network of satellites designed to control the global climate start to attack Earth, it’s a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything and everyone.”
Box Office Prospects: $35 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Producers really want a box office phenomenon on the scale of The Day After Tomorrow, but the film looks outlandish beyond belief, which may hinder its potential for success.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. It could be a Best Visual Effects contender, but long gone are the days of mediocre films truly competing there even if they have Transformers in the title.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Only the Brave

Premise: From IMDb: “A drama based on the elite crew of firemen from Prescott, Arizona who battled a wildfire in Yarnell, AZ Iin June 2013 that claimed the lives of 19 of their members.”
Box Office Prospects: $80 M
Expectations: Good. Although the premises aren’t that alike, the last major film about firefighters to succeed at the box office was Backdraft 26 years ago. There are similarities there, which could bolster its chances at the box office, especially in the face of more wildfires across several northwestern states.
Oscar Prospects: Good. While the film won’t be a competitor in major categories, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, and Visual Effects all have potential for the film.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Same Kind of Different As Me

Premise: From IMDb: “A modern-day slave, an international art dealer, and the unlikely woman who bound them together.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Weak. This film has been delayed for some time and its white savior narrative isn’t likely to play well at today’s box office.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Snowman

Premise: From IMDb: “Detective Harry Hole investigates the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. With only two American releases under his belt, Tomas Alfredson doesn’t have much of a track record for building box office success, but the film looks far more acceessible than his prior two films, which could give it an advantage at the box office. Of course, it’s facing off against a number of potential blockbusters, which could hinder its potential.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Tomas Alfredson hasn’t had a lot of Oscar success and although this seems like an engaging and interesting thriller, the Academy doesn’t tend to recognize them with much frequency.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Wonderstruck (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Decent. Todd Haynes, as a director, hasn’t had much box office success, but that is unimportant to him as long as he makes a quality film. Will he ever have a runaway success? It’s doubtful considering his narrative foci.
Oscar Prospects: Good. While Todd Haynes hasn’t had much luck in the Best Picture or Best Director departments, he knows how to make films that not only score acting nominations, but also technical ones. This film looks like it could follow a similar path.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 27, 2017

Jigsaw

Premise: From IMDb: “Bodies are turning up around the city, each having met a uniquely gruesome demise. As the investigation proceeds, evidence points to one man: John Kramer. But how can this be? The man known as Jigsaw has been dead for over a decade.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Good. Apart from the original film, which sits in 5th place on the franchise’s box office success list, the Saw series saw a slow downward progression in its box office tallies. We’re now seven years removed from the last film. Is that enough to give it a boost at the box office? Producers hope so.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Suburbicon

Premise: From IMDb: “A home invasion rattles a quiet family town.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Good. Commercial success hasn’t been a hallmark of director George Clooney’s filmography. His last film was his most successful at $78 million. That’s largely due to the lack of broadly appealing subjects he tackles. This film looks more like something audiences might give a chance.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. While the film boasts the writing credits of the Coen brothers, most who’ve seen it say it isn’t quite a Coen film, which will hinder its Oscar chances. While George Clooney started out his directorial career with some success, Good Night, and Good Luck. is his only one so far. This could be a spoiler, but so far it doesn’t seem like it has much of a chance.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Thank You for Your Service

Premise: From IMDb: “A look at how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder affects American servicemen and women returning home from war.”
Box Office Prospects: $35 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Attempting to mine patriotism for box office business has been a recent trend, but not necessarily a successful one. While this film isn’t directed by Peter Berg, it very much feels like a film he might make and his last attempt didn’t go so well doing just over $31 million in business. That’s after a string of stronger performances. Of course, director Joseph Kosinski has two prior film, both of which were minor successes, so he could be onto something. Those films, however, were box office catnip. This film is not.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Killing of the Sacred Deer (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A teenager’s attempts to bring a brilliant surgeon into his dysfunctional family take an unexpected turn.”
Box Office Prospects: $9 M
Expectations: Uncertain. There’s not a big market for the films of Yorgos Lanthimos. The Lobster benefited from strong critical acclaim and Oscar consideration. This film won’t have as much luck. His latest film, however, has an added weapon in Nicole Kidman who has had some success bringing people to theaters. I suspect it won’t be much of a boost for this kind of movie.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. While Yorgos Lanthimos broke through to the Oscars with The Lobster, don’t expect this film to be much more successful. A writing nomination could be possible and an acting citation isn’t too far out of the realm of possibility, but the rest of the film just hasn’t had the support from the festival circuit to be a major competitor.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Novitiate (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Set in the early 1960s and during the era of Vatican II, a young woman in training to become a nun struggles with issues of faith, the changing church and sexuality.”
Box Office Prospects: $2.5 M
Expectations: Weak. There isn’t a big market for this type of film and even if Melissa Leo earns an Oscar nomination, the film will still struggle mightily at the specialty box office.
Oscar Prospects: Good. While the film hasn’t had a lot of early previews, talk of former Oscar winner Melissa Leo picking up another nomination has been strong.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.