Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

September 1, 2017

Unlocked

Premise: From IMDb: “A CIA interrogator is lured into a ruse that puts London at risk of a biological attack.”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Weak. The film is being released on one of the worst days of the year for box office success, so it will likely be a failure.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

September 8, 2017

9/11

Premise: From IMDb: “A group of 5 people find themselves trapped in an elevator in the World Trade Center’s North Tower on 9/11. They work together, never giving up hope, to try to escape before the unthinkable happens.”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Weak. No one asked for this film and it’s unlikely that anyone will give it much notice.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Home Again

Premise: From IMDb: “Life for a single mom in Los Angeles takes an unexpected turn when she allows three young guys to move in with her.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Reese Witherspoon hasn’t been a box office draw, so I’m not quite sure what her film’s prospects are. However, I’m pretty sure it won’t be for much.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

It

Premise: From IMDb: “In a small town of Derry, Maine, seven children come face to face with life problems, bullies and a monster that takes the shape of a clown called Pennywise.”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Decent. The TV miniseries is the gold standard of Stephen King adaptations. I cannot see how a film like this, which eliminates the time-hopping narrative in favor of a singular story, will please many fans of the lengthy King novel.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

September 15, 2017

All I See Is You

Premise: From IMDb: “A blind woman’s relationship with her husband changes when she regains her sight and discovers disturbing details about themselves.”
Box Office Prospects: $10 M
Expectations: Uncertain. For a film listed as releasing wide, there sure isn’t a lot of information out there about the film. My bet is that it gets pushed back.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: No preview available at this time.

American Assassin

Premise: From IMDb: “A story centered on counterterrorism agent Mitch Rapp.”
Box Office Prospects: $55 M
Expectations: Decent. The cast could bolster the film’s box office potential, but it still seems like a tough sell for a movie.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

mother!

Premise: From IMDb: “A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.”
Box Office Prospects: $80 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Darren Aronofsky has, surprisingly, generated back-to-back hits with Black Swan and Noah. I suspect this film will be harder to generate buzz for and will subsequently underperform those two films, but still do well enough.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Aronofsky’s films have been Oscar magnets on three occasions and Oscar-ignored on three, so whether this one will follow Black Swan, The Wrestler, or even Requiem for a Dream remains to be seen.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

September 22, 2017

Friend Request

Premise: From IMDb: “When a college student unfriends a mysterious girl online, she finds herself fighting a demonic presence that wants to make her lonely by killing her closest friends.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Weak. That the film has been pushed back almost a year suggests there isn’t much confidence in it, so I suspect it will be completely forgotten against the two stronger performers releasing this same weekend.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle

Premise: From IMDb: “When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, the Kingsman’s journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US. These two elite secret organizations must band together to defeat a common enemy.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. The first film was a surprise $128 million hit, so I suspect this sequel will perform well, likely outperforming the predecessor thanks to the excellent additions to the cast.
Oscar Prospects: Doubtful. The first film wasn’t an Oscar contender, so I suspect that even if this one were popular, there aren’t many places that it could successfully be campaigned.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Lego Ninjago Movie

Premise: From IMDb: “Six young ninjas Lloyd, Jay, Kai, Cole, Zane and Nya are tasked with defending their island home, called Ninjago. By night, they’re gifted warriors, using their skills and awesome fleet of vehicles to fight villains and monsters. By day, they’re ordinary teens struggling against their greatest enemy: high school.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Decent. The Lego Movie was a huge success with $257 million while The Lego Batman Movie from earlier this year did surprisingly light business ending with only $175 million. This film, which is based on a popular, though not as popular as Batman property, should still do well, but might struggle to top $100 million.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. With The Lego Batman Movie a key contender for a Best Animated Feature nomination, having two Lego movies in competition might be too much. Considering the Academy’s animation branch ignored The Lego Movie, a double reversal seems unlikely.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Battle of the Sexes (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “The true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Decent. For a biopic starring Steve Carell and Emma Stone, it could be a hit, but as it’s a limited release looking for Oscar consideration, I doubt it will overperform.
Oscar Prospects: Decent. Although the film has been discussed as a major Oscar player since it was announced, the fact that it’s releasing in September might not be a great sign. It will need strong support from critics to hold on until December.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Stronger (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A victim of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 helps the police track down the killers while struggling to recover from devastating trauma.”
Box Office Prospects: $20 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Patriots Day, also about the Boston Marathon Bombing, made only $31 million in limited release, though Mark Wahlberg isn’t as big a draw as Jake Gyllenhaal. Still, this film looks to be a more subdued character drama, which might hinder its chances.
Oscar Prospects: Doubtful. The September release hurts the film’s chance and Jake Gyllenhaal will have some incredibly stiff competition this year, so unless he’s at the absolute top of his game, and critics absolute adore the performance and film, I suspect the Academy will forget about him by the time they cast ballots.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Victoria and Abdul (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.”
Box Office Prospects: $10 M
Expectations: Weak. If it becomes an Oscar contender, it could do better than this, but a colonial drama about Queen Victoria and the young man who teaches her to embrace new things isn’t box office catnip.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Judi Dench has played many a queen and so it would seem her playing Queen Victoria might be a chance for the Academy to recognize the aging thespian. Still, competition is fierce and there are plenty of underrewarded figures in competition this year, so it’s possible she gets ignored.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

September 29, 2017

American Made

Premise: From IMDb: “A pilot lands work for the CIA and as a drug runner in the south during the 1980s.”
Box Office Prospects: $75 M
Expectations: Decent. Tom Cruise is a box office draw regardless of his public antics. His flms rarely make less than $70 million, even the atrocious ones, so I suspect that this one will still be successful.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Flatliners

Premise: From IMDb: “Medical students experiment on “near death” experiences that involve past tragedies until the dark consequences begin to jeopardize their lives.”
Box Office Prospects: $55 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The original film made $61 million in 1990 dollars, which is about $129 million by today’s standards. The last time a semi-popular 1980s/1990s genre film was remade (Red Dawn), the new film made only slightly more in 2012 dollars than it did in 1984 dollars. As such, I’d suspect a similar situation to befall this remake, except in reverse, making less than the predecessor.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.