Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

March 3, 2017

Before I Fall

Premise: From IMDb: “February 12 is just another day in Sam’s charmed life until it turns out to be her last. Stuck reliving her last day over one inexplicable week, Sam untangles the mystery around her death and discovers everything she’s in danger of losing. ”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. While the concept should appeal to tweens and many adults, it hasn’t had nearly the level of advertising needed to be a breakaway hit.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Logan

Premise: From IMDb: “Set in the future, Logan and Professor Charles Xavier must cope with the loss of the X-Men when a corporation lead by Nathaniel Essex is bent on destroying the world. With Logan’s healing abilities slowly fading away and Xavier’s Alzheimer’s forcing him to forget Logan must defeat Nathaniel Essex with the help of a young girl named Laura Kinney, a female clone of Wolverine. (NOTE: References a character not listed in the IMDb list of characters, thus this description may not be 100% accurate)”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. The first Wolverine film did $179 million in business. The sequel went out with only $132 million. Those are roughly the middle and bottom of the X-Men pack, so I wouldn’t expect the final Wolverine installment to outperform the first film, but it should do better than the second one.
Oscar Prospects: Poor. While some might clamor for Hugh Jackman to earn a nomination for this (or even Patrick Stewart), the Academy is afraid of superhero movies, so above-the-line recognitions aren’t likely to be forthcoming.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Shack

Premise: From IMDb: “A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called “The Shack.” ”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Good. Inspirational films can usually do well with audiences and Octavia Spencer is a fairly recognizable commodity. That it’s based on a popular book should help, but I doubt it will be a runaway success.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Table 19 (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Ex-maid of honor Eloise – having been relieved of her duties after being unceremoniously dumped by the best man via text- decides to attend the wedding anyway only to find herself seated with 5 “random” guests at the dreaded Table 19.”
Box Office Prospects: $1.5 M
Expectations: Weak. An indie comedy releasing in limited theaters isn’t exactly a formula for success.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

March 10, 2017

Kong: Skull Island

Premise: From IMDb: “An action/adventure story centered on King Kong’s origins.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. Peter Jackson’s King Kong 12 years ago was a smash hit, as was the 1976 version. This is the first that isn’t the classic story, so it may not be able to drum up nearly as much business. Those films made close to the same amount of money, over $200 million adjusted for inflation. This film may struggle to get to that.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The first King Kong film in 1933 wasn’t an Oscar player. The second picked up two nominations while the third won three of four nominations. I doubt the upward trend will continue, but this film has to be seen as a potential Oscar nominee, especially in tech categories. However, competition today is much more fierce than it was in 2005.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Ottoman Lieutenant (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “The Ottoman Lieutenant is a love story between an idealistic American nurse and a Turkish officer in World War I. ”
Box Office Prospects: $2.5 M
Expectations: Weak. The film is opening at the specialty box office, which will limit its chance at box office glory. A platform release is possible if critics support it.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The film looks like the kind of movie that might once have dominated the Oscars, but these day such films are hardly Oscar bait, especially ones with so few extremely recognizable faces.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Personal Shopper (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Revolves around a ghost story that takes place in the fashion underworld of Paris.”
Box Office Prospects: $1.7 M
Expectations: Decent. Olivier Assayas’ last two major films (Clouds of Sils Maria and Summer Hours) performed about the same, so I wouldn’t expect much more or less than that.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Some thought Kristen Stewart would claim an Oscar nomination for her performance in Sils Maria, but she didn’t. The same might be discussed for this film, but I’m sure it will probably go the same direction.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

March 17, 2017

Beauty and the Beast

Premise: From IMDb: “An adaptation of the Disney fairy-tale about a monstrous prince and a young woman who fall in love.”
Box Office Prospects: $300 M
Expectations: Excellent. Disney has made great successes out of its previous live-action adaptations. There’s no reason to believe the same won’t be true for one of their all-time favorite musicals.
Oscar Prospects: Excellent. Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film ever nominated for Best Picture. While I doubt this remake will be able to accomplish the same feat, the downballot categories are sure to fall in line. There are new original songs, it’s sure to figure in Production Design, Costume Design, Makeup & Hairstyling, and Sound Mixing. With that many categories in play, it could end up a Best Picture nominee as well.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Belko Experiment

Premise: From IMDb: “In a twisted social experiment, a group of 80 Americans are locked in their high-rise corporate office in Bogata, Colombia and ordered by an unknown voice coming from the company’s intercom system to participate in a deadly game of kill or be killed.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Decent. This type of film may not be the blockbuster type, but it’s a concept that can sell quite well and they have done some solid advertising for it.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

T2: Trainspotting (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A sequel to Trainspotting.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Uncertain. It’s been 20 years since the original film hit the big screen. It was a decent sized specialty success taking in over $16 million. The problem is that many films can’t take a 20-year hiatus and still maintain their relevance or interest. This one might be different, but I’m not expecting too much out of it at this juncture.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

March 24, 2017

CHiPs

Premise: From IMDb: “The adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers as they make their rounds on the freeways of Los Angeles.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The first trailer wasn’t good and it’s likely that most fans of the original show will turn their noses up at this pale imitation. That said, there are a lot of younger folk who will tune into the insanity and give it a go.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Life

Premise: From IMDb: “An international space crew discovers life on Mars.”
Box Office Prospects: $110 M
Expectations: Good. Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds in a science fiction film together, one that deals with alien lifeforms? That sounds like box office gold to me. It may not perform as well as some recent sci-fi spectacles, but it should perform well enough to be a success.
Oscar Prospects: Good. It may eb an early release, but special effects films will all be Oscar contenders. It’s whether they’ll get nominated that’s the question and I don’t think this will have original content to get there, but if critics love it and carry it into the year-end awards, it could pick up a few citations.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Power Rangers

Premise: From IMDb: “A group of high-school kids, who are infused with unique superpowers, harness their abilities in order to save the world.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. 22 year ago, the first Power Rangers movie brought in a decent $75 million. Are the characters still popular enough to earn that level of busines now? It’s doubtful, but surprises are just that: surprising.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Wilson (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A lonely, neurotic and hilariously honest middle-aged man reunites with his estranged wife and meets his teenage daughter for the first time.”
Box Office Prospects: $2 M
Expectations: Uncertain. It’s the kind of comedy that the specialty box office can get behind. If it strikes the right interest level, it could blow my predictions away and go wide.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. There will probably be some chatter for past Oscar nominee Woody Harrleson getting a nomination, but you don’t release an Oscar contender in March, especially one that requires expoure.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

March 31, 2017

The Boss Baby

Premise: From IMDb: “A suit-wearing briefcase-carrying baby pairs up with his seven-year old brother to stop the dastardly plot of the CEO of Puppy Co.”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Animated films can and do often make boatloads of cash at the box office. Yet, duds still show up, especially ones that are built on flimsy premises like this. Storks is the best comparison and that film pulled in just over $72 million, which isn’t nearly as much as its contemporaries can command.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Ghost in the Shell

Premise: From IMDb: “A cyborg policewoman attempts to bring down a nefarious computer hacker.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Good. It’s amazing how well Lucy did on the back of Scarlett Johansson’s performance. Her everpresence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe gives her exposure. Throw in the futuristic re-adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, and she could have another hit on her hands.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Step Sisters

Premise: From IMDb: “Jamilah has her whole life figured out. She’s the president of her black sorority, captain of their champion step dance crew, is student liaison to the college dean, and her next move is on to Harvard Law School. She’s got it all, right? But when the hard-partying white girls from Sigma Beta Beta embarrass the school, Jamilah is ordered to come to the rescue. Her mission is to not only teach the rhythmically-challenged girls how to step dance, but to win the Steptacular, the most competitive of dance competitions. With the SBBs reputations and charter on the line, and Jamilah’s dream of attending Harvard in jeopardy, these outcast screw-ups and their unlikely teacher stumble through one hilarious misstep after another. Cultures clash, romance blossoms, and sisterhood prevails as everyone steps out of their comfort zones.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Poor. The film hasn’t had much in the way of advertising so far and is very likely to be pushed back all things considered. I wouldn’t expect much at all from this film.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: No trailers available prior to deadline.

The Zookeeper’s Wife

Premise: From IMDb: “The Zookeeper’s Wife tells the account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the Nazi invasion.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Weak. A period drama with Jessica Chastain in the lead could be a sleeper hit based solely on the popularity of the book on which it’s based. I suspect, however, that the film will fail to live up to expectations and will fade quickly.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The Academy doesn’t love costume dramas the way it once did, but if Niki Caro’s film can win over critics, it could be a major player with Jessica Chastain finally having a vehicle that can lead her to Oscar glory. Unfortunately, things don’t look that promising.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.