Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

August 4, 2017

The Dark Tower

Premise: From IMDb: “The Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, roams an Old West-like landscape where “the world has moved on” in pursuit of the man in black. Also searching for the fabled Dark Tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. Although Matthew McConaughey’s recent track record at the box office isn’t exciting and Idris Elba hasn’t yet been tested, this popular Stephen King adaptation could be a solid hit for the late summer.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Depending on how critics receive it (and, to a lesser extent, audiences), it could compete in creative categories; however, with some (or much?) of the action taking place in a modern Earth, I suspect its chances at Best Visual Effects and the sound categories may be its only hope.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Detroit

Premise: From IMDb: “A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest citizen uprisings in the United States’ history.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. While films that tackle racism in a serious way haven’t exactly been box office catnip, this film could bring a lot of folk to the theater. How many isn’t certain, though.
Oscar Prospects: Good. Right now, this film is one of the major Oscar contenders based on subject matter and directorial involvement (Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow). The problem is that it’s releasing in August, which is precisely the wrong place for it to release to be a major Oscar player. If it falters at the box office and/or critics savage it, the film could become DOA PDQ.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Kidnap

Premise: From IMDb: “A mother stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Weak. This film has been bounced around thanks to its production house financial woes. It sounds like an uncomplicated premise and Halle Berry has never proven herself a box office draw, so I suspect this film is being dumped against two bigger players and will suffer as a result.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Wind River (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “An FBI agent teams with the town’s veteran game tracker to investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation.”
Box Office Prospects: $0.75 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The subject is rife for controversy (white folk coming into Native American territory to solve a crime), but it’s by popular critical darling Taylor Sheridan, so it could have specialty box office appeal even if it can’t ever go wide.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

August 11, 2017

Annabelle: Creation

Premise: From IMDb: “Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.”
Box Office Prospects: $95 M
Expectations: Uncertain. At what point do studios stop milking their horror properties? This is probably the point. The first Conjuring was a huge success, its sequel was less so. This could be a further drop in popularity, but without suitable alternatives at the box office, it will probably still be popular.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Glass Castle

Premise: From IMDb: “A young girl comes of age in a dysfunctional family of nonconformist nomads with a mother who’s an eccentric artist and an alcoholic father who would stir the children’s imagination with hope as a distraction to their poverty. ”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Good. While I doubt a wide release actually happens, the film has good potential to be a platform-release hit. It’s based on a popular memoir, but that won’t be enough to make it a box office success.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. Everything about this project seems like a solid bet for Oscar consideration; however, the August release is worrisome. Destin Cretton’s Short Term 12, which helped launch Brie Larson towards an eventual Oscar win, was a brilliant film and showed he had great potential, so this could be a major player.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

Premise: From IMDb: “Following the events of the first film, Surly and his friends must stop Oakton City’s mayor from destroying their home to make way for a dysfunctional amusement park.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The first film was a surprise hit and without major competition, this one could do well also, but the I suspect it doesn’t have the kind of appeal a proper major animation series needs and will ultimately be a disappointment.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Good Time (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A bank robber finds himself unable to evade those who are looking for him.”
Box Office Prospects: $1.5 M
Expectations: Decent. At the specialty box office, the film is likely to parlay its festival buzz into a minor boon. However, this is the kind of movie that seems a bit stale in execution and the trailer doesn’t pay it many favors, so a runaway hit is unlikely.
Oscar Prospects: Poor. The film was well received on the festival circuit, but that kind of attention doesn’t always translate to Oscar success. That’s especially true considering this year’s competition. Ultimately, I suspect the film might make a small play for a screenwriting citation, but will be othewise ignored.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Ingrid Goes West (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Ingrid Thorburn (Plaza), a mentally disturbed young woman, becomes obsessed with Taylor Sloane (Olsen), a social media star who appears to have the perfect life. But when Ingrid decides to drop everything and move west to befriend Taylor, her behavior turns unsettling and increasingly dangerous.”
Box Office Prospects: $3 M
Expectations: Decent. It’s the kind of dark comedy that specialty box office watchers love to check out. It stars a couple of prominent indie players (Aubrey Plaza and Elisabeth Olsen) and is, based on early word of mouth, a humorous comedy. This should help it do modestly well on the indie circuit.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Only Living Boy in New York (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Adrift in New York City, a recent college graduate’s life is upended by his father’s mistress.”
Box Office Prospects: $2 M
Expectations: Weak. This is the kind of movie that feels like every other romantic dramedy that’s been made in the last two decades. As a result, I can’t imagine it performing well. It’s directed by Marc Webb, which could give it a boost, especially if critics respond well to it as they have so many others. The problem is that the film’s premise is problematic and may just not have broad enough appeal.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Trip to Spain (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embark on a 6 part episodic road trip through Spain. Sampling the restaurants, eateries and sights along the way.”
Box Office Prospects: $3 M
Expectations: Good. The prior two films in this series have performed well at the specialty box office. I expect the same for this film.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

August 18, 2017

The Hitman’s Bodyguard

Premise: From IMDb: “The world’s top bodyguard gets a new client, a hit man who must testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences aside and work together to make it to the trial on time.”
Box Office Prospects: $110 M
Expectations: Good. With precious little against which to compete, this Samuel L. Jackson/Ryan Reynolds R-rated comedy has the potential to become a huge late-summer hit.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Logan Lucky

Premise: From IMDb: “Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The premise has been done before, but positioned at a NASCAR event might bolster its performance potential with blue-collar types in he Midwest, which could help it to box office success. Of course, against something like Hitman’s Bodyguard, it’s potential is heavily diminished.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

August 25, 2017

All Saints

Premise: From IMDb: “ALL SAINTS is based on the inspiring true story of salesman-turned-pastor Michael Spurlock (John Corbett), the tiny church he was ordered to shut down, and a group of refugees from Southeast Asia. Together, they risked everything to plant seeds for a future that might just save them all.”
Box Office Prospects: $20 M
Expectations: Poor. This looks like a faith-based film and most of those haven’t been performing well at the box office. The August release may be further harmful. This seems like a pre-Labor Day Dump film.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Birth of the Dragon

Premise: From IMDb: “Set against the backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, BIRTH OF THE DRAGON is a modern take on the classic movies that Bruce Lee was known for. It takes its inspiration from the epic and still controversial showdown between an up-and-coming Bruce Lee and kung fu master Wong Jack Man – a battle that gave birth to a legend.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Weak. The advertisement campaign has been virtually nil, making a case for the film’s box office success fade. The subject matter might appeal to Bruce Lee fans, but several similar productions in the past haven’t exactly burnt up the box office.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Crown Heights

Premise: From IMDb: “When Colin Warner is wrongfully convicted of murder, his best friend Carl King devotes his life to proving Colin’s innocence.”
Box Office Prospects: $10 M
Expectations: Poor. For an August release to have no prominent trailer out and no advertising campaign, this is likely to be a major dud.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: No preview was available at the time of posting.

Polaroid

Premise: From IMDb: “Polaroid is styled in the vein of The Ring and Final Destination and centers on a high school loner, Bird Fitcher, who stumbles upon a vintage Polaroid camera. Bird soon learns that the camera houses a terrible secret: whoever has their picture taken by it meets a tragic and violent end. The girl and her friends must survive one more night as they race to solve the mystery of the haunted Polaroid before it kills them all.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Weak. Horror hasn’t had much luck this year (or much in recent years either). The release window is problematic as well. This suggests the film might open weakly and fade fast afterwards (like horror films are wont to do).
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Tulip Fever (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “An artist falls for a young married woman while he’s commissioned to paint her portrait during the Tulip mania of 17th century Amsterdam.”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Decent. Period films like this one are catnip on the specialty circuit. While it will never be a huge hit, it will perform well enough to make a small sum.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The film looks to have been dumped, but that won’t stop the designers and costume designers of the Academy from considering the film. While I doubt it will ultimately be nominated, it has modest potential.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.