Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

October 1, 2021

The Addams Family 2

Premise: From IMDb: “The Addams get tangled up in more wacky adventures and find themselves involved in hilarious run-ins with all sorts of unsuspecting characters. Sequel to the 2019 animated film, ‘The Addams Family’.”
Box Office Prospects: $90 M
Expectations: Good. The first animated film scored nearly $100 million in its outing two years ago. The pandemic has changed the box office a bit, so it might struggle to reach that threshold, but kids’ films have been faring better than addult entertainment lately, so it’s possible to equal out.
Oscar Prospects: Poor. The first film failed to score an Oscar nomination and sequels struggle a great deal, so don’t expect it.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Many Saints of Newark

Premise: From IMDb: “A look at the formative years of New Jersey gangster, Tony Soprano.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Will this big screen adaptation of The Sopranos be more in line with the performance of Entourage or Sex and the City? The dichotomy between these two HBO-to-big screen adaptations is night and day. While Sopranos was a hit, both in terms of viewership and in terms of critical acclaim, this attempt to recapture that magic is more likely to fail.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Premise: From IMDb: “Eddie Brock struggles to adjust to his new life as the host of the alien symbiote Venom, which grants him super-human abilities in order to be a lethal vigilante. Brock attempts to reignite his career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady, who becomes the host of the symbiote Carnage and escapes prison after a failed execution.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. The pandemic will decrease its potential, but the first Venom scored over $200 million at the box office, suggesting there’s plenty of interest in the character. The solid reviews also helped. Depending on reviews and the need for audiences to see what happens next, this one could be a pandemic it or an underwhelming outing.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The first film didn’t score any nominations, so it’s doubtful this one can as well, but Best Visual Effects is always a potential.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 8, 2021

No Time to Die

Premise: From IMDb: “Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. Despite the wildly uneven quality of the James Bond films over the decades, they have remained a consistent box office draw. The pandemic pushed this one out of its 2020 berth, but things haven’t improved that much, so we’ll see if it sticks the landing this time. It will have a weaker performance simply because of a lack of audience attention, but it still should do quite well.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The songs from the film used to be ignored by the Academy, now they can’t get enough of them, giving the Oscar twice in a row now to Bond title tracks, with the terrible song from Spectre being one of the weaker winners the category has seen in decades. It could still be nomintaed, giving Billie Eilish a nomination, but I doubt it will win.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Mass (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Aftermath of a violent tragedy that affects the lives of two couples in different ways.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Uncertain. While this might seem like a stage-to-screen adaptation, the story is new and it’s not the kind of subject that does great box office, so a mediocre outing should be expected.
Oscar Prospects: Good. Early reviews have been excellent with all four actors scoring acclaim and the film itself picking up its own momentum. The film could be a solid Oscar performer and could be the first in years to score nominations in all four acting categories. Nominations in a few other categories are also possible.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 15, 2021

Halloween Kills

Premise: From IMDb: “The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode continues in the next thrilling chapter of the Halloween series.”
Box Office Prospects: $95 M
Expectations: Good. The 2018 revival of the Halloween franchise was a huge success, so the sequel should do solid busines.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The Last Duel

Premise: From IMDb: “King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. This is the kind of film that either energizes viewers or turns them off. It’s hard to tell from trailers, but the cast suggests it might do well.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. The film has a lot of potential for Oscar consideration, though early word is that it’s not nearly as good as it wanted to be. That might be a hindrance in top categories, but the below the line categories are still possible.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 22, 2021

Dune

Premise: From IMDb: “Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. The prospects of one of the most popular sci-fi novels of all-time doing good box office is high.
Oscar Prospects: Good. While the film didn’t capture the full imaginations of those who saw it on the festival circuit, it still has plenty of elements that Oscar voters can swoon over.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Ron’s Gone Wrong

Premise: From IMDb: “The story of Barney, an awkward middle-schooler and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally-connected device. Ron’s malfunctions set against the backdrop of the social media age launch them on a journey to learn about true friendship.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Good. Animated films do well at the pandemic box office and this one has an overload of cuteness, which should help.
Oscar Prospects: Good. There isn’t a lot of competition so far this year, so a Best Animated Feature nomination seems plausible.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

The French Dispatch (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in “The French Dispatch” magazine.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Wes Anderson has an upper limit to the popularity his films have at the box office. Even his most popular weren’t mega-successes at the box office. The pandemic box office might just depress enthusiasm further.
Oscar Prospects: Good. Now that Wes Anderson has broken through the Oscar ceiling, his latest film should score a handful of nominations, mostly in tech categories, but depending on the quality, some top tier ones are also possible.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

October 29, 2021

Antlers

Premise: From IMDb: “A small-town Oregon teacher and her brother, the local sheriff, become entwined with a young student harboring a dangerous secret with frightening consequences.”
Box Office Prospects: $12 M
Expectations: Uncertain. This film has been put off for quite some time and horror, while popular, doesn’t always pull in huge numbers at the box office.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Last Night in Soho

Premise: From IMDb: “A young girl, passionate about fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer. But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to fall apart with shady consequences.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Director Edgar Wright used to pull in niche audiences to his films, but after Ant-Man, his follow up was a major success. That said, Wright’s films aren’t everyone’s cups of tea and this one has some mediocre and hostile reviews to weigh down its expectations.
Oscar Prospects: Doubtful. Before critics had their say, the film seemed like the kind of hyper-stylish film that could pull in craft nominations, but even that seems less likely at this point.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.