Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

May 6, 2022

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Premise: From IMDb: “Dr. Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens the doorway to the multiverse, including a alternate versions of himself, whose threat to humanity is too great for the combined forces of Strange, Wong, and Wanda Maximoff.”
Box Office Prospects: $300 M
Expectations: Excellent. The first film pulled in $232 million. After six years, that number is sure to go up, but will it be enough to surpass the original when adjusted for inflation? It’s not certain.
Oscar Prospects: Good. After Spider-Man: No Way Home, the multiverse is likely to be a Visual Effects powerhouse for the MCU.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

May 13, 2022

Firestarter

Premise: From IMDb: “A young girl tries to understand how she mysteriously gained the power to set things on fire with her mind.”
Box Office Prospects: $55 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Re-adapting Stephen King novels is a dangerous proposition. The original film, starring Drew Barrymore, is well remembered, but can this one follow in the footsteps of It? I dubious.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

May 20, 2022

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Premise: From IMDb: “Follow-up to the 2019 feature film in which the Crawley family and Downton staff received a royal visit from the King and Queen of Great Britain.”
Box Office Prospects: $85 M
Expectations: Uncertain. When you look back at the popular television show, it wouldn’t have been the first one to sound like a loss leader at the box office, but the first filmic adaptation pulled in nearly $100 million. It’s been a long time since that film released and the demographic that made it a success is probably still a bit pandemic shy, so I expect a diminished result.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. Television adaptations to the big screen aren’t often Oscar contenders, just ask The Simpsons Movie and the first Downton Abbey film. Both got bupkis.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Men (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A young woman goes on a solo vacation to the English countryside after the death of her ex-husband.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Alex Garland’s films, while often well regarded just don’t make a dent at the box office. This one has a mysterious trailer, which isn’t likely to pull in a lot of people as the genre it’s going for is indeterminate.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

May 27, 2022

Bob’s Burgers

Premise: From IMDb: “The Belchers’ trying to save the restaurant from closing as a sinkhole forms in front of it while the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family’s restaurant.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The Simpsons Movie was a strong box office player, but almost everyone had heard of or seen that show. This is a less broadly familiar effort and the trailer seems targeted at only fans of the series, which won’t help it break out at the box office.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Top Gun: Maverick

Premise: From IMDb: “After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Uncertain. This sequel to the popular 1986 film will be a test of audience patience with the rehashing of 1980s films for financial gain. No one asked for this and it’s unclear if anyone will truly be excited about it even with Tom Cruise in the starring role.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. In 1986, not only was Top Gun a box office success, it managed to score four Oscar nominations. One of the categories it was cited in is gone, but Sound, Original Song, and Film Editing are still available. It is not likely that it will figure in any of those races, but if it’s a big enough hit, Oscar voters may be willing to give it some attention.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.