Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

March 4, 2016

Desierto

Premise: From IMDb: “A group of people trying to cross the border from Mexico into the United States encounter a man who has taken border patrol duties into his own racist hands.”
Box Office Prospects: $20 M
Expectations: Weak. This seems like the kind of film that should receive a limited release and then platform based on word of mouth. It seems like the kind of film that will get lost against bigger films.
Oscar Prospects: None.
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London Has Fallen

Premise: From IMDb: “In London for the Prime Minister’s funeral, Mike Banning discovers a plot to assassinate all the attending world leaders.”
Box Office Prospects: $85 M
Expectations: Decent. The original film scored a surprise $98 million at the box office. It did well enough, in fact, to merit a sequel, this time set in London. While some will want to see what happens to their favorite POTUS and Secret Service agent, the foreign setting paired with audiences that aren’t always appreciative of redundancy may just mean the film doesn’t live up to the same expectations.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Premise: From IMDb: “A journalist recounts her wartime coverage in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Decent. Tina Fey doesn’t have the greatest track record at the box office, but she’s done fairly well across all of her films. That being said, this Afghanistan-set political comedy might not draw much interest from her less enlightened fans.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

Zootopia

Premise: From IMDb: “In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a fugitive con artist fox and a rookie bunny cop must work together to uncover a conspiracy.”
Box Office Prospects: $190 M
Expectations: Good. If it weren’t for the Disney association, I might suspect that this film would end up on the Over the Hedge end of the animation spectrum, around $155 million. However, this is Disney and their last four major efforts (Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen and Big Hero 6) were all massive hits, each approaching, hitting or exceeding the $200 million range. However, this is their first such film releasing early in the year, which might depress audience interest a bit. On top of that, the film doesn’t feel like it hits the level of broad interest those other films did.
Oscar Prospects: Good. A nomination is almost assured. It’s Disney, after all. However, if it’s a disappointment like The Good Dinosaur was, it might be on the bubble. It certainly doesn’t seem like a pre-destined winner.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

Knight of Cups (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A screenwriter living in LA tries to make sense of the strange events occurring around him.”
Box Office Prospects: $700 K
Expectations: Poor. Unless critics supports his films, Terrence Malick has no box office clout. His last film made less than $1 million a the box office. I suspect we’re about to have another performance in that range.
Oscar Prospects: Weak. After its festival debut, no one seemed to be giving the film credit. While Malick has a strong track record with the Academy, even To the Wonder‘s acclaimed cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki couldn’t get a nomination.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

March 11, 2016

10 Cloverfield Lane

Premise: From IMDb: “Waking up from a car accident, a young woman finds herself in the basement of a man who says he’s saved her life from a chemical attack that has left the outside uninhabitable.”
Box Office Prospects: $110 M
Expectations: Good. Since Cloverfield‘s release, the film has earned something of a following. While this isn’t a sequel to that found-footage horror flick, this film is set during the same conflict, which should yield plenty of box office bucks.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

The Brothers Grimsby

Premise: From IMDb: “A new assignment forces a top spy to team up with his football hooligan brother.”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Uncertain. His debut as a director, Borat, was a box office smash taking in $128 million at the box office. However, his two subsequent lead roles, Bruno and The Dictator did around $60 million. His brand only has so much clout and I suspect this film will lose out to 10 Cloverfield Lane over generally similar demographics.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

The Other Side of the Door

Premise: From IMDb: “A family lives an idyllic existence abroad until a tragic accident takes the life of their young son. The inconsolable mother learns of an ancient ritual that will bring him back to say a final goodbye. She travels to an ancient temple, where a door serves as a mysterious portal between two worlds. But when she disobeys a sacred warning to never open that door, she upsets the balance between life and death.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Horror films do decent business, but only if they build around a supernatural theme. This one does, but there’s been very little advertising done so far, which suggests it might not have long legs.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

The Perfect Match (NO IMAGE AVAILABLE)

Premise: From IMDb: “Terrence J. stars as Charlie, a playboy who’s convinced that relationships are dead. His two best friends, Donald Faison and Robert C. Riley, bet him that if he sticks to one woman for one month, he’s bound to get attached. Charlie denies this until he crosses paths with the beautiful and mysterious Eva, played by singer/actress Cassie. They may agree to a casual affair, but eventually Charlie is questioning whether he may actually want more.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Weak. Paul Patton hasn’t had a lot of hits and the rest of the cast isn’t particularly recognizable. It could reach its targeted demographic, but not, I don’t think, to a measurable degree.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

The Young Messiah

Premise: From IMDb: “Tells the story of Jesus Christ at age seven as he and his family depart Egypt to return home to Nazareth. Told from his childhood perspective, it follows young Jesus as he grows into his religious identity.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Decent. Positioned during Lent, it could do solid business from Christian audiences, but being a break out hit I wouldn’t expect.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

Eye in the Sky (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A military officer in command of a drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya sees her mission escalate from “capture” to “kill” just as a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone.”
Box Office Prospects: $10 M
Expectations: Uncertain. It’s hard to find an adequate precedent for this kind of film. A film about the use of drones in the fight overseas starring two dominant British thespians seems like it might play better in Europe than it will in the U.S.
Oscar Prospects: Doubtful. There might be a push for a posthumous nomination for Alan Rickman, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. You don’t release to the specialty box office in March if you think you have an Oscar contender on hand.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

Hello, My Name Is Doris (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A self-help seminar inspires a sixty-something woman to romantically pursue her younger co-worker”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Weak. I can’t imagine this being a hit outside of the specialty box office, and even then its chances are meager.
Oscar Prospects: Unlikely. Sally Field was said to give a performance that could merit an Oscar nomination, but the film didn’t secure release in time and has now been buried in March. At this point, I doubt she can hold on until the end of the year.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

March 18, 2016

The Bounce Back (NO IMAGE AVAILABLE)

Premise: From IMDb: “Father, author and relationship expert, Matthew Taylor is on a whirlwind book tour promoting his new best seller, The Bounce Back. He’s got it all figured out until he meets the acerbic Kristin Peralta, a talk show circuit therapist who’s convinced he’s nothing but a charlatan. Matthew’s life is turned upside down when he inadvertently falls for Kristin and has to face painful truth of his past relationship.”
Box Office Prospects: $20 M
Expectations: Weak. I just can’t imagine this film being a huge hit.
Oscar Prospects: None.

Divergent Series: Allegiant

Premise: From IMDb: “Beatrice Prior and Tobias Eaton venture into the world outside of the fence and are taken into protective custody by a mysterious agency known as the Bureau of Genetic Welfare.”
Box Office Prospects: $110 M
Expectations: Decent. The second film earned roughly $20 million less than its predecessor. For the first half of a two-part film, I doubt it will live up to either’s performance.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

Miracles from Heaven

Premise: From IMDb: “A young girl suffering from a rare digestive disorder finds herself miraculously cured after surviving a terrible accident. Based on the book ‘Three Miracles From Heaven’ by Christy Beam.”
Box Office Prospects: $85 M
Expectations: Good. The closest comparison here is Heaven Is for Real, which scored just over $90 million at the box office. This film could do well, but I wonder if the same level of box office performance should actually be expected.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

Midnight Special (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A father and son go on the run after the dad learns his child possesses special powers.”
Box Office Prospects: $10 M
Expectations: Uncertain. There’s the likelihood that this stays at the specialty box office and never moves beyond. There’s also the distant possibility that it crosses over.
Oscar Prospects: Doubtful. There’s been chatter about each of Jeff Nichols’ last two films, none of which materialized.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

March 25, 2016

Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Premise: From IMDb: “Fearing the actions of Superman are left unchecked, Batman takes on Superman, while the world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really needs. With Batman and Superman fighting each other, a new threat, Doomsday, is created by Lex Luthor. It’s up to Superman and Batman to set aside their differences along with Wonder Woman to stop Lex Luthor and Doomsday from destroying Metropolis.”
Box Office Prospects: $300 M
Expectations: Excellent. Man of Steel managed to earn close to $300 million just 3 years ago. There has been enough anticipation built up for this film and a lack of serious competition that it could easily hit that threshold again.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. While Man of Steel didn’t make inroads with Oscar, this sequel has the possibility, though it has lots of competition this year.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

The Disappointments Room

Premise: From IMDb: “A mother and her young son release unimaginable horrors from the attic of their rural dream home.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Uncertain. While the horror genre has more misses than hits lately, D.J. Caruso, who scored hits with Eagle Eye and Disturbia could get his Kate Beckinsale-starring film into a better position than most in the genre recently.
Oscar Prospects: None.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

Premise: From IMDb: “After spending most of their time focusing on their troubling teenage daughter, Toula and Ian are facing marital problems while also having to deal with yet another Greek wedding – this time, even bigger and fatter.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Weak. A crowdpleaser from fourteen years ago that turned into a staggering $241 million sleeper finally has a sequel. Most people look back on that film with derision now, so can it materialize a hefty box office. I doubt it.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.

I Saw the Light (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “The story of the country-western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his rise to fame and its tragic effect on his health and personal life.”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Weak. Country music stars haven’t had many biopics done in recent years. Walk the Line is the last I can remember. Yet, there’s no sign that this film will do that film’s level of business. Matter of fact, with the push out of Oscar season, the March release and the subject’s grandson vocalizing his dismay with the film, I doubt it does much business.
Oscar Prospects: Doubtful. At one time, Tom Hiddleston was being talked up as a potential Oscar nominee. That talk has largely died down now and I don’t think we’ll see the film anywhere near the Oscars at this point.
Cinema Sight Preview: I’ve already previewed this title. Click this link to read more.