Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.

November 4, 2016

Doctor Strange

Premise: From IMDb: “A neurosurgeon with a destroyed career sets out to repair his hands only to find himself protecting the world from inter-dimensional threats.”
Box Office Prospects: $200 M
Expectations: Excellent. If the performance of prior Marvel origins is any indication, this should be a slam dunk at the box office. Its highest potential dependent entirely on how good the film is.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. While the film will most certainly boast lots of visual effects, there’s no indication the film will be able to pull off a VFX nomination.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Hacksaw Ridge

Premise: From IMDb: “WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to be awarded the Medal of Honor.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. War dramas aren’t as big as they used to be at the box office, but with the names involved, it could be a bigger hit than I expect.
Oscar Prospects: Good. Early word was positive, so the film could be Mel Gibson’s return to the limelight. The problem is, it’s been overshadowed by a lot of other movies recently, so its chances may hinge entirely on box office statistics.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Trolls

Premise: From IMDb: “From the creators of Shrek comes the most smart, funny, irreverent animated comedy of the year, DreamWorks’ Trolls. This holiday season, enter a colorful, wondrous world populated by hilariously unforgettable characters and discover the story of the overly optimistic Trolls, with a constant song on their lips, and the comically pessimistic Bergens, who are only happy when they have trolls in their stomach. Featuring original music from Justin Timberlake, and soon-to-be classic mash-ups of songs from other popular artists, the film stars the voice talents of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Russell Brand, James Corden, Kunal Nayyar, Ron Funches, Icona Pop, Gwen Stefani, and many more. DreamWorks’ TROLLS is a fresh, broad comedy filled with music, heart and hair-raising adventures. In November of 2016, nothing can prepare you for our new Troll world.”
Box Office Prospects: $150 M
Expectations: Good. Animated films, even the worst of them, can often be big performers at the box office. This might perform better than expected because of its ebullient nature combined with the musical component.
Oscar Prospects: Doubtful. Even if the film does decently with critics and at the box office, there are a lot of more prominent competitors this year that could squeeze it out of consideration. In a shallower year, it might have been a contender for a nomination.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Bleed for This (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “The inspirational story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza who, after a near fatal car crash, which left him not knowing if he’d ever walk again, made one of sport’s most incredible comebacks.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The platform release might help build buzz, but it might just as easily kill its potential if audiences don’t immediately respond well to it.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. There is some talk that the film will be a player at the Oscars, but there are few places I see it as a competitor and those places have a lot of potential nominees and victims.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Loving (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple, are sentenced to prison in Virginia in 1958 for getting married.”
Box Office Prospects: $10 M
Expectations: Uncertain. It will have to be a critics darling and an Oscar nominee to do much business. Right now, I see it performing adequately at the specialty box office, but not so well on a national level.
Oscar Prospects: Good. The film did well enough at the festivals to earn a place in the conversation with Ruth Negga its most likely nominee. On top of that, the film comes from a director whose bubbled under long enough that this might be what pulls him above water.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

November 11, 2016

Almost Christmas

Premise: From IMDb: “A dysfunctional family gathers together for their first Thanksgiving since their mom died.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Uncertain. There hasn’t been a holiday hit at the box office in some time and this film could very easily become that hit.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Arrival

Premise: From IMDb: “A linguist is recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications.”
Box Office Prospects: $175 M
Expectations: Good. The last few sci-fi films that tackle weighty issues have been good box office performers. This might be a tougher sell as it doesn’t sound to be as action heavy as Gravity or Interstellar.
Oscar Prospects: Excellent. The film has received raves on the festival circuit and is certain to be a key player in both major and creative cateogries this year.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Premise: From IMDb: “19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad – contrasting the realities of war with America’s perceptions.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Good. With the cast involved and Ang Lee’s reputation, the trailers are interesting enough to make this part-war movie a big hit.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. This was supposed to be one of the year’s spoilers, but buzz out of the festivals has indicated that it’s good, but not nearly as great as critics were expecting. However, with a solid box office push and solid, even if not exuberant, review could still yield some Oscar results.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Shut In

Premise: From IMDb: “A heart-pounding thriller about a widowed child psychologist who lives in an isolated existence in rural New England. Caught in a deadly winter storm, she must find a way to rescue a young boy before he disappears forever.”
Box Office Prospects: $35 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Horror has taken a hit this year with few breakout successes. This one is unique enough it could play well with recalcitrant genre fans, but its post-Halloween positioning might be a good thing.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

November 18, 2016

The Edge of Seventeen

Premise: From IMDb: “High-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. A raucous coming of age dramedy with incredibly humorous trailers could be a break-out hit if it fidns its footing.
Oscar Prospects: Doubtful. Some say there’s a chance stars Hailee Steinfeld (lead) and Woody Harrelson (support) could be players, as could the screenplay. I have serious misgivings about this. If it’s the next Juno, perhaps, but nothing seems to indicate that’s going to be the case.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Premise: From IMDb: “The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.”
Box Office Prospects: $250 M
Expectations: Excellent. The film has a built-in audience and some spectacular effects woven into its trailer. The combination should keep the film afloat through the holiday season for one of the year’s best box office performances.
Oscar Prospects: Good. The Harry Potter franchise had its ups and downs with the Oscars, but the period setting and copious effects should give this new franchise a boost in the creative categories.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Friend Request

Premise: From IMDb: “When a college student unfriends a mysterious girl online, she finds herself fighting a demonic presence that wants to make her lonely by killing her closest friends.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Teen-targeted horror films haven’t been the boon they should be, so it’s doubtful this film will be a breakout success, though it’s always possible.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Manchester by the Sea (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “An uncle is forced to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father dies.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The film has received nearly universal praise on the festival circuit and a platform release will do wonders for building word of mouth. Whether it breaks out beyond the specialty box office remains to be seen, but a solid Oscar nominations haul should keep it flying through the early part of 2017.
Oscar Prospects: Excellent. The buzz for the film has been deafening. So much so that Casey Affleck is being talked about as a slam dunk nominee and the most likely winner. The film won’t be a slouch either and could play spoiler in a year where several frontrunners have hit snags.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Nocturnal Animals (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “An art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband’s novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.”
Box Office Prospects: $15 M
Expectations: Weak. A film as stylish as this will struggle to find appeal outside of the specialty box office, but Oscar could bolster its chances if it can see its way past the material to nominate it.
Oscar Prospects: Decent. The films stars, Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have been getting strong notices out of the festival circuit, as has the film. Tom Ford’s prior effort (his directorial debut A Single Man), scored a nomination for star Colin Firth. A weaker than expected Best Actor slate could allow Gyllenhaal to earn his long-overdue second nomination while Adams will have a tougher time against a solid slate in Best Actress. Supporting Actor will have plenty of room for one or the other of Shannon and Taylor-Johnson, possibly even both. With a raft of acting nominations, major nominations in Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay are also possible.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

November 23, 2016

Allied

Premise: From IMDb: “In 1942, an intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Good. This wartime thriller might have been huge at the box office, but star Brad Pitt’s recent divorce and subsequent revelations of possible abuse may hinder the film’s chances. The trailer might be pleasing enough to overcome some of that, but not likely all of it.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. On paper, this looks like a slam dunk Oscar nominee, but upon closer inspection, and an utter lack of festival play, suggests the film may be generating a false positive on prognosticators’ lists.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Bad Santa 2

Premise: From IMDb: “Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus, to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Uncertain. The original was a modest success at the box office, but the sequel may be too far removed to be a strong player at the box office. Still, audiences wanting something other than prototypical holiday fare might give it a go.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Moana

Premise: From IMDb: “A young woman uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.”
Box Office Prospects: $175 M
Expectations: Good. Disney’s holiday animated releases have been, by and large, hugely successful. The Good Dinosaur is the loan exception. That should give Moana a solid shot of making sizable bank.
Oscar Prospects: Decent. The film has a lot of competition, even from its parent company (both Zootopia and Finding Dory will be in play for Disney and Pixar respectively). That might hinder its chances and a disastrous critical reception could spell its doom. However, right now, everything looks clear for the film to at least score a Best Animated Feature nomination, though a win is doubtful.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

Rules Don’t Apply

Premise: From IMDb: “An unconventional love story of an aspiring actress, her determined driver, and the eccentric billionaire who they work for.”
Box Office Prospects: $20 M
Expectations: Weak. A period drama about Hollywood’s Golden Era might pique the interest of film enthusiasts, but broad audience appreciation has been difficult to obtain. This film doesn’t look like it will be able to overcome that built-in reticence.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. This is another drama that, on paper, looks like an Oscar certainty, with Oscar winners and nominees by the handfuls; however, the film hasn’t played the festivals and director Warren Beatty’s recent track record is insignificant. Still, if the film ends up with decent reviews, it could show up in some creative categories and possibly yield a Supporting Actress nomination for Annette Bening. Rave reviews could put it directly in the hunt for several major awards.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.

November 25, 2016

Lion (Limited)

Premise: From IMDb: “A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.”
Box Office Prospects: $5 M
Expectations: Weak. An indie drama about an Indian boy searching for his mother is not the kind of concept that sells well to mass audiences. The limited release will help it build buzz of its strong festival reception, but becoming a hit will be very challenging unless it can get some Oscar recognition.
Oscar Prospects: Uncertain. When reviews out of the festival are as positive as this, you have to consider the film one of the major players. However, the trailer leaves a lot to be desired and a poor box office performance won’t give Academy voters much impetus to watch their screeners unless they can get them in hand long before everyone else, which is certainly a viable strategy for a movie like this.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.