This weekend
Major release
- The Finest Hours -Disney
Historical disaster drama film on the true story of the Pendleton rescue mission attempt in 1952 by Coast Guard ships starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck and Eric Bana. After receiving mixed reviews in the US and disappointing at the US box office these films rarely perform well outside the US.
Failure of The Finest Hours will just mean Disney will concentrate even more on their plans to release Marvel and Star Wars films infinitely; Gala preview Ham Yard Hotel on Tuesday 16th February.
Also released
- How to Be Single – Warner Bros
Romantic comedy starring Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie, and Leslie Mann based on novel by Liz Tuccillo; UK premiere on February 9th with previews on February 14th taking £404,233.
New Line have made many female focused ensemble films in recent years including He’s Just Not That into You opened with £1.9m in 2009, My Sisters Keeper opened with £922,947 in 2009, Valentine’s Day with £3,732,393 in 2010, New Year’s Eve with £1,285,552 in 2011.
- Freeheld – eOne
Drama starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Steve Carell and Michael Shannon based on a 2007 short documentary of the same name. Received mixed reviews will have a limited theatrical release day and ate with VOD before being released on February 22nd on DVD.
Out next week
Major release
- Grimsby – Sony
Spy action comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Rebel Wilson, Isla Fisher, Penélope Cruz, and Ian McShane and directed by Louis Leterrier (directed films including first two Transporter films and Now You See Me).
The production of the film featured heavily in the Sony Hacking emails which many said was one of the funniest script many had ever read but they also said similar things about Pixels and The Interview.
For the interviews Sacha Baron Cohen is going them in guise of the character he plays in the film as he has done previously for Ali G, Borat and Bruno and The Dictator was funny first time but not the fifth time.
In the original script there as a scene in which Queen contracts HIV and passes it onto the Pope. The plot also involves an Elephant´s vagina which Sony’s Spain director Ivan Losada “is one of the most disgusting things we have ever seen”. “The movie targets 100% of male since it is full of those kind of dirty and crude jokes associated to Sacha”. Sacha Baron Cohen has final cut on the film.
The film was originally due for release July 31st 2015 was delayed in January 2015 to February 26th. The film angered residents of Grimsby portraying the city in a less than flattering way.
Sacha Baron Cohen has had several small roles in Anchorman 2 The Legend Continues and Les Miserables his last leading role was 2012’s The Dictator opening with £4.97m (including two days of previews). 2009’s Bruno opened with £5m and 2006’s Borat opened with £6.2m. Bruno was released in to different versions first the uncut 18 and then a couple weeks after cut to get a 15.
Sacha Baron Cohen has been previewing the film in the US and audiences seem to find it very funny he said at a Q&A after his main strategy was to submit the filthiest cut of the film he could to the MPAA. After Jimmy Kimmel “showed his audience a scene he couldn’t broadcast on TV” most would expect the film would be an 18 but Sony surprisingly editing it to be a 15 as an 18 would be easier to market but strangely Sony opted to cut the film.
Sacha Baron Cohen was funny 14 years ago when he did his interviews in character from the film with Ali G. Then did it for Borat, Bruno, The Dictator and now Grimsby on Jonathan Ross Show; has world premiere 22nd February with Sacha Baron Cohen likely to do another “outrageous” stunt as Nobby to get media coverage.
Also released
- The Secret in Their Eyes – Universal
Remake of 2009 Argentine crime thriller that won Best Foreign Language Oscar in 2010; remake stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts directed by Billy Ray. In the original film Julia Roberts character was played by a man; the film has received mixed reviews
- The Forest – Icon
Supernatural horror starring Game of Thrones actress Natalie Dormer might help attract audiences looking for some scares but after receiving negative reviews in the US last month and having a disappointing opening likely to do similar in UK.
Out in two weeks
Major release
- Hail Caesar! – Universal Pictures
Latest Coen Brother comedy a fictional story set in 1950s Hollywood starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill, Scarlett Johansson, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton and Channing Tatum.
Received positive reviews from critics but audiences didn’t as many took issue with the trailer as it makes the main plot to be about George Clooney’s kidnapping but in the film the kidnapping isn’t the main plot its rather about the industry of Hollywood. Coen Brothers films are often very quirky and hard to explain. Was Coen Brother US worst opening since 2004’s Intolerable Cruelty.
After writing scripts for Bridge of Spies and Unbroken it’s the first film have directed since 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis opened January 2014 with £758,000, True Grit in February 2011 £1,823,254. A Serious Man in November 2009 £321,114, Burn After Reading October 2008 £2,045,565 and No Country for Old Men in January 2008 £1,257,183.
Also released
- London Has Fallen – Lionsgate
Action thriller sequel to the surprise 2013 Olympus Has Fallen starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Melissa Leo and Radha Mitchell.
This time its London…. as always with films about London there are geographical issues with action sequences but this time around in the trailer London was described in the trailer as the British capital. The timing of the release of the first trailer was seen as insensitive being released days before the 10th anniversary of 7/7 bombings last year.
The film was original due for release last October to January then pushed back again till March using the regular “needing more time to finish the film’s visual effect” excuse that is often used when films are delayed.
The first film was a guilty pleasure, cheesy and corny but great fun opening with £2,247,900.
- The Choice – Lionsgate
The latest romantic drama based on Nicholas Spark novel starring Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer, Maggie Grace, Tom Welling, and Tom Wilkinson. After receiving negative reviews in the US disappointed at the box office. Nicholas Spark film adaptions in recent years have disappointed at the box office. His most recent adaption was The Longest Ride opened last June with £410,000.
- The Other Side of the Door – 20th Century Fox
Horror the trailer has everything you might expect grieving mother, spooky kids, an ancient evil that’s all-too-casually accessed, and a slowed-down version of a children’s song Heart and Soul. Might scare audiences for opening weekend but then unlikely to be around for long with the onslaught of the big Easter releases coming out from next weekend.
- Truth – Warner
Drama based on American journalist and television news producer Mary Mapes’ memoir Truth and Duty: The Press, the President and the Privilege of Power. The film focuses on the Killian documents controversy, and the resulting last days of news anchor Dan Rather and producer Mary Mapes at CBS News. Starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford.
The film received rave reviews after premiering at Toronto Film Festival seen as an early Oscar favourite before disappointing at the box office and Cate Blanchett ‘s performance in Carol overshadowing her role in Truth.
Received its UK premiere at the London Film Festival but without Oscar or BAFTA nominations similar to Concussion it’s news story that isn’t well known in the UK so will be a very hard sell. Last year Warner had Jennifer Aniston’s Cake which was expected for months to do well in award season but was similarly ignored without awards was DOA on arrival.
In the US opening Friday
- Risen – Sony Pictures
Historical epic drama starring Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton directed by Kevin Reynolds his first in 10 years and 25 years after the release of one of his biggest ever Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves but then came Waterworld;
Opening exactly 12 years after Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ in 2004 which it is seen as an unofficial sequel to which opened with a massive $83.8m going on to take $370.8m
- The Witch – A24
Horror film premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival after getting rave reviews Universal Pictures acquired European rights. Over the months since has generated strong buzz.
- Race – Focus Features
Biographical sports-drama film about athlete Jesse Owens, who won a record-breaking four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games directed by Stephen Hopkins starring Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Irons, William Hurt and Carice van Houten.