Here we look at the upcoming month’s offerings.
August 5,2016
Nine Lives
Premise: From IMDb: “A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family’s cat.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Weak. Family films have done fairly well this year, but this looks like a horrendously campy affair, which might hurts its potential. Opening against Suicide Squad is exactly that: suicide.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Suicide Squad
Premise: From IMDb: “A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.”
Box Office Prospects: $250 M
Expectations: Excellent. The film is already doing excellent in terms of pre-sales, internet chatter is huge, and the film promises to be fun in the way Batman v. Superman was dour. I expect it to be a fairly decent hit.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 12,2016
Florence Foster Jenkins
Premise: From IMDb: “The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.”
Box Office Prospects: $55 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Strangely, Meryl Streep has been a solid box office performer even though she doesn’t fit in a narrow box of popularity. This film could do well on a weekend that doesn’t have a lot of promise.
Oscar Prospects: With its limited reception around the globe, Meryl Streep could still be a Best Actress contender, but critics and audiences will need to respond well to this film.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Pete’s Dragon
Premise: From IMDb: “The adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Disney has been on a streak in the last few years with re-imaginings of their most famous properties. Those were animated films turned live-action. This was a partly-animated film to begin with and the dragon doesn’t look that much less animated. I expect that the trailer isn’t winning it fans and we’ll have another Disney live-action failure akin to their traditional failures and not their adaptation successes.
Oscar Prospects: The original film, a mixture of animation and live-action, earned nominations solely in the music department. I doubt this film will be as lucky and, considering the film’s perceived weaknesses, even Best Visual Effects will be a stretch.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Sausage Party
Premise: From IMDb: “An animated movie about one sausage’s quest to discover the truth about his existence.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Animated films outside of the computer animated realm aren’t always the most popular. A darker, more adult animated film won’t be able to pull in the type of box office people like Disney are accustomed to, but it could still do well with the stoner crowd.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 19,2016
Ben-Hur
Premise: From IMDb: “A falsely accused Jewish nobleman survives years of slavery to take vengeance on his Roman best friend, who betrayed him.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Modest. There will be comparisons to the Charlton Heston classic and they aren’t likely to be favorable. It seems expected that one of the most prominent religious-themed films in history would eventually follow the spate of religious films to the big screen. With an action spectacle director at the helm, it could do decently among religious types, but these are not the days of Ben-Hur any longer and its potential at the box office is significantly muted.
Oscar Prospects: The first adaptation was made before the Oscars era. The second became the all-time most honored film with 11 Oscars. This time around, it would be lucky to get half that many nominations. With an action director at the helm and a lot of disinterest from those who don’t think it necessary to remake the classic, I wonder if the Academy will ignore it everywhere.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Kubo and the Two Strings
Premise: From IMDb: “Kubo lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Good. Laika needs to do better at the box office. Their imaginative, creative worlds paired with their firm grip on balancing moral lessons and family-friendly adventure deserves to be widely seen and celebrated. Unfortunately, there seems to be a ceiling to this type of film and while the animation is impressive, I suspect it will be a moderate performer like all of their films have been.
Oscar Prospects: Laika has a sterling record with the Academy earning nominations for every single one of its efforts. The competition this year will be incredibly strong, but from the looks of the trailer, which suggests bountiful artistry, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one locks up its nomination position early.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
War Dogs
Premise: From IMDb: “Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan..”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Semi-political comedies starring mid-level comedic talent have had their popularity, but it’s been largely middle-figure business. This doesn’t sound like it will have much of an impact on changing that narrative.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 26,2016
Don’t Breathe
Premise: From IMDb: “A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Some creative shifts in the horror genre have been rewarded in the past, but I’m not certain this will be the kind of twist that upends the genre.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Hands of Stone
Premise: From IMDb: “The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other’s lives.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Weak. It’s releasing wide and stars Robert De Niro and follows the life of a prominent boxer. However, boxing films have an off-and-on relationship with audiences and the trailer makes the film seem like too much of a Rocky knock-off.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Mechanic: Resurrection
Premise: From IMDb: “Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Weak. In hopes that Jason Statham has picked up a larger fan base after his high profile apperances in the Fast & Furious franchise and the film Spy are likely just wishful thinking. He’s never done well in solo efforts and the last weekend of August is not a prime playing ground for new releases, suggesting the studio doesn’t even have faith in the product.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Nine Lives
Premise: From IMDb: “A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family’s cat.”
Box Office Prospects: $25 M
Expectations: Weak. Family films have done fairly well this year, but this looks like a horrendously campy affair, which might hurts its potential. Opening against Suicide Squad is exactly that: suicide.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Suicide Squad
Premise: From IMDb: “A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.”
Box Office Prospects: $250 M
Expectations: Excellent. The film is already doing excellent in terms of pre-sales, internet chatter is huge, and the film promises to be fun in the way Batman v. Superman was dour. I expect it to be a fairly decent hit.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 12,2016
Florence Foster Jenkins
Premise: From IMDb: “The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.”
Box Office Prospects: $55 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Strangely, Meryl Streep has been a solid box office performer even though she doesn’t fit in a narrow box of popularity. This film could do well on a weekend that doesn’t have a lot of promise.
Oscar Prospects: With its limited reception around the globe, Meryl Streep could still be a Best Actress contender, but critics and audiences will need to respond well to this film.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Pete’s Dragon
Premise: From IMDb: “The adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Disney has been on a streak in the last few years with re-imaginings of their most famous properties. Those were animated films turned live-action. This was a partly-animated film to begin with and the dragon doesn’t look that much less animated. I expect that the trailer isn’t winning it fans and we’ll have another Disney live-action failure akin to their traditional failures and not their adaptation successes.
Oscar Prospects: The original film, a mixture of animation and live-action, earned nominations solely in the music department. I doubt this film will be as lucky and, considering the film’s perceived weaknesses, even Best Visual Effects will be a stretch.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Sausage Party
Premise: From IMDb: “An animated movie about one sausage’s quest to discover the truth about his existence.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Animated films outside of the computer animated realm aren’t always the most popular. A darker, more adult animated film won’t be able to pull in the type of box office people like Disney are accustomed to, but it could still do well with the stoner crowd.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 19,2016
Ben-Hur
Premise: From IMDb: “A falsely accused Jewish nobleman survives years of slavery to take vengeance on his Roman best friend, who betrayed him.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Modest. There will be comparisons to the Charlton Heston classic and they aren’t likely to be favorable. It seems expected that one of the most prominent religious-themed films in history would eventually follow the spate of religious films to the big screen. With an action spectacle director at the helm, it could do decently among religious types, but these are not the days of Ben-Hur any longer and its potential at the box office is significantly muted.
Oscar Prospects: The first adaptation was made before the Oscars era. The second became the all-time most honored film with 11 Oscars. This time around, it would be lucky to get half that many nominations. With an action director at the helm and a lot of disinterest from those who don’t think it necessary to remake the classic, I wonder if the Academy will ignore it everywhere.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Kubo and the Two Strings
Premise: From IMDb: “Kubo lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Good. Laika needs to do better at the box office. Their imaginative, creative worlds paired with their firm grip on balancing moral lessons and family-friendly adventure deserves to be widely seen and celebrated. Unfortunately, there seems to be a ceiling to this type of film and while the animation is impressive, I suspect it will be a moderate performer like all of their films have been.
Oscar Prospects: Laika has a sterling record with the Academy earning nominations for every single one of its efforts. The competition this year will be incredibly strong, but from the looks of the trailer, which suggests bountiful artistry, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one locks up its nomination position early.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
War Dogs
Premise: From IMDb: “Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan..”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Semi-political comedies starring mid-level comedic talent have had their popularity, but it’s been largely middle-figure business. This doesn’t sound like it will have much of an impact on changing that narrative.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 26,2016
Don’t Breathe
Premise: From IMDb: “A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Some creative shifts in the horror genre have been rewarded in the past, but I’m not certain this will be the kind of twist that upends the genre.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Hands of Stone
Premise: From IMDb: “The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other’s lives.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Weak. It’s releasing wide and stars Robert De Niro and follows the life of a prominent boxer. However, boxing films have an off-and-on relationship with audiences and the trailer makes the film seem like too much of a Rocky knock-off.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Mechanic: Resurrection
Premise: From IMDb: “Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Weak. In hopes that Jason Statham has picked up a larger fan base after his high profile apperances in the Fast & Furious franchise and the film Spy are likely just wishful thinking. He’s never done well in solo efforts and the last weekend of August is not a prime playing ground for new releases, suggesting the studio doesn’t even have faith in the product.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Florence Foster Jenkins
Premise: From IMDb: “The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.”
Box Office Prospects: $55 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Strangely, Meryl Streep has been a solid box office performer even though she doesn’t fit in a narrow box of popularity. This film could do well on a weekend that doesn’t have a lot of promise.
Oscar Prospects: With its limited reception around the globe, Meryl Streep could still be a Best Actress contender, but critics and audiences will need to respond well to this film.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Pete’s Dragon
Premise: From IMDb: “The adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon.”
Box Office Prospects: $60 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Disney has been on a streak in the last few years with re-imaginings of their most famous properties. Those were animated films turned live-action. This was a partly-animated film to begin with and the dragon doesn’t look that much less animated. I expect that the trailer isn’t winning it fans and we’ll have another Disney live-action failure akin to their traditional failures and not their adaptation successes.
Oscar Prospects: The original film, a mixture of animation and live-action, earned nominations solely in the music department. I doubt this film will be as lucky and, considering the film’s perceived weaknesses, even Best Visual Effects will be a stretch.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Sausage Party
Premise: From IMDb: “An animated movie about one sausage’s quest to discover the truth about his existence.”
Box Office Prospects: $65 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Animated films outside of the computer animated realm aren’t always the most popular. A darker, more adult animated film won’t be able to pull in the type of box office people like Disney are accustomed to, but it could still do well with the stoner crowd.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 19,2016
Ben-Hur
Premise: From IMDb: “A falsely accused Jewish nobleman survives years of slavery to take vengeance on his Roman best friend, who betrayed him.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Modest. There will be comparisons to the Charlton Heston classic and they aren’t likely to be favorable. It seems expected that one of the most prominent religious-themed films in history would eventually follow the spate of religious films to the big screen. With an action spectacle director at the helm, it could do decently among religious types, but these are not the days of Ben-Hur any longer and its potential at the box office is significantly muted.
Oscar Prospects: The first adaptation was made before the Oscars era. The second became the all-time most honored film with 11 Oscars. This time around, it would be lucky to get half that many nominations. With an action director at the helm and a lot of disinterest from those who don’t think it necessary to remake the classic, I wonder if the Academy will ignore it everywhere.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Kubo and the Two Strings
Premise: From IMDb: “Kubo lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Good. Laika needs to do better at the box office. Their imaginative, creative worlds paired with their firm grip on balancing moral lessons and family-friendly adventure deserves to be widely seen and celebrated. Unfortunately, there seems to be a ceiling to this type of film and while the animation is impressive, I suspect it will be a moderate performer like all of their films have been.
Oscar Prospects: Laika has a sterling record with the Academy earning nominations for every single one of its efforts. The competition this year will be incredibly strong, but from the looks of the trailer, which suggests bountiful artistry, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one locks up its nomination position early.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
War Dogs
Premise: From IMDb: “Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan..”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Semi-political comedies starring mid-level comedic talent have had their popularity, but it’s been largely middle-figure business. This doesn’t sound like it will have much of an impact on changing that narrative.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 26,2016
Don’t Breathe
Premise: From IMDb: “A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Some creative shifts in the horror genre have been rewarded in the past, but I’m not certain this will be the kind of twist that upends the genre.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Hands of Stone
Premise: From IMDb: “The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other’s lives.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Weak. It’s releasing wide and stars Robert De Niro and follows the life of a prominent boxer. However, boxing films have an off-and-on relationship with audiences and the trailer makes the film seem like too much of a Rocky knock-off.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Mechanic: Resurrection
Premise: From IMDb: “Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Weak. In hopes that Jason Statham has picked up a larger fan base after his high profile apperances in the Fast & Furious franchise and the film Spy are likely just wishful thinking. He’s never done well in solo efforts and the last weekend of August is not a prime playing ground for new releases, suggesting the studio doesn’t even have faith in the product.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Ben-Hur
Premise: From IMDb: “A falsely accused Jewish nobleman survives years of slavery to take vengeance on his Roman best friend, who betrayed him.”
Box Office Prospects: $100 M
Expectations: Modest. There will be comparisons to the Charlton Heston classic and they aren’t likely to be favorable. It seems expected that one of the most prominent religious-themed films in history would eventually follow the spate of religious films to the big screen. With an action spectacle director at the helm, it could do decently among religious types, but these are not the days of Ben-Hur any longer and its potential at the box office is significantly muted.
Oscar Prospects: The first adaptation was made before the Oscars era. The second became the all-time most honored film with 11 Oscars. This time around, it would be lucky to get half that many nominations. With an action director at the helm and a lot of disinterest from those who don’t think it necessary to remake the classic, I wonder if the Academy will ignore it everywhere.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Kubo and the Two Strings
Premise: From IMDb: “Kubo lives a quiet, normal life in a small shoreside village until a spirit from the past turns his life upside down by re-igniting an age-old vendetta. This causes all sorts of havoc as gods and monsters chase Kubo who, in order to survive, must locate a magical suit of armor once worn by his late father, a legendary Samurai warrior.”
Box Office Prospects: $50 M
Expectations: Good. Laika needs to do better at the box office. Their imaginative, creative worlds paired with their firm grip on balancing moral lessons and family-friendly adventure deserves to be widely seen and celebrated. Unfortunately, there seems to be a ceiling to this type of film and while the animation is impressive, I suspect it will be a moderate performer like all of their films have been.
Oscar Prospects: Laika has a sterling record with the Academy earning nominations for every single one of its efforts. The competition this year will be incredibly strong, but from the looks of the trailer, which suggests bountiful artistry, I wouldn’t be surprised if this one locks up its nomination position early.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
War Dogs
Premise: From IMDb: “Based on the true story of two young men, David Packouz and Efraim Diveroli, who won a $300 million contract from the Pentagon to arm America’s allies in Afghanistan..”
Box Office Prospects: $70 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Semi-political comedies starring mid-level comedic talent have had their popularity, but it’s been largely middle-figure business. This doesn’t sound like it will have much of an impact on changing that narrative.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
August 26,2016
Don’t Breathe
Premise: From IMDb: “A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Some creative shifts in the horror genre have been rewarded in the past, but I’m not certain this will be the kind of twist that upends the genre.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Hands of Stone
Premise: From IMDb: “The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other’s lives.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Weak. It’s releasing wide and stars Robert De Niro and follows the life of a prominent boxer. However, boxing films have an off-and-on relationship with audiences and the trailer makes the film seem like too much of a Rocky knock-off.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Mechanic: Resurrection
Premise: From IMDb: “Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Weak. In hopes that Jason Statham has picked up a larger fan base after his high profile apperances in the Fast & Furious franchise and the film Spy are likely just wishful thinking. He’s never done well in solo efforts and the last weekend of August is not a prime playing ground for new releases, suggesting the studio doesn’t even have faith in the product.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Don’t Breathe
Premise: From IMDb: “A group of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong.”
Box Office Prospects: $45 M
Expectations: Uncertain. Some creative shifts in the horror genre have been rewarded in the past, but I’m not certain this will be the kind of twist that upends the genre.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Hands of Stone
Premise: From IMDb: “The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other’s lives.”
Box Office Prospects: $40 M
Expectations: Weak. It’s releasing wide and stars Robert De Niro and follows the life of a prominent boxer. However, boxing films have an off-and-on relationship with audiences and the trailer makes the film seem like too much of a Rocky knock-off.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
Mechanic: Resurrection
Premise: From IMDb: “Arthur Bishop thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life. Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations, and do what he does best, make them look like accidents.”
Box Office Prospects: $30 M
Expectations: Weak. In hopes that Jason Statham has picked up a larger fan base after his high profile apperances in the Fast & Furious franchise and the film Spy are likely just wishful thinking. He’s never done well in solo efforts and the last weekend of August is not a prime playing ground for new releases, suggesting the studio doesn’t even have faith in the product.
Oscar Prospects: None.
Cinema Sight Preview: See my preview of this title here.
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