Everything’s Coming Up Murphy!
Eddie Murphy has two places on this week’s top ten, one for Norbit, one for Dreamgirls. If it’s any comfort, they’ll probably both make about the same amount of money. Shrek the Third will bury them both.
2/16
Wide
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Bitchinest tattoo ever becomes a superhero.
WILL IT SUCK?
Did you like Daredevil? Same writer/director. First review out of the gate is positive.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Even if fanboys expect this to suck, many will still go just to confirm that it sucks. $93mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
The Chronicles of Terabithia
WILL IT SUCK?
Here’s the best bit of Terabithia trivia. The director (Gabor Csupo) was apparently the inspiration for the look and voice of Dr. Nick Riviera on The Simpsons, for which he was a writer at the time. Anyhoo, this is based on a Newberry Award-winning book and one of the screenwriters worked on The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys so I’d say this has a shot at not sucking, in spite of smacking of Narnia-baiting.
Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
No real competition, but Walden/Disney needs to dial up the ad campaign if they want to turn this into a blockbuster. $71mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
The Robert Hanssen story.
WILL IT SUCK?
This is from Shattered Glass writer/director Billy Ray, who should be familiar with profiles in duplicity. Casting is excellent, with Chris Cooper as Hanssen and Ryan Phillipe as the agent tasked with bringing him down. Dennis Haysbert, Laura Linney and Gary Cole are thrown in for good measure. As if that weren’t enough, Tak Fujimoto (everything from Sixth Sense to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) is doing the cinematography. Early buzz is gooood.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It’s a crowded field, and this is being advertised about as well as Shattered Glass was. $11mil.
TYLER PERRY’S DADDY’S LITTLE GIRLS
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
A Tyler Perry flick without all the cross-dressing.
WILL IT SUCK?
If you like the Tyler Perry, this looks to be right in line with his other work, although this is the first of his films that didn’t start out as a play.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Norbit’s a bit of an issue, but there’s no reason to believe this won’t do just as well as any other Perry flick. $64mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore try to write a hit and break the one rule of songwriting - don’t fall in love. Or, don’t write death metal in a major key. One of those.
WILL IT SUCK?
Am I the only one who thought Music and Lyrics by… was a better title? Anyhoo, this is from the writer/director of Two Weeks Notice (which should be Two Weeks’ Notice, dammit!), who also wrote the Miss Congeneality movies and Forces of Nature, so I’m going to try to not let the funny trailer get my hopes up.
Early buzz is mixed.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Surprisingly, this doesn’t seem to be getting much awareness in spite of heavy marketing. Still, the Valentine’s Day opening should help. $43mil.
Limited
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Basically one long guilt trip for the French. North Africans help liberate the French during WWII and then proceed to be shat upon by the country they just liberated. Oh, those wacky French!
WILL IT SUCK?
What is it with movies about injustices in the French army and “..of Glory“? Follows Paths of Glory and precedes Ungrateful French Bastards of Glory, one imagines. Early buzz is great. Again, a contender for Best Foreign. Also won an acting ensemble award at Cannes.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The Lives of Others has the better shot at an Oscar, but both will probably lose to Pan’s Labyrinth. Either way, not much to pump up receipts. $1mil.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Two female Israeli soldiers befriend each other.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed. Did well on the festival circuit.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Not a good time of year to be a foreign film without an Oscar nod. $100,000.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Appalachian community in the 1850’s gets saved.
WILL IT SUCK?
Don’t usually go in for these Christian-themed flicks (this comes from the new Fox/Faith studio brand), which is strange since I’m, you know, Christian. This is directed by Michale Landon’s son, who’s been making Christian films for a while now, and stars Henry Thomas and Louise “Where’s she been since Cuckoo’s Nest?” Fletcher.
Early buzz is not so good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
At this point, the Christian film industry has developed tiers. I’m guessing this will fall into the “will do better on DVD” tier. $1mil.
Next Week: You know what? I’m starting to notice the number 23. It’s the number of the room they kept Carl in on Lost, and it’s the number of people Neo was supposed to select to build the next Zion in The Matrix Reloaded. I’m sorry, did I just blow your mind?