With all my pontificating about New Moon, I kind of forgot to mention that Blind Side, which I expected to make no more than $37 million, is already past the $100 million mark after its second frame. Bullock’s hypothetical Oscar nod just became that much more plausible.
12/4
Wide
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Armored truck guard (Columbus Short) agrees to inside heist with his co-workers (Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne, Jean Reno, Skeet Ulrich), but changes his mind when someone (Milo Ventimiglia) gets hurt.
WILL IT SUCK?
All eyes on Kontroll director Nimrod Antal, who failed to impress with his American debut, Vacancy. Also not encouraging, the let’s-reveal-everything trailer. A little more pressure added since Antal’s directing Predators, until you remember that Predators probably isn’t a good idea to begin with.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Not much action to compete with. $57mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Maybe if Sidney Lumet directed.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Guy (Jake Gyllenhaal) comforts his recently widowed sister-in-law (Natalie Portman) like, you know, Biblically. Then his brother (Tobey Maguire) returns from the war. Turns out he wasn’t dead after all. Awk-ward.
WILL IT SUCK?
Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, In America) gives great movie (Get Rich or Die Tryin’ notwithstanding). Writing is a little more iffy. David Benioff wrote The 25th Hour, but he also wrote Wolverine. Maybe he’s better with drama? Cast also includes Clifton Collins Jr. and Sam Shepherd.
Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Sheridan does not usually give good box office. Though this is the biggest cast he’s had to work with thus far. $31mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Sheridan’s usually good for a few. Look at Actor, Actress, Screenplay, maaaaaybe Director.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Eurotrip meets Transylvania 6-500.
WILL IT SUCK?
Improbably, early buzz is good. I say improbably because this is basically the team that put together National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze and with very few exceptions anything National Lampoon presents these days is crap. Trailer also looks like crap.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Maybe if they called it Vampire Movie. $11mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
No.
Limited
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Dad (Robert DeNiro) takes a road trip to visit his grown kids at Christmas.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mostly positive. Writer/director Kirk Jones helmed Nanny McPhee and wrote and directed Waking Ned Devine so you’ve got a good pedigree there. Based on the 1990 Italian film of the same name (except, you know, in Italian) with Marcello Mastroianni in the lead role. This version co-stars Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, and Melissa Leo.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Seems more like a wide-release kind of film. $11mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
Haven’t heard that kind of buzz.
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Character study of a downsizing expert (George Clooney) who spends most of his life acquiring frequent flyer miles.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is outstanding. Looks like writer/director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking, Juno) might go 3 for 3. Cast includes Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman, Danny McBride, and Anna Kendrick, whom you might remember from such films as Twilight but should remember from such films as Rocket Science. Seriously, go see that movie.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
A lot of product will flood the market by the time this goes wide on Christmas Day, but between now and then buzz should put butts in seats. $50mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
I get the feeling this will be one of the sweep nods: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay (and maybe a supporting nod for Kendrick).
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Woman (Meg Ryan) holds philandering husband (Timothy Hutton) hostage until burglars (led by Justin Long) complicate matters.
WILL IT SUCK?
The directorial debut of Cheryl Hines, who helms the screenplay of her late friend and Waitress co-star Adrienne Shelly. Early buzz is good. Oh, and Kristen Bell plays the mistress.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Has to get over the no-one’s-liked-Meg-Ryan-in-anything-for-a-while impediment. $7mil.
WILL ANYBODY REMEMBER IT AT OSCAR TIME?
If they didn’t remember Waitress…
Next Week: Peter Jackson’s back, and no one can seem to agree if that’s a good thing.
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Love the Brothers preview you wrote!