Blog

We’ll get more into the Oscars later, but for now all I’ll say is “Tilda Swinton? Really?” Nothing against Swinton or her performance, it’s just a surprise is all.

And congrats to Barry Levy, my buddy Kevin’s bud who penned the script for this weekend’s top box office grosser, Vantage Point.

2/29

Wide

THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
King Henry VIII (Eric Bana) has to choose between Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Poor baby.

WILL IT SUCK?
Penned by The Queen and Last King of Scotland scribe Peter Morgan, so pay attention.

Early buzz is mixed.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Shoulda been a platform release. $32mil.

SEMI-PRO

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Will Ferrell basketball film.

WILL IT SUCK?
I’d complain about the repetitiveness of Will Ferrell forming his own sports spoof subgenre if it wasn’t such a damn funny subgenre. This time Old School and Road Trip scribe Scott Armstrong takes a crack at the formula. As usual, the supporting cast is sublime: Woody Harrelson, Maura Tierney, Andy Richter, Will Arnett, David Koechner, Jackie Earle Haley and Rob Corddry.

Early buzz is good.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
10,000 B.C. might be an issue the following week, but this should be one of the biggest releases of the month. $119mil.

PENELOPE

(Delayed from 2006)

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Chick has to find true love in order to get rid of her pig nose.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good, which is a good thing since this has been delayed since time immemorial. Good cast, with Christina Ricci as Penelope, and Peter Dinklage, James McAvoy, Catherine O’Hara, Richard E. Grant and Nick Frost also up in there.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Could be overshadowed by The Other Boleyn Girl. Again, a limited, Juno-style release might have been wiser. $9mil.

Limited

CHICAGO 10

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Doc about the Chicago 10, with re-enactments done A Scanner Darkly-style.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good, and well it should be. This is from the writer/director of The Kid Stays in the Picture, and early IMDB ratings have it as being even better.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Unlikely to do much better than Kid. $2mil.

CITY OF MEN

(Delayed from January)

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
More drugs and kids doing what they shouldn’t in Brazil.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. Directed by Paulo Morelli, who also directed eps of the TV series on which this is based, itself a spin-off of the Fernando Meirelles classic, City of God. Screenwriter Elena Soarez also wrote for the series, and scripted the lauded House of Sand.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
If this were an actual sequel to City of God with Meirelles directing, it might be able to compete with what’s coming. $1mil.

BONNEVILLE

WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Oscar-winning woman (Jessica Lange) goes on a road trip with her Oscar-winning/nominated friends (Kathy Bates, Joan Allen) to deliver her husbands ashes to his bitchy, non-Oscar-nominated daughter (Christine Baranski) in an effort to keep her house.

WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is crappy, but if you want to spend $2 grand to watch it before anyone else, they’re premiering it on Princess Cruise Lines.

HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Much more buzzy Mrs. Pettigrew Lives for a Day appeals to a similar demo next week. $1mil.

Next Week: Since you asked so nicely, Hollywood is giving you a second Martin Lawrence film in as many months. It’s either that or mammoths, people!