Down the Rabbit Hole with Buscemi: February 21st-23rd

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Down the Rabbit Hole with Buscemi: February 21st-23rd

Post by Buscemi2 »

The Oscars are over and Valentine's Day has kissed and made up. What's next? Well, nothing but a bunch of movies held off from last year and another Jane Austen adaptation. Let's do this.

Last Week

Sonic the Hedgehog managed to somehow attract more than the vocal minority of fans who complain about every game and get disgustingly elaborate about their sexual attraction over the character, speeding off to a $58 million three-day opening. Birds of Prey dropped to second, dropping 47% to $17.3 million. Third and fourth were taken by openers Fantasy Island ($12.4 million) and The Photograph ($12.2 million) while Bad Boys for Life rounded out the top five with a $11.5 million take.

On the limited scene, Portrait of a Lady on Fire returned to screens and took the week’s crown. Sonic was second, while Ordinary Love weeped out three points in third. The Lodge got two more points before its wide expansion on Friday while The Photograph rounded out that top five.

This Week

When Nature “Call”s

First on the release docket is The Call of the Wild (Disney/20th Century), the latest adaptation of the Jack London novel. The live-action debut of Lilo and Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon co-helmer Chris Sanders, this focuses on a wily mutt named Buck and his adventures through the Alaskan wilderness, mainly with a rugged outdoorsman played by Harrison Ford. Dan Stevens, Omar Sy, Karen Gillan, and Bradley Whitford co-star.

The first film to carry the 20th Century Studios name, as Disney chose not to pay Fox for the use of their name, this film was pushed from Christmas due to the logjam of acquired product. But now coming out with a seemingly big push (it’s even going to be the first non-Disney production to play at their El Capitan theatre), it would seem like a strong title to break out. But I’m not so sure.

For one, the visual effects look terrible. Buck looks less like a real dog and more like a cartoon. You think for a film that brought in the guy who played King Kong in Kong: Skull Island to be the stand-in for Buck, they would have tried to have gotten Weta’s A-team (or at least B-team) on the film. The effects seem to be on par with last year’s dog dud A Dog’s Way Home, which was full of seemingly unfinished effects. Second, Disney released the somewhat similar Togo on Disney+ a few months back. Togo had a pretty positive reception, which could lead to inevitable comparisons. Lastly, are kids (the target audience) interested in a Jack London adaptation? With Sonic still hot, I don’t think it’s going a big film but it might do okay numbers.

Box Office Potential: tracking has it in the $15-20 million range. I’m going to say it dips below that mark. $12 million opening, $35 million finish.

Bad “Boy”

Next on the list is Brahms: The Boy II (STX). I bet you didn’t know they made a sequel to the forgettable Annabelle clone from 2016. After STX had planned to fast-track this for a July bow, financial troubles led to a couple of delays. Now, it opens with a muted ad campaign, little buzz, and not much hope to break out.

The premise focuses on a family moving into the house from the first film. Unaware of the curse that lies on the manor, the son finds the doll of the franchise and finds himself now controlled by its powers. Terror and creepy kids abound. Katie Holmes is the only name in the cast and should consider firing her agent as the result of this and that Secret movie opening in April.

The first film was an average performer but how many people were clamoring for a sequel? Annabelle seems to have played out as a franchise so who exactly would watch its imitator try to expand its story? I can’t muster up much else to say.

Box Office Potential: The original made a respectable $36 million on a $10 million budget. I don’t think the sequel will come close to that number. $5 million opening, $10 million finish.

Arthouse Class 101

This weekend, we will study two movies.

Emma. (Focus) – yet another Jane Austen adaptation. Though being sold as this bold, new version of the story, all I get out of the trailer is the adventures of some unlikeable rich person in the Victorian era that Anglophiles and bored housewives will think is a good protagonist. As you might have figured out, I’m not the target audience for this film, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, and Mia Goth.

Because it’s Jane Austen, it’s going to make money. Not blockbuster amounts like Downton Abbey but it should be a serviceable performer because Americans eat up these fantastical depictions of how the UK during this time was all well-off people having funny adventures but ignore films that showed what was really happening then (see Peterloo). Also because people think Austen was a good writer.

In the end, Emma should do 8-12 PTA points and gross about $15-20 million at the box office.

My Boyfriend’s Meds (Lionsgate/Pantelion) – delayed from a release last Labor Day, this Mexican/US co-production is a wacky comedy about a couple who attends a work retreat on a tropical island. But what is hoped to be a romantic getaway between team building exercises turns much worse when it’s found that the boyfriend forgot his medication. Hilarity ensues.

Lionsgate’s Spanish-language division has managed a few bonafide hits (Instructions Not Included, the Overboard remake) and some decent limited release performers in their near-decade run. And even though Mexico loves their cinematic idols such as del Toro, Cuaron, and Inarritu, they also support populist cinema such as comedies. However, I feel a film like this one is too formula-based to really find an audience in the States. In English, a concept like this would be straight-to-VOD. In Spanish, I can’t expect a much better result.

1-2 points and a gross under a million.

Premature (IFC) – another movie about teenagers in love. Sounding much like the second half of last year’s Waves but in Harlem instead of Florida, this drama focuses on a girl who falls in love with a mysterious outsider. In the process, the relationship leads to an awakening of herself in her last summer before college.

The film won an award at the Independent Spirit Awards but not much else is known about the film, which has no stars and hasn’t been at any high-profile festivals outside of Sundance. With few viable options in the limited game, it could surprise but I find it highly unlikely.

2-3 points and a five figure gross.

Top 5: Sonic the Hedgehog, The Call of the Wild, Birds of Prey, The Photograph, Bad Boys for Life
PTA: Emma., Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Sonic the Hedgehog, Ordinary Love, Premature

Next week, Screen203 will take on two wide releases, The Invisible Man (Universal) and The Ride (Lionsgate/Roadside Attractions), and a whopping five limited releases, Burden (101), Greed (Sony Pictures Classics), Saint Frances (Oscilloscope), Wendy (Disney/Searchlight), and The Whistlers (Magnolia).
Last edited by Buscemi2 on February 18th, 2020, 9:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Down the Rabbit Hole with Buscemi: February 21st-23rd

Post by Shrykespeare »

Good column, Boosh. Agreed - the effects for Call of the Wild look awful.



Celebrity birthdays:

Dominic Purcell turned 50 on 2/17
Jason Ritter turned 40 on 2/17
John Hughes turned 70 on 2/18
Cybill Shepherd turned 70 on 2/18
Julie Walters turns 70 on 2/22
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Down the Rabbit Hole with Buscemi: February 21st-23rd

Post by Shrykespeare »

Friday estimates


Call of the Wild, $8.1M
Sonic the Hedgehog, $6.4M
The Boy II, $2.2M
Birds of Prey, $1.9M
Bad Boys For LIfe, $1.6M
Fantasy Island, $1.3M
1917, $1.2M





Weekend Projections:

Sonic the Hedgehog, $28M
Call of the Wild, $27.5M
Birds of Prey, $7.5M
Bad Boys For Life, $5.9M
The Boy II, $5.6M
1917, $4.8M
Fantasy Island, $4.3M
Parasite, $3.5M
Jumanji, $3.1M
The Photograph, $3.1M



PTA:

Emma's looking at a PTA of $50K.
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Down the Rabbit Hole with Buscemi: February 21st-23rd

Post by Shrykespeare »

Weekend Estimates

Top 10:
5 points - Sonic the Hedgehog, $26.2M
4 points - The Call of the Wild, $24.8M
3 points - Birds of Prey, $7.0M
2 points - Brahms: The Boy II, $5.9M
1 point - Bad Boys For Life, $5.9M
1917, $4.4M
Fantasy Island, $4.1M
Parasite, $3.1M
Jumanji: The Next Level, $3.0M
The Photograph, $2.8M



PTA:
5 points - Emma
4 points - The Call of the Wild
3 points - Sonic the Hedgehog
2 points - Portrait of a Lady on Fire
1 point - My Boyfriend's Meds
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Re: Down the Rabbit Hole with Buscemi: February 21st-23rd

Post by Shrykespeare »

Weekend Actuals

Top 10:
5 points - Sonic the Hedgehog, $26.2M
4 points - The Call of the Wild, $24.8M
3 points - Birds of Prey, $6.8M
2 points - Bad Boys For Life, $5.8M
1 point - Brahms: The Boy II, $5.8M
Fantasy Island, $4.3M
1917, $4.2M
Parasite, $3.0M
Jumanji: The Next Level, $2.9M
The Photograph, $2.8M



PTA:
5 points - Emma, $46,896
4 points - The Call of the Wild, $6,608
3 points - Sonic the Hedgehog, $6,239
2 points - Portrait of a Lady on Fire, $5,332
1 point - My Boyfriend's Meds, $3,989



I'm still under the weather, so I'll get the updates up on Wednesday. (Doc appt. tomorrow)
Happy 60th birthday Jet Li! (4/26/23)

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Buscemi2
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Re: Down the Rabbit Hole with Buscemi: February 21st-23rd

Post by Buscemi2 »

Though it wasn't in the game, I'm amazed at how Impractical Jokers: The Movie did (though I have a feeling that half of the gross was in New Jersey and surrounding areas) and that Warner Bros. is expanding it on Friday. The show doesn't seem to lend itself well to a movie premise and the few reviews were rather middling.

Is there some following for the show that I was completely unaware of?
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Re: Down the Rabbit Hole with Buscemi: February 21st-23rd

Post by W »

It’s basically half the programming for TRU tv. Besides that and the beginning of March Madness I can’t tell you another of their programs.
Tenet: Criterion Edition. Now with more Backwards Man.

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