2012 is shapping up to be the year of the superheros/franchises/remakes, but thrown in the mix is some new fare with plenty of esteemed directors showing off their newest work. Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner (Jan. 19-29) and, as in years past, some movers and shakers are sure to come from there that as of this writing are unknown. But for now here are all the films set to be released through out the upcoming year.
January
Jan. 6
Horror
What: In Italy, a woman becomes involved in a series of unauthorized exorcisms during her mission to discover what happened to her mother, who allegedly murdered three people during her own exorcism.
Who: director – William Brent Bell, stars – Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman & Evan Helmuth
Lowdown: There are no other wide releases compeating against it, and as of this writing Fandango is reporting that it is accounting for 31% of ticket sales. Could be a surprise hit? Lord knows they’ve spent a good amount of moolah on tv adds – I don’t even watch tv and I have somehow seen this trailer about eleventy billion times. I’m thinking around 18-20M opening weekend is a good guess.
Opening Weekend: Thoroughly trashed by critics and audiences a like (5% on the Rotten Tomatoes scale), this pic was still able to open with a HUGE weekend - 33.73 Million. That's the third best opening weekend in January box office history. (It fell nearly 77% the following weekend - the worst drop in almost three years.)
Jan. 13
Action/Thriller
What: To protect his brother-in-law from a drug lord, a former smuggler heads to Panama to score millions of dollars in counterfeit bills.
Who: director – Baltasar Kormakur, stars – Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, Ben Foster & Kate Beckinsale
Lowdown: A remake of the Icelandic thriller Reykjavik-Rotterdam. Despite what the trailer wants you to think, there is a reason this movie is being released in the dead month of January. Still, there will be an audience that turns out to see it - 20M+ opening weekend is my guess.
Opening Weekend: Marky Mark's starpower was able to overcome some very mixed reviews (48% on RT) for an opening of 23.34.
Beauty and the Beast 3DAnimation/Family
What: The beloved story we all know from our childhood is getting a fresh 3D conversion re-release.
Lowdown: Disney spent the cash to convert one of its most beloved animated fairytales into 3D. And if the box office take of the 3D Lion King is any indication, it will turn out to be money well spent. I expect this thing to make buckets of cash – an opening weekend somewhere around 20-25M.
Opening Weekend: Not nearly as big of an opening weekend as I thought, or as others predicted. Despite it's super fresh ranking at Rotten Tomatoes (92%) The Beast came in second for the weekend with 17.75 Million.
Joyful NoiseComedy/Music
What: Two choir members have differing opinions on how to win the national choir competition.
Who: director – Todd Graff, stars – Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton & Keke Palmer
Lowdown: Oh. My. God. Have you seen the trailer for this yet? If not you are missing out. Do yourself a favor and hit up this link to see the best trailer commentary http://www.ultraculture.co.uk/10116-joyful-noise-trailer-amazing.htm It should do okay with the church crowd – I’m thinking an opening weekend of 15-16M
Opening Weekend: Rounding out the lackluster 4-day MLK holiday weekend, Joyful Noise came in third with 11.22 Million. (34% RT score)
January 20
HaywireAction/Thriller
What: A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.
Who: director – Steven Soderbergh, stars – Michael Fassbender, Ewan McGregor, Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Michael Douglass & Antonio Banderas
Lowdown: The only movie I am excited for in January. Gina Carano is a MMA fighter turned actress using her fighting skills to take down the bad guys. It played at AFI Fest last November to pretty good reviews. Plus it’s got Oscar-winning Soderbergh. Sign me up. I have no idea what the opening weekend is going to look like for this movie. It's got the man of the moment Fassbender, but an unknown female lead in Carano and an R rating. I'll say 13-15M, but that is super wild guess.
Opening Weekend: Despite awesome reviews, Soderbergh's latest was a bit of a disappointment, and only brought in 8.42 Million opening weekend. (80% RT score)
Red Tails Action/Adventure
What: A crew of African American pilots in the Tuskegee training program, having faced segregation while kept mostly on the ground during World War II, are called into duty under the guidance of Col. A.J. Bullard.
Who: director – Anthony Hemingway, stars – Bryan Cranston, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard
Lowdown: George Lucas produced this bio-drama, so that will be a draw for some. The flight sequences look pretty good at least. Surprised this isn’t a February opener – seems like they could capitalize on Black History Month. But what do I know. Around 15M opening weekend is my prediction.
Opening Weekend: Performing better than expected by industry folk, opened to 18.78 Million even with it's horrible reviews - 36% RT score.
Underworld Awakening 3DAction/Horror
What: When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress, Selene leads the battle against humankind.
Lowdown: This franchise keeps (inexplicably) making money, so they keep on making them. This time a couple of Swedes are directing. 20-23M opening weekend sounds about right.
Opening Weekend: I will never understand why this franchise is a continuing money maker, but there is no denying it - there is an audience that will turn up every single time a new one comes out. That audience make this movie #1 for the weekend with 25.3 Million. (29% RT score)
Jan. 27
The GreyAction/Thriller
What: In Alaska, an oil drilling team struggle to survive after a plane crash strands them in the wild. Hunting the humans are a pack of wolves who see them as intruders.
Who: director – Joe Carnahan, stars – Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney & Frank Grillo
Lowdown: From the director of The A Team, this movie probably deals with the triumph of the human spirit and against-the-odds survival but what I got out of the trailer? Liam Neeson affixing broken mini bottles to his fists to ostensibly box the wolves. Like, Ali-style. (Check out the last twenty seconds or so of the trailer to see the amazingness.) I mean, who wouldn’t pay $12 to go see that? Around 12M opening weekend is my prediction.
Opening Weekend: Good reviews (80% RT score) and excellent word of mouth helped make it #1 for the weekend with 19.66 million. (Over-performed by quite a bit - 2 days before opening the industry was expecting 9-10 million for the weekend.)
Man on a LedgeCrime/thriller
What: As a police psychologist works to talk down an ex-con who is threatening to jump from a Manhattan hotel rooftop, the biggest diamond heist ever committed is in motion.
Who: director – Asger Leth, stars – Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Edward Burns, Ed Harris, Kyra Sedwick & Anthony Mackie
Lowdown: The most literal movie title award goes to Summit. This is a movie about a man literally on the ledge…of a building. Other things going for it: that token “hot girl in her underwear” shot in the trailer. Because if you are in the middle of a diamond heist wouldn’t you strip down too? I have seen this trailer every single time I’ve been to the cinema lately (it may have had something to do with that other Summit movie I was watching), and it never seemed to play well with the crowd (again, that might have soothing to do with the crowd being too excited to see some sparkling vampires that they weren’t paying attention). I’ll guess around 10M opening weekend.
Opening Weekend: Maybe the first real bomb of the year? With a 32% RT score, this pic only brought in 8 million for it's opening weekend.
One for the Money Action/comedy
What: Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.
Who: director – Julie Anne Robinson, stars – Katherine Heigl, Jason O’Mara, Daniel Sunjata, John Leguizamo & Sherri Shepherd
Lowdown: One for the money – isn’t that what all of Katherine Heigl’s movies have been? Based on the Janet Evanovich “Stephanie Plum” novels, there were quite a few people upset when Heigl was named as the lead character, and I have pretty much zero hopes that she is going to be able to make those people happy, I mean watch the trailer. This thing looks hor.ri.ble. 10-12M opening weekend sounds about right.
Opening Weekend: To say that critics hated this movie would be an understatement - it got a 2% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. TWO. PERCENT. Audiences didn't seem too into it either, it made only 11.5 million it's opening weekend.
Some notable limited releases being released in January:
Norwegian Wood – Jan. 6 (drama/foreign) Super sad, super beautiful film about a guy who grows close to his best friends girlfriend after the friend kills himself. Nominated for the Golden Lion in Venice.
Loosies - Jan. 11 (comedy/drama) A young pickpocket in the New York subways, living a fast, free lifestyle is confronted by a woman with whom he has a one night stand. Written by and staring Peter Facinelli of Twilight fame.
Albatross - Jan. 13 (drama) Beth, a bookish teenager, befriends Emilia, an aspiring novelist who has just arrived in town. Emilia soon begins an affair with Beth's father that threatens to have devastating consequences. Stars "It Girl of 2011" Felicity Jones.
Coriolanus – Jan. 20 (drama/thriller) Ralph Fiennes makes his directing debut in this film based off Shakespeare’s play. Staring Ralph Fiennes, Vanessa Redgrace, Gerard Butler & Jessica Chastain.
Declaration of War – Jan 27 (drama/foreign) This film made it’s debut at Cannes last year and finally gets its US release. A beautiful film about a young couple that wrestle with their child's cancer diagnosis.
Rampart – Jan. 27 (action/crime) Set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival. Stars Robin Wright, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Sigourney Weaver & Ben Foster.
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