2013 Preview: August

August 1, 2013

July was hit and miss at the box office, mostly miss. In fact, only two films really topped expectations, Despicable Me 2 and The Conjuring. That said, 2013 has nearly closed the gap with 2012 and it won't take much to pull ahead. Looking forward to August, we find that it is a very busy month with 16 or so films opening wide over five weeks. Of course, the closer you get to September, the more likely these films will struggle to find an audience, and more often than not, there are simply too many films opening wide to suspect they will all find an audience. On the high end, 2 Guns could be the biggest hit of the month with just over $100 million. The Smurfs 2 and Elysium could pull in $100 million. All three of those films are opening in the first two weeks of the month. After that, most of the new releases will be lucky if they reach $50 million during their theatrical runs. By comparison, last August was not as busy with 14 wide releases. Of those, only one film, The Bourne Legacy, topped $100 million, although a couple came reasonably close. Hopefully we will have more $100 million hits this time around and 2013 will be able to complete the comeback.

Weekend of August 2nd, 2013

The first weekend of August actually starts the last day of July with the opening of The Smurfs 2 on Wednesday. On Friday, 2 Guns joins them at the box office and will likely have the best box office run of any wide release this month. It has two major movie stars in the leads, plus a great supporting cast. The Smurfs 2 has name recognition from its predecessor, which earned $560 million worldwide, but only $140 million of that came from its domestic run. This weekend last year, Total Recall was the biggest new release of the weekend, while Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days rounded out the Diary of a Wimpy Kid trilogy. The two wide releases should top those two films, but The Dark Knight Rises was still topping the chart last year, which complicates matters. 2013 should come out ahead, but it won't be as easy with The Dark Knight Rises still the top competition.

2 Guns

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: 2Guns.net
Distributor: Universal
Release Date: August 2nd, 2013
MPAA Rating: R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity.
Source: Based on a Graphic Novel
Major Genre: Action
Keywords: Narcotics, Navy, DEA, Organized Crime, Undercover, Special Agent, and more
Directed By: Baltasar Kormakur
Written By: Steven Grant and Blake Masters
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, and others
Production Budget: Estimated at $70 million to $90 million
Box Office Potential: $105 million

Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg star as a DEA agent and an NCIS agent, both of whom were working undercover in a drug cartel, but whose covers were blown and how have to work together in order to stay alive.

Denzel Washington has career earnings that are just over $2 billion, while Mark Wahlberg might get there after this film and Lone Survivor finishes their theatrical run. Baltasar Kormakur has made a lot of movies in his native Iceland, but is only starting his career in North America. That said, his previous major studio film, Contraband, did very well given its production budget. Additionally, there's not a lot of direct competition opening this weekend. It will have to deal with Elysium the next weekend, but that's it as far as major competition goes for the rest of the summer. I think it will be the biggest hit of the month, but it probably won't match The Other Guys, for instance.

Last minute update: The reviews are in and they are merely mediocre. Not bad enough to really hurt the film's chances at the box office, but not good enough to be a selling point either.

The Smurfs 2

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: SmurfHappens.com
Distributor: Sony
Release Date: July 31st, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG for some rude humor and action.
Source: Based on TV / Sequel
Major Genre: Adventure
Keywords: Live Action Cartoon, Kidnap, Rescue, and more
Directed By: Raja Gosnell
Written By: Peyo, J. David Stem, David N Weiss, Jay Scherick, David Ronn, and Karey Kirkpatrick
Starring: Neil Patrick-Harris, Hank Azaria, and others
Production Budget: Estimated at $100 million to $120 million
Box Office Potential: $95 million

The Smurfs opened in 2011 and earned $140 million domestically and $560 million worldwide. It comes as no surprise that there is a sequel. However, the film also earned just 22% positive reviews, so I'm not sure a lot of people who saw the first one are looking forward to seeing this one. We already have some early reviews for The Smurfs 2, but so far they are just 25% positive and one negative review away from tying with the first film. On the other hand, Alvin and the Chipmunks earned terrible reviews right from the start, but it didn't collapse till the third movie, so maybe The Smurfs 2 will match its predecessor's run at the box office.

And speaking of the third movie, The Smurfs 3 is scheduled to come out during summer of 2015.

Last minute update: The reviews have continued to sink and are now at just 15% positive. Additionally, the Wednesday opening was estimated at just $5.6 million, which is on par with Turbo and likely not enough to finish with $100 million domestically.

Weekend of August 9th, 2013

Every August, box office analysts play a game where they try and guess when summer will end. There are four films coming out this week that are hoping summer will last at least until the second weekend of August. Fortunately, it looks like that will be true. Unfortunately, it looks like it won't matter for a couple of them. Four wide releases is simply too many for one weekend. Elysium could be the one break-out hit of the weekend; it's the film I'm most bullish about. However, it is an original story, not an adaptation, spin-off, sequel, etc., which is sadly risky. Some think Disney's Planes will come out on top, but the buzz is really negative with most people saying it is a rip-off of Cars. Whether or not this is warranted, the bad buzz could hurt the film's box office potential before the first reviews roll in. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is the sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which wasn't a big box office hit. I'm surprised the studio is bothering to make a sequel. Finally there's We're the Millers. The buzz is quiet on this one, but it could be a sleeper hit. This weekend last year was the weekend the biggest release of the month opened. The Bourne Legacy opened with $38 million and there is a chance Elysium will top that, but I wouldn't bet on it. 2013 might pull out a win thanks to better depth, but it will have to avoid any real bombs.

Disney's Planes

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: Movies.Disney.com/Planes
Distributor: Disney
Release Date: August 9th, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG for some mild action and rude humor.
Source: Original Screenplay
Major Genre: Adventure
Keywords: In a Plane, Misc. Racing, Animated Inanimate Objects, Underdog, Phobias, and more
Directed By: Klay Hall
Written By: Jeffrey M. Howard
Starring: Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Roger C. Smith, and others
Production Budget: Estimated at $30 million to $40 million
Box Office Potential: $65 million

Planes was originally meant to be a direct-to-DVD release, but was promoted to a theatrical release sometime during production. It is the first DisneyToons animated film to hit theaters since Pooh's Heffalump Movie. That movie pulled in just $18 million domestically and $52 million worldwide. I really hope this film performs better. It does have one advantage. It is the last animated wide release until Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, which opens at the end of September. On the other hand, that is pretty much the only thing going for it. The buzz is terrible with most people attacking it as a Cars rip-off, and you can certainly see where that opinion comes from. On the other hand, the people calling it that are not in this film's target audience. That said, it is late in the summer to release a family friendly film and usually such films that do open this late struggle to go beyond a midlevel hit. Since the film was originally made for the direct-to-DVD market, it likely didn't cost a huge amount to make, so if it can become a midlevel hit, it will break even.

Elysium

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: ItsBetterUpThere.com
Distributor: Sony
Release Date: August 9th, 2013
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated - Likely aiming for PG-13.
Source: Original Screenplay
Major Genre: Action
Keywords: Dystopian Future, Post Apocalypse, Class Warfare, Cancer, Terminal Illness, Stolen Identity, Immigration, Government Corruption, Cybernetics, Kidnapping, Robots, and more
Directed By: Neill Blomkamp
Written By: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, and others
Production Budget: $120 million
Box Office Potential: $105 million

Written and directed by Neill Blomkamp, who previously wrote and directed District 9. That film earned 90% positive reviews, so a lot of people are looking forward to this film. On the other hand, that film earned $115 million, which is less than this film cost to make. There are some people who think Elysium will earn $125 million, which is possible, but as much as I would love to see this film become a serious hit, I think that's just too optimistic. I think it will be the biggest hit of the weekend, possibly of the month, but it will have to rely on international numbers and the home market to break even, if it can break even.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: PercyJacksonTheMovie.com
Distributor: Fox
Release Date: August 7th, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG for fantasy action violence, some scary images and mild language.
Source: Based on a Novel / Sequel
Major Genre: Adventure
Keywords: Gods and Goddesses, On a Boat, Framed, Prophecy, Surprise Twist, and more
Directed By: Thor Freudenthal
Written By: Marc Guggenheim and Rick Riordan
Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Douglas Smith, Leven Rambin, and others
Production Budget: Estimated at $90 million to $100 million
Box Office Potential: $65 million

Why is this movie being made? The first Percy Jackson movie cost $95 million to make but earned less than that domestically and only $226 million worldwide. It has also made less than $50 million in combined DVD and Blu-ray sales, so it wasn't a smash hit on the home market either. If it did break even, it did so by a rather thin margin. If Sea of Monsters can't keep up with its predecessor, it could cost the studio a lot of money. The studio has to know how much of a risk the sequel would be. Worse still, the original film didn't wow critics, as its Tomatometer Score is just 49% positive. Furthermore, this film's buzz isn't great and its release date is rather weak. I suspect this film will open weaker and disappear rather fast, thus killing any chance The Titan's Curse will be turned into a movie.

We're the Millers

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: WereTheMillers.WarnerBros.com
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Release Date: August 7th, 2013
MPAA Rating: R for crude sexual content, pervasive language, drug material and brief graphic nudity.
Source: Original Screenplay
Major Genre: Comedy
Keywords: Narcotics, Stripper, Runaway, Unexpected Family, Road Trip, Family Vacation, Organized Crime, and more
Directed By: Rawson Thurber
Written By: John Morris, Sean Anders, Steve Faber, and Bob Fisher
Starring: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Will Poutler, Emma Roberts, Ed Helms, and others
Production Budget: Reported at $30 million
Box Office Potential: $75 million

Jason Sudeikis stars as a drug dealer who is hired (forced) by a client, Ed Helms, to go to Mexico and pick up a large quantity of marijuana. He knows he will never be able to do this alone, as the boarder guards are sure to check him if he is by himself. So he hires a stripper, Jennifer Aniston; a teenage runaway, Emma Roberts; and a kid from his building, Will Poutler; to pretend to be his family, so it is less suspicious.

We're the Millers is not the biggest film opening this month, or even this week. However, there is some good buzz for the movie and it has the potential to become a sleeper hit. It is directed by the same guy who directed Dodgeball, it is from the screenwriters of The Wedding Crashers, which at one time was the highest grossing R-rated comedy. The other two screenwriters wrote Hot Tub Time Machine, which is probably a safer target to aim for. I am more bullish than most, but I think it should become a midlevel hit.

Weekend of August 16th, 2013

If the summer hasn't ended already, it will end this weekend. There are four wide releases coming out, but only one of them looks like it will be a midlevel hit, while the rest will be fighting for scraps. Kick-Ass 2 should be the biggest hit of the week and many analysts think it will build on the success of Kick-Ass. The Butler has a great cast and it is from the same director as Precious, which should help. Also, there hasn't been a lot of dramas aimed at mature audiences to come out this summer. On the other hand, there is a reason there hasn't been a lot of these films coming out. It's too early for Awards Season buzz and there are too many other films crowding the multiplexes. Paranoia is a mid-budget thriller that doesn't look bad, but there simply isn't enough buzz to think it will thrive. Finally there's Jobs, or jOBS, as it is sometimes spelled. It might have less buzz than Paranoia and the early reviews are mixed, which is bad for this type of film. The Expendables II was the big new film this weekend last year and I don't think any of the four new releases will match its opening. Perhaps 2013 will have better depth, but I'm not willing to bet that will happen.

Jobs

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: JobsTheFilm.com
Distributor: Open Road
Release Date: August 16th, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some drug content and brief strong language.
Source: Based on Real Life Events
Major Genre: Drama
Keywords: Biography, Inventor, Internet, Ensemble, and more
Directed By: Joshua Michael Stern
Written By: Matthew Whitely
Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Josh Gad, Dermot Mulroney, J.K. Simmons, and others
Production Budget: Reportedly less than $10 million
Box Office Potential: $25 million

Ashton Kutcher stars in this Biopic of Steve Jobs. This film has louder buzz than most other wide releases coming out in August; however, while the buzz is loud, it is not good. A lot of people questioned the casting of Ashton Kutcher as Steve Jobs, and the early reviews suggest that opinion was warranted. The reviews are not terrible, but they are not good either with many critics complaining it is not a deep enough look at Steve Jobs' life, while Ashton Kutcher doesn't have the acting chops to carry the film. Furthermore, there are four films opening wide this week, which means one, likely two, will fail to find an audience. I think this will be one of the misses.

Kick-Ass 2

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: KickAss-TheMovie.com
Distributor: Universal
Release Date: August 16th, 2013
MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, pervasive language, crude and sexual content, and brief nudity.
Source: Based on a Comic Book / Sequel
Major Genre: Action
Keywords: Death of a Parent, Revenge, False Identity, Organized Crime, Vigilantes, Sequel With Recast Characters, Out of Retirement, Ensemble, Marvel Comics, and more
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn
Written By: Mark Miller, Matthew Vaughn, and Jane Goldman
Starring: Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, Jim Carrey, and others
Production Budget: Estimated at $30 million to $40 million
Box Office Potential: $75 million

A sequel to Kick-Ass. The first film earned good reviews and became a good midlevel hit in theaters and on the home market. I think Kick-Ass was able to find a larger audience on the home market than it earned in theaters, which will help Kick-Ass 2 sell more tickets than its predecessor. I am a little worried that I'm letting what I want to happen cloud my judgment on what will likely happen. This is arguably the film on this list I'm most interested in seeing. (It's either this film or The World's End.) However, I'm not the only analyst who thinks this film will outperform the original. I am a little more bullish than most, but there is a lot of buzz going into the film and as long as the reviews match the first film, I think it will become a solid late summer hit.

Lee Daniel's The Butler

Trailer: Coming Soon
Official Site: WeinsteinCo.com/Sites/LeeDanielsTheButler
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Release Date: August 16th, 2013
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated - Likely Aiming for PG-13
Source: Based on Real Life Events
Major Genre: Drama
Keywords: Upstairs / Downstairs, Politics, Biography, African-American, and more
Directed By: Lee Daniels
Written By: Lee Daniels and Danny Strong
Starring: Forest Whitaker and a large ensemble cast
Production Budget: Reported at $25 million
Box Office Potential: $35 million

Forest Whitaker stars as Cecil Gaines, who is based on Eugene Allen, a White House butler from 1952 to 1986. He was a butler for more than 30 years and eight presidents. He saw a lot of history during his time.

This film is earning very little buzz, but it is aimed at an older demographic, and not just an older demographic, but an older and African-American demographic. Older demographics tend to not get swept up into the buzz surrounding a film, which is good news for Weinstein Co., because it means this film might still be a surprise hit. It will need strong reviews for that to happen, and there's no word on that front at the moment. If its reviews are award-worthy, then perhaps it will do as well as Precious did, but that's too optimistic for me. On the other hand, the screenplay is by Danny Strong, who has won awards for similar screenplays in the past, while Lee Daniels directed Precious, so there is some reason to be hopeful.

Paranoia

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: Facebook.com/ParanoiaMovie
Distributor: Relativity
Release Date: August 16th, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexuality, violence and language.
Source: Based on a Novel
Major Genre: Thriller
Keywords: Internet, Inventor, Revenge, Undercover, Corporate Malfeasance, Romance, FBI, and more
Directed By: Robert Luketic
Written By: Jason Dean Hall, Barry Levy, and Joseph Finder
Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, Amber Heard, Richard Dreyfuss, and others
Production Budget: $40 million
Box Office Potential: $35 million

Liam Hemsworth stars as a tech genius who is trying to break into the industry, so he can support his father, Richard Dreyfuss. He begins working for Gary Oldman, but Gary Oldman doesn't want him to invent things, but spy on his former mentor and current rival, Harrison Ford.

I'm worried about this film. While the cast is great, there is next to no buzz and it is opening during a crowded weekend during a bad time of year. It is also being released by Relativity, which is not a major studio. It didn't cost a lot of money, so if the film can do decent numbers here, it should break even sometime on the home market.

Weekend of August 23rd, 2013

There are three wide releases coming out this week, two of which already have some reviews to check out. The exception is The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, which is also the largest release of the week. This is not a good sign. Releasing a big film this close to the end of Summer usually means the studio thinks it will flop. Up next is The World's End, the final film in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy. I suspect it was rather inexpensive to make and will become a midlevel hit, at least compared to its production budget. On the other hand, it will earn a bigger profit in the U.K. and internationally. Finally there's You're Next, a low-budget horror film made in 2011 and only getting a theatrical release now. That is normally a bad sign, but there are nearly a dozen reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and all but one are positive. It could perform quite well at the box office, especially given the time of year. The weekend last year was particularly bad with three wide releases, but none of them opened in the top five. Most troubling was Premium Rush, which earned great reviews, but still bombed. That's bad news for The World's End and You're Next, because it shows good reviews at this time of year are no guarantee of box office success.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: TheMortalInstrumentsMovie.com
Distributor: Sony
Release Date: August 21st, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence and action, and some suggestive content.
Source: Based on a Book
Major Genre: Adventure
Keywords: Good vs. Evil, Angels, Demons, Vampire, Werewolf, and more
Directed By: Harald Zwart
Written By: Jessica Postigo and Cassandra Clare
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, and others
Production Budget: Estimated at $50 million to $70 million
Box Office Potential: $40 million

When I think of this film, the first word that comes to my mind is Beautiful. The second word is Creatures. Beautiful Creatures. I have a horrible inkling that this film will have a box office run similar to Beautiful Creatures, which would be devastating for the studio. (They are already working on a sequel, City of Ashes.) This could be a horrible idea. It seems incredibly risky. The director, Harald Zwart, has only directed a few films in the past, including The Karate Kid, which was a surprise hit, but he also directed The Pink Panther 2, which was a huge bomb. This is the first film made based on a screenplay by Jessica Postigo and this is the first Cassandra Clare novel adapted into a movie. Finally, Lily Collins is still a mostly untested star. There is so much risk here, too much risk to start working on a sequel already. The studio must have some fear it will bomb, otherwise why would they dump the film late in August?

Maybe I'm overstating the negatives, and I am more pessimistic than most analysts, but I think this film could be a total flop.

The World's End

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: FocusFeatures.com/The_Worlds_End
Distributor: Focus Features
Release Date: August 23rd, 2013
MPAA Rating: R for pervasive language including sexual references.
Source: Original Screenplay
Major Genre: Comedy
Keywords: Midlife Crisis, One Night, Alien Invasion, Robots, End of the World, Non Chronological, Screenplay Written by Star, and more
Directed By: Edgar Wright
Written By: Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike, and others
Production Budget: Reported at £20 million and $20 million
Box Office Potential: $35 million

The third film in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, finishing the saga begun by Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Like those two films, The World's End is directed by Edgar Wright, it is written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, and stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as well as lots of others. These films have never really found an audience here, but they have all been inexpensive to make and have a cult following here. (They also have earned enough in their native markets to be profitable.) I really want this film to be the last break-out hit of the summer, but the odds are not in its favor. A theatrical run of $30 million to $40 million will be enough to keep the studio satisfied.

You're Next

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: Lionsgate.com/Movies/YoureNext
Distributor: Lionsgate
Release Date: August 23rd, 2013
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity.
Source: Original Screenplay
Major Genre: Horror
Keywords: Dysfunctional Family, Home Invasion, Serial Killers, Unnamed Character, Sibling Rivalries, Screenplay Written By Star, and more
Directed By: Adam Wingard
Written By: Simon Barrett
Starring: There are thirteen actors in the cast, but I can't say who the star is without spoiling some plot points.
Production Budget: Unknown, likely cost less than $20 million to make, maybe less than $10 million
Box Office Potential: $25 million

The Davison family reunion is an unpleasant affair, which should come as no surprise, as the Davison family is rather dysfunctional. The husband and wife, their four kids, and their four kids' spouses / significant others immediately begin to argue with one another, until three masked men invade their reunion and begin killing the family off. That's not the end of the story; however, as one of the family turns out to be even more adept at killing than the home invaders are.

This film was made in 2011 and debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival that year. It was at the TIFF that it was picked up by Lionsgate, who promptly did nothing with it for nearly two years. ... And now they are dumping it in theaters late in August. ... That should be a terrible sign, but the early reviews are actually fantastic. They are even better than The Conjuring reviews are and if it can maintain this level, it could be one of the best wide releases of the summer. On the other hand, horror films tend to get much stronger reviews from genre critics than they do from general critics, so those reviews will likely fall to a more reasonable level. If the film can avoid falling below the overall positive level, then it should at least earn enough theatrically to break even early in its home market run.

Weekend of August 30th, 2013

The final weekend of August is also Labor Day long weekend, the worst long weekend all year. There are four films trying to battle for very limited box office dollars. I think Getaway has the best shot at box office success. Its two stars have had success at the box office this year, while the buzz is pretty good, albeit a little quiet at the moment. (It doesn't open for a while, so there is time for the buzz to grow louder. ) One Direction: This Is Us is the film many analysts think will be the number one film over the weekend. However, One Direction's main audience is teenage and pre-teen girls, and this demographic is notoriously fickle. Closed Circuit is ... a movie. The buzz is so quiet with this film that I doubt most people know it exists. That still puts it one-step up on Satanic, which I no longer think is opening wide, and might not be opening at all this month. In fact, I'm dropping it from the list. If it does open wide, it will likely gets squeezed out by the competition failing to open in the top five and finishing its theatrical run with less than $10 million. The same weekend last year there were three wide releases. The Possession did quite well, given the release date and I doubt any of the films this year will match it. Lawless barely cracked $10 million over the weekend, while the less said about Oogieloves, the better.

Closed Circuit

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: ClosedCircuitMovie.com
Distributor: Focus Features
Release Date: August 28th, 2013
MPAA Rating: R for language and brief violence.
Source: Original Screenplay
Major Genre: Thriller
Keywords: Terrorism, Courtroom Drama, Lawyers, Government Corruption, Reporters, and more
Directed By: John Crowley
Written By: Steve Knight
Starring: Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Riz Ahmed, and others
Production Budget: Unknown, Estimated at $20 million to $40 million
Box Office Potential: $25 million

A terrorist attack strikes London and after the lead defendant's lawyer dies, Eric Bana takes over the defense. There is a complication, however. Some of the evidence against his client is top secret, so he can not be told about it. There, there is a special government assigned lawyer also acting as a defense lawyer, Rebecca Hall, who happens to be Eric Bana's ex-lover.

The trailer is effective, but there's not a lot of star power here, on either side of the camera. Additionally, it is a really bad time to release a movie. Finally, it is the smallest of the three wide releases.

Getaway

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: GetAwayMovie.com
Distributor: Sony
Release Date: August 30th, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense action, violence and mayhem throughout, some rude gestures, and language.
Source: Original Screenplay
Major Genre: Thriller
Keywords: Kidnap, Rescue, Hacker, Internet, Car Chase, Auto Racing, and more
Directed By: Courtney Solomon
Written By: Sean Finegan and Gregg Maxwell Parker
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez, Jon Voight, and others
Production Budget: Reported at $20 million, more or less
Box Office Potential: $40 million

Ethan Hawke's wife is kidnapped and he has to follow the directions of a mysterious man, Jon Voight, to get her back. He is helped by a computer savvy girl, known only as The Kid, Selena Gomez.

The trailer for this film is fine, but not 100% effective. It looks like its Tomatometer Score will be in the 40% to 60% positive range. Not overall positive, but not a disaster either. Fortunately, "not a disaster" is going to be better than most films in theaters by the time it opens, and for the next few weeks after it opens. Because of that, I think it will do fine. Again, fine, but not a real hit.

One Direction: This Is Us

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: 1DThisIsUs-Movie.com
Distributor: Sony
Release Date: August 30th, 2013
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated - Likely aiming for G.
Source: Based on Real Life Events
Major Genre: Concert
Keywords: Musicians, Pop, 3D, Shot in 3D, and more
Directed By: Morgan-Spurlock
Written By: None
Starring: One Direction
Production Budget: Estimated at less than $20 million
Box Office Potential: $35 million

I haven't heard a single song from One Direction, but I did watch the Todd In The Shadows video on them and that's really all I needed to hear. Their music is overly produced pop with lyrics that sound innocent at first, but are actually really creepy. It is like they are negging a million teenage girls every time they release a new song. That said, I'm nowhere near their target demographic, so my opinion on their music doesn't matter. The movie will likely be the biggest hit of the weekend, but it will have terrible legs and will disappear very fast, leaving Getaway as the biggest hit overall.


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Filed under: Monthly Preview, We’re the Millers, Elysium, Kick-Ass 2, Lee Daniels' The Butler, The World's End, The Smurfs 2, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Paranoia, One Direction: This is Us, 2 Guns, You're Next, Closed Circuit, Getaway, Disney Planes, Jobs, Cars, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, Jim Carrey, Matt Damon, Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Ethan Hawke, Gary Oldman, Jon Voight, Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Sean Anders, Jennifer Aniston, Hank Azaria, Eric Bana, Neill Blomkamp, Paddy Considine, Dane Cook, Lee Daniels, Jodie Foster, Martin Freeman, Nick Frost, Josh Gad, Raja Gosnell, Rebecca Hall, Neil Patrick Harris, Amber Heard, Ed Helms, Brandon T. Jackson, , Stacy Keach, Karey Kirkpatrick, Ashton Kutcher, Logan Lerman, Robert Luketic, Eddie Marsan, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloë Grace Moretz, John Morris, Dermot Mulroney, Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Emma Roberts, J.K. Simmons, Douglas Smith, Courtney Solomon, Morgan Spurlock, Danny Strong, Matthew Vaughn, Edgar Wright, Selena Gomez, John Crowley, Jason Sudeikis, Liam Hemsworth, Lily Collins, Baltasar Kormakur, Riz Ahmed, , David N. Weiss, Steve Faber, Bob Fisher, Alexandra Daddario, Jane Goldman, Marc Guggenheim, Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Adam Wingard, Simon Barrett, Peyo, Leven Rambin, Jason Dean Hall, Barry Levy, Joseph Finder, Mark Millar, Rick Riordan, , , Steve Knight, Joshua Michael Stern, Matthew Whitely, Klay Hall, Thor Freudenthal, Blake Masters, Steven Grant