Weekend Preview 2014: Angelina Jolie Returns to Theaters in 'Maleficent
On May 30, a number of films will enter the marketplace in hopes of obtaining box office success and garnering a huge audience.
"Maleficent" - The biggest film of the week is Disney's special effects driven fantasy. The new film, starring Angelina Jolie, tells the backstory to Maleficent, the villainous witch from the Disney classic "Sleeping Beauty." The new live action film is the latest in a line of animated films or classics that Disney has converted into live action. Previously, the studio made "Alice in Wonderland" and "Oz: the Great and Powerful." While "Alice in Wonderland" was a huge hit at the box office with 334 million, "Oz: The Great and Powerful" had a hard time reaching those heights and only made $234 million. Still the numbers were solid and enough to convince Disney to continue going in that route. However, both films received mixed reviews and while "Maleficent" has no reviews at the moment, it also likely to see the same type of critical reception. As for box office, early reports suggest that the movie will easily open with $60 million. However, that would be the lowest for a Disney live action fantasy. "Alice in Wonderland" opened to $116 million back in 2010 while "Oz: The Great and Powerful" opened with $79 million last year. While interest is high, the movie could easily be eaten up by the competition and by the oversaturated market. Disney is planning on releasing the blockbuster in 3,800 theaters.
"A Million Ways to Die in the West" - One of the biggest comedies of the season will be released this weekend. The new western comedy, starring Seth McFarlane, Charlize Theron, Liam Neeson, Amanda Seyfried and Neil Patrick Harris, tells the story of a cowardly farmer who begins to fall for the mysterious new woman in town. However, things begin to change and he must put his courage to the test when her husband, a notorious gun-slinger, arrives. The movie is the first McFarlane has directed film since "Ted," and as a result Universal hopes to reach that key market that made "Ted" a success. Back in 2012, "Ted" opened to a surprising $54 million and went on to make $218 million. "A Million Ways to Die in the West" has a lot of interest especially because of its cast but early bad reviews could mar the film's potential. Universal has high hopes and will aggressively release the comedy in 3,000+ theaters.
"Filth" - Magnolia will finally unveiled the British raunchy comedy that stars James McAvoy and Jamie Bell. "Filth," based on the novel by Irvine Welsh, tells the story of a corrupt cop who manipulates and hallucinates his way through a bid to secure a promotion and win back his wife and daughter. The film has received rave reviews and currently has a 76 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes. Most critics are raving about McAvoy's performance, which won the British Independent award for Best Actor last year. While the film is slated to open in theaters, Magnolia has already done a lot of promotion particularly for the VOD release, which happened a few weeks prior to the theater release. The distributor clearly does not have high hopes for its theatrical box office as it will only release it in about one or two theaters.
"Night Moves" - Last year, Cinedigm had its biggest hit with "Short Term 12." The film went on to gross more $1 million in 75 theaters and received a lot of buzz during awards season. This week, the company will attempt to repeat its success with the acclaimed Kelly Reichert drama "Night Moves." The new film, starring Jess Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning and Peter Saarsgard, tells the story of three radical environmentalists who look to execute the protest of their lives -- the explosion of a hydroelectric dam. The movie premiered at the Venice, Toronto and Deauville Film Festivals and went on to receive rave reviews. "Night Moves" currently has a 78 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes. Cinedigm will open the film in two theaters and will then look to expand the following weekends.
Other new releases this week include Magnolia's "We Are the Best!," Saboteur Media's "Korengal," and Entertainment One's "The Grand Seduction," which will be released in 100 theaters.
A number Indie films will also continue to expand, including Open Road's "Chef," the Weinstein Company's "The Immigrant" and Fox Searchlight's "Belle."