Weekend Preview 2014: Sequels '22 Jump Street' and 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' Lead New Releases
On Friday, June 13, a number of films open nationwide and will try to gain attention in the marketplace. Here are the movies opening in theaters.
"22 Jump Street" - Back in 2012 Sony released a comedy entitled, "21 Jump Street," in March that eventually became a huge hit and starred Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. This year Sony decided to release a sequel attempting to relive the same success as the original. The sequel tells the story of officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local college. The film recently had its premiere and it received great reviews. Critics raved about the chemistry between the two leads and said that humor was even better. After the first film's huge breakout, "22 Jump Street" is likely to repeat its success. With no comedies currently in the marketplace and "Neighbors" starting to fade, this sequel will likely have a strong opening weekend. Sony will release the movie in 3,000 theaters.
"How to Train Your Dragon 2" - DreamWorks is returning to the marketplace with "How to Train Your Dragon 2." The film marks the first real tentpole animated film since "Rio 2." After the 2010 original made $217 million at the box office, the studio is likely to repeat with an even higher gross. The movie tells the story of Hiccup and Toothless, who discover an ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider. After premiering at the Cannes Film festival, the movie scored rave reviews and currently has a 92 percent aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics raved about the storyline and the fun action sequences. The movie opens in 4,000 theaters and is likely to open at number one. This year a number of animated films have been released, but few have actually made big box office grosses. Aside from "Rio 2," "The Nut Job," and "The Lego Movie," the animated slate has flopped. Given the lack of family movies out at the moment, "How to Train Your Dragon 2" could possibly become the first movie to make $300 million this year.
"The Rover" - The Cannes Film Festival hit will finally be released by A24. The new movie, starring Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce, tells the story of a hardened, ruthless ex-soldier who tracks down the men who stole his only possession 10 years after the global economic collapse. As he travels through the lawless Australian outback, he takes a damaged young man as his unwitting accomplice. The movie is scoring rave reviews and is likely to play to Pattinson fans. It is also likely to reach fans of director David Michod, who is best known for his work on the "Animal Kingdom." A24 will open the movie first in Los Angeles and New York and later expand nationwide on June 20.
"Hellion" - IFC will open the Kat Chandler drama, which opened at the Sundance Film Festival. The movie, which stars Aaron Paul and Juliette Lewis, tells the story of motocross and heavy metal-obsessed 13-year-old Jacob, whose increasing delinquent behavior forces CPS to place his little brother, Wes, with his aunt. The movie has scored positive reviews and is likely to gain some attention from the Indie crowd. However, since it will only be released in limited theaters and on demand, it is unlikely the film will crossover to the mainstream.
"Heli" - It's been almost a year since the Mexican film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The winner of the Best Director award at the festival will finally be released in New York but very little marketing and advertising has been used to promote it. The movie's harsh topic and raw visual style made it one of the most controversial at the festival last year and it even scored mixed reviews. However it still managed to be picked as Mexico's official selection for the Oscars. The movie tells the story of Heli who must try and protect his young family when his 12-year-old sister inadvertently involves them in the brutal drug world.
"Lullaby" - Arc Entertainment is releasing the cancer driven film about a man who's estranged from his family and receives word that his father has chosen to take himself off life support within 48 hours. The movie has a star-studded cast that includes Garrett Hedlund, Richard Jenkins, Jennifer Hudson, Terrence Howard, Jessica Brown-Findlay and Amy Adams, yet it has had very little marketing and reviews have been mixed. The film is likely to be hurt by the small release and by "The Fault in Our Stars," which is currently on release and about a similar topic.
"Policeman" - The Israeli festival hit will finally be released by Corinth films. The movie tells the story of a member of an Israeli anti-terrorist unit who clashes with a group of young radicals. The film won awards at Locarno and was also nominated for the Israel Academy Awards. The movie is likely to interest people as it stars Michael Aloni who was recently seen in the Indie hit "Out in the Dark" and gained some exposure in the U.S.
"The Signal" - Focus Features returns to the marketplace with a high concept science fiction film. The new movie, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of Nic and two friends who are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. The movie stars Olivia Cooke, Brenton Thwaites and Lawrence Fishburne and, while it will be released in 100 plus theaters, has not garnered much attention. Reviews have been subpar and marketing has been slow. As a result, Focus Features is likely to have yet another flop. It would mark the company's fourth after "That Awkward Moment," "Bad Words," and "Walk of Shame."