*All historical figures cited are adjusted to today’s dollars.
Forgive me if this entry seems a little rushed, but I’ve been flying most of the day and detoxing from South by Southwest. It was my first time attending since 2006 and the growth in scope, prestige and attendance since then was staggering. The quality and selection of films, however, has not suffered and there remains no better film festival in the United States to see unique, low budget independent films that may or may not make it to your local multiplex. “Cold Weather,” “Passenger Pigeons,” “Putty Hill,” “The Myth of the American Sleepover” and “Tiny Furniture” are just a few that you should keep your eyes on.
But enough about those itty bitty movies nobody cares about. How about “The Bounty Hunter?” Starring the only Friend to successfully craft a big screen career out of that small screen sensation and some Irish bloke that seems to really get off on playing chauvinists. And why not, since in Hollywood they get to treat the girl like shit and still win her in the end. One of three films coming out in the next few months with a hapless woman thrust together with a man of action (“Killers” and “Knight & Day” being the others), Sony was smart to push this one out first and should see something around $20 million for their troubles.
Fox adapts a famous (so I’ve heard) series of young adult books with “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and I heard it pitched as a PG-rated “Superbad” for middle schoolers. Truth be told, I think it actually looks pretty good and with no major kids product out there it may have a chance at some success. Unless it comes off as too raunchy for kids and too immature for teens and then Fox will be in trouble. I think it can give America $13 million worth of wedgies.
Finally, Jude Law decided to do an exercise and see how repugnant he can seem to women by making “Repo Men.” A gruesome looking action film with Law sporting a balding buzz cut and tattoos, it’s not exactly playing to his fanbase. The target audience is clearly blood-lusty men and they may have a hard time being convinced that Law is significantly badass enough to warrant their $10. Therefore, I see this one only earning around $9 million.
Watch out for “The Ghost Writer,” which expands to over 800 screens and could earn as much as $2.5 million. Summit have done an admirable job expanding this sucker and perhaps learned a lesson or two from their lackluster “The Hurt Locker” job last summer.
“The Runaways” could also make a surprise case for the top 10, opening on 244 screens from Apparition. I’m rooting for this new company and the buzz for the Joan Jett biopic seems great enough that a $2.0 million debut wouldn’t surprise.
Lots to talk about this Sunday when I make up for missing last week and get things back to normal. Thanks for sticking with us past the Oscar season and what are you seeing this weekend?
Comments
29 responses to “FRIDAY FORECAST: ‘Bounty’ soft”
I was surprised to see The Ghost Writer open in town. I just might need to check it out.
REALLY enjoyed ‘The Ghost Writer’ aside from some Third Act melodrama. So moody. Umm, yeah, I wish it the best in box office. It deserves a push.
The performances in “The Runaways” (mainly Fanning and Shannon) make it worth a look. Otherwise it’s as spunky as it is conventional.
Chad,
That “Irish” bloke is in fact Scottish.
Really enjoyed both She’s out of my league and Remember me — both surprisingly great movies.
Why aren’t more people going to see bounty hunter?
Kind of ironic that what is probably Polanskis last film involves a man fleeing a country to avoid facing trial.
Saw Ghost Writer today (finally made it here this weekend), and thought it was Polanski’s best work since Chinatown. Hope it expands well.
“The Bounty Hunter” is awful. No one should see it, neither as a romantic comedy nor as an action flick. It’s horrible as both.
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” is quite good. Sort of light on plot and a couple of annoying characters, but the savvy writing is too good to pass up.
“Repo Men” is more entertaining than it has any right to be, until the last ten minutes, when it completely goes off the rails and shoots itself in the foot.
Frank: Butler’s performance in “P.S. I Love You” was obviously so convincing that Chad was misled.
Looking at what’s available around me this weekend, I think I’ve made the right choice to stay home and watch Lawrence of Arabia in TCM tonight.
The White Ribbon finally comes to Richmond this weekend so I will be doing a double feature of that along with The Ghost Writer tonight. Besides that there aren’t any other new films that hold my interest. I can’t wait to see both movies though, as TWR was the last movie I needed to see from 2009’s list of nominated films to put a nail in the casket of last year and now I can finally move on to 2010 movies without having the weight of not seeing everything hanging over me.
Good to see that Chloe Moretz, the greatest child actor since Dakota Fanning, is having a warm-up with Wimpy Kid before she hits totally and absolutely big as Hit Girl in Kick Ass. Plus Let Me In is out in fall. I`m calling BSA for Kick Ass. Not AMPAS thing, sure, but she`s totally iconic in it. Just wait and see. You`ll be blown away!
Jude Law continues a leading man streak of bombs after temporary recover with RDJ hit Sherlock Holmes. Pitty, I liked him in Holmes, he was an awesome Watson.
Remember Me is flushed down the toilet. Twitards obviously care only for Edward and Robsessed are only a small fraction of the fandom.
Buttler must be stopped! he had such action hero promise after 300 but he got fat and is now a male Kate Hudson (translation: terrible romcom headliner). :(
UGH, Jennifer Aniston film career is insulting, I will be happy when she no longer gets more films. Can she make ONE good film? And if you answer she did THE GOOD GIRL remember that it was 10 years ago.
She and Kate Hudson can go WAY !!!!
Eight years ago, in fact. As for more good films, I’d include Office Space, Friends With Money, Management and He’s Just Not That Into You. Plus, I think she’s very good in The Break-Up, even if the film isn’t.
Sorry, everyone here knows about my Jennifer Aniston problem. Couldn’t let it go. Carry on.
Oh, who am I kidding — I enjoyed Marley & Me, The Object of My Affection, Picture Perfect, Along Came Polly, She’s the One and even Rock Star. It’s a sickness.
Aniston was terrific in The Good Girl. Why is she taking crap like this, which is below her level, is a big mystery.
I share the Aniston love completely.
I really hate it that she makes all these bad films but I think they don’t give her anything better any more. Perhaps some earlier choices of hers are to be blamed. She has to hunt down some good roles.
“Butler’s performance in “P.S. I Love You” was obviously so convincing that Chad was misled.”
Probably the same as if you close your eyes and listen to Tom Cruise in Far and Away, how could you possibly think he wasn’t Irish…?
Sorry for the mistake. I’ve never actually seen a movie the guy is in.
Whatever Aniston has her own production company and still chooses sh*t films. If she wanted challenging roles then she would develop them. She is no different then any other actor who routinely phones it in and collects a paycheck.
I’m going to pass on this weekend’s wide releases and check out both A Prophet and The Runaways. I look forward to seeing what Fanning and Stewart do with the material.
Eight years ago, in fact. As for more good films, I’d include Office Space, Friends With Money, Management and He’s Just Not That Into You. Plus, I think she’s very good in The Break-Up, even if the film isn’t.
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When I say insulting films, He’s Just Not That Into You, The Break-Up are pretty much what I am describing, what horrible taste in scripts this woman has.
The only solace I have is that she is getting older and if God has mercy she wont get a single script 5 years from now.
I am sorry Guy, her work in Management was ok at best, nothing to write home. So taht leaves Office Space and Good Girl, two films in a 20 YEARS carrer. what fucking waste.
Ugh, as I said before she wont be missed.
i know she makes a lot of crap but when this crap routinely opens to 20+ (save for the one with aaron eckhart) that what is going to get greenlit. Blame the consumers, not the filmakers.
God I only dislike Aniston because she’s completely boring and dull. Rather watch paint dry then anything she’s involved with. That goes for Paltrow, Hudson, and Jolie – I can’t stand them either.
He’s Just Not That Into You was not a good movie. Most of the women in that movie were quite pathetic. Aniston has limited range. She needs good scripts that fit her talent. She needs to slow down making these movies and look for those scripts. Working with Adam Sandler is probably a wrong step.
I like how people who don’t care for Aniston think they have the answers to her career when in fact she doesn’t need any because she’s going quite nicely. Sure, she has bad movies but so does Will Smith. As Damon said, maybe she’s make more movies like “Friends with Money” or “The Good Girl” and less like “The Bounty Hunter” if the box office warranted it, but they don’t. You can’t blame her for wanting a career.
Saw ‘Shutter Island’ again last night, for the 2nd time; took a friend who wanted to see it.
Theater was PACKED except for the first 2 rows. I suppose that means another decent per screen average this weekend.
I loved it even more the 2nd time around, my friend absolutely loved it.
That said, the theater was definitely mixed. For as many people who seemed to really, really dig it (younger people – teens, twenties, thirties), there were plenty of “I’m picking the movie next time”, “I guess I fell asleep for all the good parts”, and “I don’t get it”s. Sad times.
Jennifer Aniston is basically Sandra Bullock without a blockbuster franchise (like Miss Congeniality, Speed). Limited range, but capable of being really good within that range, and she is one of just a few women who can take top billing on a romcom and open it to more than 20 million. Even if many, if not most of the the films she stars in are not in themselves particularly good.
Nah, even though I don’t think Sandra deserved the Oscar this year at all, she definitely has always had that cinematic “something” that Aniston has never had.
My problem with Aniston is that I can smell her need to be as huge in movies as TV. Rather than sit back on all those residuals and create/seek out quality projects (a la Clooney), she seems determined to concentrate on big-ticket Hollywood pictures. (Maybe so she doesn’t have to change her signature glossy, monied look?) With the exception of Friends with Money, all of her indie work was done while she was still busy on TV.