From left: Justin Timberlake, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Anna Kendrick, Jake Gyllenhaal. (Photos: Getty Images)Led by two impressive cop movies, one in the present, one in the future, this weekend has a slew of big title wide releases. Exhibitor Relations' Senior Box Office Analyst Jeff Bock sees the top four new flicks having solid opening weekends. "All the new films are expected to do decent business, and register somewhere in the mid-teens," he told us. "That means from top to bottom, it really is anyone's game."
Dredd 3DDirected by
Pete TravisStarring:
Karl Urban,
Olivia Thirlby,
Lena Headey,
Rachel WoodShockingly,
Dredd is getting solid reviews across the board. Backed by an R-rating and the comic book's creative dystopian setting — the eastern seaboard is one giant city where police are replaced by "judges" who have the power of judge, jury, and executioner —
Dredd is turning heads for all the right reasons. Anyone who's interested in the shallow stupidity of the new
Resident Evil movie should turn around and go see this.
See it? Yes.Box office prediction: $15M
House at the End of the StreetDirected by Mark Tonderai
Starring:
Jennifer Lawrence,
Elisabeth Shue,
Max Thieriot,
Gil BellowsLawrence appears in her first horror film, which means she'll be scantily-clad and doing a lot of wide-eyed staring. The plot finds a mother and daughter living next to a house where a grisly crime was committed, and obviously the house is still primed for more creepiness. Don't expect much here, Lawrence is great, but it doesn't look like she has much to work with.
See it? No.Box office prediction: $15M, "It will certainly be a test of (Lawrence's) drawing prowess, but with a budget of just $7 million, it looks like the odds will be forever in her favor on this one."
End of WatchDirected by:
David AyersStarring:
Jake Gyllenhaal,
Michael Pena,
Anna Kendrick,
America FerraraSlowed by shaky handheld camera-work,
End of Watch overcomes it as Gyllenhaal and Pena's cop buddies battle a dangerous Mexican cartel on the streets of L.A. More than a simple cop flick, the film is more about friendship and courage, two palpable assets to any hero-driven film. Directed by
Training Day writer Ayers,
EoW is a pulse-pounder with a shocking ending.
See it? Yes.Box office prediction: $14M
Full ReviewTrouble with the CurveDirected by
Robert LorenzStarring:
Clint Eastwood,
Amy Adams,
Justin Timberlake,
John GoodmanFeaturing another grumpy Eastwood performance, this family drama has its moments but lacks any semblance of reality. The baseball stuff is pretty hackneyed and the family issues between Eastwood and Adams could've saved it, but the writing is too easy, too contrived.
See it? No.Box office prediciton: $17M, "Old Man Eastwood probably won't be talking to many empty seats as Trouble with the Curve will be showing in more ballparks than any of the other new flicks." Full ReviewThe Perks of Being a Wallflower (Limited)Directed by Stephen Chbosky
Starring:
Logan Lerman,
Emma Watson,
Ezra Miller,
Paul RuddA coming of age story starring pixie dream girl Watson as a high school senior who, along with another senior, takes a freshman under her wing. The film is based on the director's own best-seller so the adaptation should be close to the novel for its fans. Watch for scene-stealer Miller, who wowed audiences last year as a school shooter in
We Need to Talk About Kevin.
See it? Sure.About Cherry (Limited)Directed by Stephen Elliott
Starring:
Ashley Hinshaw,
James Franco,
Heather Graham,
Lili TaylorA high school student the porn business and has her world upended. You don't say? What are the chances a career in porn could have such an adverse effect on a young person's life? Written by real-life porn star Lorelei Lee,
About Cherry has opened to terrible festival reviews and the trailer doesn't look like anything special.
See it? No.17 Girls (Limited)Directed by: Delphine Coulin, Muriel Coulin
Starring: Louise Grinberg, Juliette Darche, Roxane Duran
Based on a real-life story of a "pregnancy pact" between high school friends in Massachusetts,
17 Girls is about 17 high school girls who decide to form a similar pact to become pregnant together while still in high school. When the true story hit papers MTV was blamed for its glofication of teen preganancy, the parents were blamed, the school was blamed... let's see who the movie blames, or better yet, don't.
See it? No.How to Survive a Plague (Limited)Directed by David France
The story of ACT UP and TAG, two coalitions whose activism helped turn the tide of AIDS from a death sentence to a treatable illness. Documentaries about unsung heroes who save lives tend to be worth watching. Want to know why you don't see AIDS on the cover of
Time magazine anymore?
See it? Yes.Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel (Limited)Directed by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Frederic Tcheng
A documentary about the life of the longtime former fashion editor of
Harpers Bazaar, Diana Vreeland. Looks like a must for fashionistas everywhere. After the success of
The September Issue, fashion docs are so hot right now.
See it? Sure.See more photos of Emma Watson here:
