Limited and VOD Releases: When Mermaids Cry
February 19, 2016
It's a short list this week, but there are more than a few films worth talking about. The Mermaid is by far the biggest and it has already earned close to $300 million worldwide. Additionally, its director, Stephen Chow, has had some box office success here in the past. Unfortunately, it has No Reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, so it is hard to tell if it deserves breakout success here.
Busco Novio Para Mi Mujer - Reviews
The Embrace of the Serpent - Reviews
Forsaken - Reviews
The Mermaid - No Reviews
Neerja - No Reviews
Rolling Papers - Reviews
Snowtime - Reviews
A man is tired of his wife, so he hires another man to seduce her so she will dump him. There are not a lot of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but the ones that are there are mostly positive. Additionally, its target audience is a growing audience. That said, it is playing in over 350 theaters, which might prove to be too many.
Based on the real life story of an Amazon shaman and the two explorers / field scientists who meet him. The film has the best reviews on this week's list, so it could do well in limited release. Its chances of expanding enough to earn some measure of mainstream success are limited. The Embrace of the Serpent opens tonight at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles before a planned expansion next week. Check out the official site for more details.
Video on Demand
Real life father and son duo Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland play father and son in this Western. It has an amazing cast, especially compared to the average limited release. However, the reviews are only 33% positive and it is playing on VOD. If you like the cast and are a fan of Westerns, then it is worth a rental, but that's it.
The latest film from Stephen Chow. The film cost more than $60 million to make, which is a lot for a Chinese film. It made more than $100 million during its opening weekend in its native market alone. It has made nearly $300 million worldwide. It will likely not escape limited release here. The market for Chinese films is growing, but not by enough to assume a truly wide expansion. The Mermaid opens tonight in 35 theaters in select cities nationwide.
A Bollywood film, but not your typical Bollywood film. It is about the real life story of Neerja Bhanot, the chief flight attendant on a plane that was high-jacked. There are no reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, or on Now Running, so it is really hard to judge its box office chances. Neerja opens in 73 theaters in select cities nationwide.
Video on Demand
A documentary set in Colorado, which became the first state to legalize recreational pot. The Denver Post became the first newspaper to hire a pot editor. The reviews are good, but not great, and it is playing on VOD, so its box office chances are nearly zero.
A digitally animated kids film opening in limited release. Films like this almost never find an audience. The reviews are good, so may be it will do well when it lands on the home market.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, Rolling Papers, Forsaken, El abrazo de la serpiente, Snowtime!, Busco Novio Para Mi Mujer, Neerja, Mei Ren Yu, Stephen Chow, Sonam Kapoor, Donald Sutherland, Kiefer Sutherland