Limited and VOD Releases: Which Releases will Make some Noise?
December 30, 2016
The last weekend of the year is also the last chance for Oscar contenders to qualify for the Oscars. Two of the three films on this week’s list are absolutely Oscar-bait. Paterson has a better shot at Awards Season glory than The Founder does, but The Founder has a wide expansion planned for January, so it will likely do better at the box office. Meanwhile, the third film, Ocean Waves, is earning the best reviews and is a must see for fans of Studio Ghibli.
The Founder - Reviews
Ocean Waves - Reviews
Paterson - Reviews
Michael Keaton plays the not founder of McDonalds in this biopic. The film doesn’t open until the 31st, so it is clearly going for Oscar glory, but its reviews are only 80% positive, so it is not going to get there. This is terrible news for Weinstein Co., who haven’t had a single major hit all year. Or arguably the year before. Their last $100 million hit was The Butler in 2013, although The Imitation Game game close. If this film doesn’t open with a theater average of at least $20,000, it could be another miss for the company.
This is a Studio Ghibli release and it is earning 100% positive reviews. It is not surprising that a Studio Ghibli film is earning 100% positive reviews. Interestingly, this wasn’t a theatrical release in its native Japan, but was a TV movie that originally aired in 1993. Animated films almost never do well in limited release, but GKIDS does has a track record and I wouldn’t be too surprised if the film earned $1 million during its run. I would be a little surprised, but not too surprised.
Adam Driver plays a man called Paterson, who lives in a city called Paterson and drives the bus. He also writes poetry, but doesn’t want anyone to read it. His wife, Laura, wants him to publish his poetry, or at least make copies. The film has 94% positive reviews, but is not connecting with Awards Season voters like it should be. Perhaps there’s too much competition. I’m worried it is because it is an Amazon Studios film and too many voters think Amazon isn’t a real studio and doesn’t deserve real awards. There’s a lot of politics in Awards Season.
Filed under: Limited Releases, VOD Releases, Home Market Releases, The Founder, Paterson, Umi ga kikoeru, Michael Keaton, Adam Driver,