BIG MIRACLE
Starring: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen
Bell,
Dermot Mulroney, Tim Blake Nelson & Ted Danson
Directed by Ken Kwapis for distribution by Universal
The Plot: A small town reporter and a his Greenpeace volunteer
ex-girlfriend are thrust together when they become a part of a nationally
covered mission to save a family of grey whales trapped under ice in the Arctic
circle.
The Final Word: Based on actual events “Big Miracle” looks to be in a
strong position to succeed at the box office given its family friendly plot and
strong cast, which should act as a nice buffer for people looking to escape
Super Bowl madness. Although it will only have a one week window before
“Journey 2” and “Star Wars: Episode I: 3D” swoop into theaters looking to
capitalize on the President’s Day weekend.
CHRONICLE
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Michael B. Jordan,
Alex
Russell & Michael Kelly
Directed by Joshua Trank for distribution by 20th
Century Fox
The Plot: Three teens begin to develop superpowers, but realize
their newfound abilities may also lead them down a dark path as their lives
begin to spiral out of control.
The Final
Word: By now you’ve probably seen the clever trailers for the film, which
really doesn’t portray it as your usual run of the mill movie. While it’s not a
“found-footage” situation, it looks to be very close to that ballpark. With
that said, it also won’t be the only horror film out this week as CBS Films
will release “The Woman In Black.” Still you have to question the release date
for both films as the target audience is going to be focused on the big game,
not the big new Cineplex openings.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Ciaran Hinds, Liz White,
Janet McTeer,
Alisa Khazanova,Tim McMullan & Roger Allam
Directed by James Watkins for distribution by CBS
Films
The Plot: A lawyer is sent to a remote location to sort out the
final will of a recently deceased client, only to find himself haunted by a
mysterious woman in black, whose presence has even the locals spooked.
The Final
Word: CBS Films doesn’t have the most amazing box office track
record, which is surprisingly given the company’s strategy of producing
low-cost movies with notable talent attached. Here, the company has Daniel
Radcliffe in his first on-screen post “Harry Potter” role, but despite the
actor’s strong appeal, “Black’s” release date is a question mark, given that
its being placed in the same period as this year’s Super Bowl. Traditionally,
films in that window don’t do particularly well.
