Cohen Media Group hopes a Spanish film can dent the tough market for foreign language fare, Bleecker Street is out with a hostage drama and A24 presents Owen Kline’s directorial debut about a teenage cartoonist as the arthouse market flexes more muscle than it has in weeks. The dearth of new releases itself nudged some
Specialty Preview
“People are catching up on films,” is how one arthouse executive described the current moment in specialty, which echoes the slowdown in studio wide releases. August can be slow ahead of a trio of festivals – Venice, Toronto, New York – and a ramp up to awards season. It can also offer an less obstructed
A24 is going animated whimsical with Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Neon opens Beba, Cohen Media Group presents Apples, IFC Midnight Flux Gourmet and Abramorama a documentary The Human Trial in limited release at arthouse cinemas. These venues have been doing a bit better, slowly luring Covid-spooked key older demos back into the theater-going
Mubi Go, which has helped buoy NYC’s arthouse market by offering members a free movie ticket a week at participating theaters, expands to LA today where the biz could really use a boost. The films are curated and the first is Apple’s Cha Cha Real Smooth. Mubi, a global streaming service, production company and film
Science fiction drama Nine Days from Sony Pictures Classics opens in four theaters in a specialty market buoyed by recent releases like Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain and Pig. New York’s arthouse scene, outpaced by LA of late, is perking up, distributors say (Ailey numbers were super there) and moviegoers are rewarding unique films
Mark Wahlberg strides into theaters this weekend with Joe Bell as the Reinaldo Marcus Green (Monsters and Men, upcoming King Richard) film debuts on 1,093 screens supported by robust advertising and a star-driven social media campaign. Roadside Attractions is distributing, having snapped up the film from Solstice Studios which acquired it off of a 2020
Two releases, very well reviewed and pretty widely available by recent specialty standards, look set to heat up the arthouse box office this weekend — Pig with Nicolas Cage in one of his best performances in years and Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain open on 600 and 952 screens respectively, and only in theaters. Oscar-winning
Questlove’s Summer of Soul is up to 753 theaters as the doc about the 1969 ‘Black Woodstock’ concert in Harlem that debuted in two locations last weekend crossed into arthouse, commercial and urban venues. Not that it was easy, said Frank Rodriguez, SVP General Sales Manager, Searchlight Pictures. “Exhibitors are eager to get back on
Oscar-winner Al Pacino and Meadow Williams star in American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally, the historical drama hitting select theaters this Memorial Day weekend via Vertical Entertainment and Redbox Entertainment. Michael Polish directed the film, which is based on a true story and follows the life of American woman Mildred Gillars (Williams) and her
Oscar nominee Toni Collette, Damian Lewis, and Owen Teale star in horse racing drama, Dream Horse, from Bleecker Street and Topic Studio. Directed by Euros Lyn, the film tells the true story of Dream Alliance, an unlikely race horse bred by small town Welsh bartender, Jan Vokes (Collette). With very little money and no experience,
Oscar nominee Glenn Close and Mila Kunis star as a mother-and-daughter duo fighting to regain the love and trust that once held them together in the Rodrigo García-directed drama, Four Good Days, in select theaters today via Vertical Entertainment. Based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post writer Eli Saslow, the pic follows
Ed Helms is looking forward to fatherhood in the Bleecker Street comedy Together Together, which hits select theaters today. Also starring Patti Harrison, Tig Notaro and Julio Torres, the film was written and directed by Nikole Beckwith. In the pic, a young loner Anna (Harrison) is hired as the surrogate for Matt (Helms), a single
Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough set off on a whirlwind weekend romance in Monday, a romantic drama that IFC Films released in theaters and on-demand Friday. It’s the fourth feature from director Argyris Papadimitropoulos, who also wrote and produced the film. Here is the plot: When Mickey (Stan) is dragged away from his DJ set
Lionsgate’s Voyagers isn’t your ordinary “the human race is in danger” sci fi romp. Written and directed by Neil Burger (Limitless, The Illusionist) Voyagers follows a group of young men and women bred specifically to have a great level of intelligence and obedience as they embark on an expedition to colonize a distant planet. Sounds like good, safe
Writer-director Emma Seligman brings her feature Shiva Baby to theaters and TVOD starting today — and it is quite a comedic ride. Released by Utopia, Shiva Baby follows a young woman who is trying to keep the different versions of herself in order when she runs into her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend at a shiva with her parents.
More films with Eddie Izzard and Judi Dench is something that the world needs. They starred together in Stephen Frears’ Victoria & Abdul in 2017 and now they reunite in the Andy Goddard-directed Six Minutes To Midnight which will be released by IFC Films in theaters and on demand starting today. Written by Izzard, Goddard and
The Brad Furman-directed crime thriller City of Lies has had quite a journey, but the Saban Films release finally hits theaters today before dropping on digital and on demand April 9. Based on the book, LAbyrinth, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Randall Sullivan and adapted by Christian Contreras, City of Lies follows the investigation into the infamous murder of
Are you ready for the weekend? Specifically, are you ready for a Long Weekend? Of course, we’re referring to the rom-com from Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films. Long Weekend will make its debut in theaters today and marks the feature directorial debut of Steve Basilone, who also wrote the script. The rom-com stars Finn Wittrock
Sony Pictures Classics is set to release awards contender The Father in select New York and Los Angeles theaters today before expanding nationwide March 12 before landing on PVOD on March 26. That’s quite a theater-to-digital journey for the Florian Zeller-directed drama starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. The film, which premiered at Sundance in 2020,
System of a Down is a renowned, Grammy-winning hard rock band, but the new Garin Hovannisian-directed documentary Truth To Power at Oscilloscope Laboratories shows a different side of them — specifically putting the spotlight on the band’s frontman, Serj Tankian. Opening in virtual theaters today, Truth to Power brings audiences into the world of Tankian. Through exclusive interviews and
“My plan was to die before the money ran out” has become the anthem and tagline of the Sony Pictures Classics’ French Exit starring Michelle Pfeiffer as a 60-year-old penniless Manhattan socialite – a role that has been earning her plenty of awards season buzz. Opening in theaters today before expanding nationwide April 2, French
Oscar-nominated actor Viggo Mortensen will make his feature directorial debut with Falling which makes its premiere in theaters, digital and on demand today. Mortensen went all-in with his feature debut because he also wrote, starred in and composed the score for Falling to show us that he’s not just a one-trick pony (but was there any doubt?)
Harry Macqueen’s drama Supernova is one of many films this weekend that will open in theaters before hitting a digital platform — this seems to be a new trend. Written and directed by Macqueen, The Bleecker Street pic that follows Sam (Colin Firth) and Tusker (Stanley Tucci), a couple of 20 years. They are more in love
If you are looking to stir emotions and grab some tissues this weekend Our Friend has got you covered. Based on Matthew Teague’s book The Friend: Love Is Not a Big Enough Word, Gabriela Cowperthwaite directs this heartfelt drama adapted by Brad Ingelsby that follows journalist Matt (Casey Affleck), his wife Nicole (Dakota Johnson) and their two
The IFC Films documentary MLK/FBI from filmmaker Sam Pollard (Two Trains Runnin’, Eyes on the Prize) makes its debut in select theaters today as well as on demand. The release aligns with Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 18 and it is super relevant to America’s wild inequity and racist treatment of the Black community —
The past year — and even the events of the past week in this country has been a struggle for a lot of people. More specifically, the pandemic and Covid-19 has claimed the lives of over 360,000 people and there are thousands of families in mourning. They are grieving — and this includes children. The
Written and directed by Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve), the Focus Features dramatic thriller Promising Young Woman has been a buzzy awards season title before its Christmas Day theatrical release. The Los Angeles Film Critics Association named Carey Mulligan Best Actress for her turn as the methodical Cassie who is out for revenge while Fennell received honors
Leading the charge this week in streaming and specialty titles is Netflix with two films that have been garnering awards season buzz with their star wattage and prestige storytelling. First up, is the highly anticipated Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom adapted from two-time Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s play of the same name. Set in 1920s
As we enter the throes of awards season more and more films are starting to make their qualifying runs in what is expected to be a very different kind of season. For starters, Searchlight Pictures is set to release Chloe Zhao’s buzzy pic of existential wanderlust Nomadland starring Frances McDormand for its virtual qualifying run
As we enter the long holiday weekend of Thanksgiving during an era where box offices are struggling and more weight is being on streamers, there are still titles making theatrical debuts while the digital film landscape has plenty to consume as people recover from their turkey-induced tryptophan haze. It all starts with three films spotlighting