The NY Critics Make a Killer Pick

The New York Film Critics Circle revealed their best of selections for the year as precursors will be coming fast and furious in the days ahead. Critics from the Big Apple doled out two awards each for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, and Todd Haynes’s May December.

It was Killers that took Best Film while Nolan was your Best Director (Oppenheimer also won Cinematography). Those titles (with Oppenheimer first and Killers second) have been 1-2 in my BP predictions for weeks. Eight of the last ten NYFCC Best Film winners ended up on the Oscar BP list and you can expect that trend to continue here.

In Best Actress, Lily Gladstone (Flower Moon) was the pick as she should make the Academy’s quintet in a competitive field. As for Best Actor, New York made a surprise selection in Franz Rogowski for Passages. While the picture drew acclaim as did the performance, he is not expected to be a factor in the Oscar derby. If more critics prizes come, who knows? But it’s doubtful.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, widely expected to be a factor in Supporting Actress, was successful here for her work in The Holdovers. In Supporting Actor, Charles Melton is now 2 for 2 with Gotham and NYFCC trophies. His inclusion at the Oscars is looking more and more solidified. The Supporting Actor race recipient here has made the Academy’s quintet nine out of the last ten years (more than any other major competition).

A week after taking Best Feature at Gotham, Celine Song’s Past Lives was named Best First Film as its slot in the Oscar BP lineup is looking fairly safe.

May December, in addition to Melton, took Best Screenplay (I have it currently in fifth for Original Screenplay).

In what could be a seesaw battle for critics prizes, The Boy and the Heron was the Animated Film victor over Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Anatomy of a Fall, despite not being France’s selection for International Feature Film at the Oscars, is New York’s winner. I have it nabbing a BP spot at the moment, but it’s a question mark.

For Non-Fiction Film, this branch went with the four-hour culinary doc Menus-Plaisirs-Les Troisgros. It has not been on my radar screen for Academy attention.

As for contenders that received no love, NY didn’t give any hardware to Poor Things, Maestro, or The Zone of Interest.

Keep an eye on this blog for all the Oscar precursor activity!

2023 Oscar Predictions: November 29th Edition

As November comes to a close, my updated Oscar predictions reflect one change in Best Picture as Anatomy of a Fall is back in with American Fiction out. Truth be told, I keep going back and forth on which film misses between Fall, Fiction, and The Zone of Interest at press time.

We also have a revolving door in the five spot in Supporting Actress and, for the first time, I’m going with a surprise pick in Rachel McAdams for Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

The rest of the major races stay intact though I now have Oppenheimer leading in noms overall over Poor Things (which I had ahead in mid November). In fact, Poor Things now ranks third in the tally behind Killers of the Flower Moon.

You can read all the movement below as we approach December with all kinds of precursor indications coming our way!

Best Picture

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (Previous Ranking: 1) (Even)

2. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Poor Things (PR: 3) (E)

4. Barbie (PR: 4) (E)

5. The Holdovers (PR: 5) (E)

6. The Color Purple (PR: 6) (E)

7. Past Lives (PR: 9) (+2)

8. Maestro (PR: 7) (-1)

9. The Zone of Interest (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 11) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

11. American Fiction (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 13) (+1)

13. Air (PR: 12) (-1)

14. The Iron Claw (PR: 15) (+1)

15. All of Us Strangers (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Saltburn

Best Director

Predicted Nominees:

1. Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Greta Gerwig, Barbie (PR: 4) (+1)

4. Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Jonathan Glazer, The Zone of Interest (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Alexander Payne, The Holdovers (PR: 6) (E)

7. Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 8) (+1)

8. Bradley Cooper, Maestro (PR: 7) (-1)

9. Celine Song, Past Lives (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Cord Jefferson, American Fiction (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Blitz Bazawule, The Color Purple

Best Actress

Predicted Nominees:

1. Emma Stone, Poor Things (PR: 1) (E)

2. Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Carey Mulligan, Maestro (PR: 3) (E)

4. Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 4) (E)

5. Fantasia Barrino, The Color Purple (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Margot Robbie, Barbie (PR: 6) (E)

7. Greta Lee, Past Lives (PR: 9) (+2)

8. Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla (PR: 7) (-1)

9. Annette Bening, Nyad (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Natalie Portman, May December (PR: 10) (E)

Best Actor

Predicted Nominees:

1. Bradley Cooper, Maestro (PR: 1) (E)

2. Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer (PR: 2) (E)

3. Leonardo DiCaprio, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 3) (E)

4. Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers (PR: 5) (+1)

5. Colman Domingo, Rustin (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction (PR: 6) (E)

7. Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers (PR: 7) (E)

8. Teo Yoo, Past Lives (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Barry Keoghan, Saltburn (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Koji Yakusho, Perfect Days (PR: 10) (E)

Best Supporting Actress

Predicted Nominees:

1. Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple (PR: 1) (E)

2. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers (PR: 2) (E)

3. Taraji P. Henson, The Color Purple (PR: 3) (E)

4. Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer (PR: 4) (E)

5. Rachel McAdams, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (PR: 10) (+5)

Other Possibilities:

6. Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Julianne Moore, May December (PR: 7) (E)

8. Jodie Foster, Nyad (PR: 6) (-2)

9. Viola Davis, Air (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Penelope Cruz, Ferrari (PR: 9) (-1)

Best Supporting Actor

Predicted Nominees:

1. Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Ryan Gosling, Barbie (PR: 2) (E)

3. Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 3) (E)

4. Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things (PR: 4) (E)

5. Charles Melton, May December (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Willem Dafoe, Poor Things (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Dominic Sessa, The Holdovers (PR: 8) (+1)

8. John Magaro, Past Lives (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Colman Domingo, The Color Purple (PR: 6) (-3)

10. Glenn Howerton, BlackBerry (PR: 10) (E)

Best Original Screenplay

Predicted Nominees:

1. Barbie (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Holdovers (PR: 2) (E)

3. Past Lives (PR: 3) (E)

4. Anatomy of a Fall (PR: 4) (E)

5. May December (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Maestro (PR: 6) (E)

7. Air (PR: 7) (E)

8. Asteroid City (PR: 10) (+2)

9. Rustin (PR: Not Ranked)

10. Saltburn (PR: 8) (-2)

Dropped Out:

Fair Play

Best Adapted Screenplay

Predicted Nominees:

1. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 1) (E)

2. Poor Things (PR: 2) (E)

3. Oppenheimer (PR: 3) (E)

4. American Fiction (PR: 4) (E)

5. The Zone of Interest (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. All of Us Strangers (PR: 6) (E)

7. The Color Purple (PR: 7) (E)

8. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 10) (+2)

9. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (PR: 8) (-1)

10. The Taste of Things (PR: 9) (-1)

Best International Feature Film

Predicted Nominees:

1. The Zone of Interest (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Taste of Things (PR: 2) (E)

3. Perfect Days (PR: 3) (E)

4. The Teachers’ Lounge (PR: 4) (E)

5. Society of the Snow (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Fallen Leaves (PR: 5) (-1)

7. About Dry Grasses (PR: 7) (E)

8. The Promised Land (PR: 8) (E)

9. Tótem (PR: Not Ranked)

10. 20 Days in Mariupol (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

The Monk and the Gun

The Peasants

Best Animated Feature

Predicted Nominees:

1. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 1) (E)

2. The Boy and the Heron (PR 2) (E)

3. Elemental (PR: 3) (E)

4. Nimona (PR: 5) (+1)

5. The Peasants (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (PR: 6) (E)

7. Wish (PR: 7) (E)

8. Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (PR: 8) (E)

9. Robot Dreams (PR: Not Ranked)

10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie (PR: 10) (E)

Dropped Out:

Suzume

Best Documentary Feature

Predicted Nominees:

1. Beyond Utopia (PR: 1) (E)

2. 20 Days in Mariupol (PR: 2) (E)

3. Stamped from the Beginning (PR: 5) (+2)

4. The Eternal Memory (PR: 7) (+3)

5. Four Daughters (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie (PR: 3) (-3)

7. American Symphony (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Orlando, My Political Biography (PR: Not Ranked)

9. Every Body (PR: 9) (E)

10. The Mother of All Lies (PR: 10) (E)

Dropped Out:

The Deepest Breath

Best Cinematography

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Maestro (PR: 3) (E)

4. Poor Things (PR: 4) (E)

5. The Zone of Interest (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. The Color Purple (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Asteroid City (PR: Not Ranked)

8. Napoleon (PR: 8) (E)

9. The Killer (PR: 9) (E)

10. Barbie (PR: 10) (E)

Dropped Out:

Saltburn

Best Costume Design

Predicted Nominees:

1. Poor Things (PR: 1) (E)

2. Barbie (PR: 2) (E)

3. The Color Purple (PR: 4) (+1)

4. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Priscilla (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Napoleon (PR: 6) (E)

7. Chevalier (PR: 7) (E)

8. Maestro (PR: Not Ranked)

9. Oppenheimer (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Asteroid City (PR: 9) (-1)

Dropped Out:

Wonka

Best Film Editing

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Poor Things (PR: 3) (E)

4. Maestro (PR: 6) (+2)

5. The Holdovers (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Air (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Anatomy of a Fall (PR: Not Ranked)

8. Past Lives (PR: 10) (+2)

9. Barbie (PR: 7) (-2)

10. The Killer (PR: 9) (-1)

Dropped Out:

The Color Purple

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Predicted Nominees:

1. Maestro (PR: 1) (E)

2. Poor Things (PR: 3) (+1)

3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (PR: 2) (-1)

4. Barbie (PR: 4) (E)

5. Oppenheimer (PR: 8) (+3)

Other Possibilities:

6. Nyad (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 6) (-1)

8. The Color Purple (PR: 10) (+2)

9. Golda (PR: 9) (E)

10. Priscilla (PR: 5) (-5)

Best Original Score

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 2) (E)

3. Poor Things (PR: 3) (E)

4. Elemental (PR: 4) (E)

5. The Zone of Interest (PR: 7) (+2)

Other Possibilities:

6. Past Lives (PR: 5) (-1)

7. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Society of the Snow (PR: Not Ranked)

9. The Killer (PR: 8) (-1)

10. The Boy and the Heron (PR: 9) (-1)

Dropped Out:

Carmen

Best Original Song

Predicted Nominees:

1. “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie (PR: 1) (E)

2. “I’m Just Ken” from Barbie (PR: 2) (E)

3. “Road to Freedom” from Rustin (PR: 3) (E)

4. “This Wish” from Wish (PR: 7) (+3)

5. “Quiet Eyes” from Past Lives (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. “Keep It Movin” from The Color Purple (PR: 5) (-1)

7. “Gonna Be You” from 80 for Brady (PR: 6) (-1)

8. “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot (PR: Not Ranked)

9. “Dance the Night” from Barbie (PR: 9) (E)

10. “Joan Still” from Theater Camp (PR: 8) (-2)

Dropped Out:

“Meet in the Middle” from Flora and Son

Best Production Design

Predicted Nominees:

1. Barbie (PR: 1) (E)

2. Poor Things (PR: 2) (E)

3. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 3) (E)

4. Oppenheimer (PR: 7) (+3)

5. The Color Purple (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Napoleon (PR: 4) (-2)

7. Asteroid City (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Maestro (PR: 8) (E)

9. Wonka (PR: Not Ranked)

10. The Zone of Interest (PR: 9) (-1)

Dropped Out:

Saltburn

Best Sound

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Maestro (PR: 3) (+1)

3. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 7) (+4)

4. The Color Purple (PR: 2) (-2)

5. Ferrari (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Napoleon (PR: 6) (E)

7. The Zone of Interest (PR: 9) (+2)

8. The Killer (PR: 4) (-4)

9. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Society of the Snow (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Barbie

Best Visual Effects

Predicted Nominees:

1. Oppenheimer (PR: 1) (E)

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (PR: 3) (+1)

3. The Creator (PR: 2) (-1)

4. Napoleon (PR: 8) (+4)

5. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Poor Things (PR: 4) (-1)

7. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (PR: 7) (E)

8. Killers of the Flower Moon (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire (PR: 5) (-4)

10. Society of the Snow (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Wonka

And that equates to these movies generating these numbers of nominations:

13 Nominations

Oppenheimer

12 Nominations

Killers of the Flower Moon

11 Nominations

Poor Things

9 Nominations

Barbie

7 Nominations

The Color Purple, Maestro

6 Nominations

The Zone of Interest

5 Nominations

The Holdovers

3 Nominations

Anatomy of a Fall, Past Lives

2 Nominations

Elemental, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, May December, Rustin

1 Nomination

20 Days in Mariupol, American Fiction, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Beyond Utopia, The Boy and the Heron, The Creator, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, The Eternal Memory, Ferrari, Four Daughters, Napoleon, Nimona, The Peasants, Perfect Days, Priscilla, Society of the Snow, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Stamped from the Beginning, The Taste of Things, The Teachers’ Lounge, Wish

Gotham Honors Past Lives

The 33rd Annual Gotham Awards were held this evening and it was looking like a potential night of missed opportunities for Celine Song’s Past Lives… until the end. Of the five nominees for Best Feature, the acclaimed A24 romantic drama was really the only one with legit Best Picture aspirations at the Oscars. It did take the top prize over Passages, Reality, Showing Up, and A Thousand and One.

This was following its director Song surprisingly not being awarded Breakthrough Director. That instead went to A.V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One and made the announcement for the big race a bit suspenseful.

Of the 20 pictures that have taken Best Feature at the Oscars (this category has existed since 2004 and there was a tie one year), 12 have become Academy hopefuls for BP. Half of those (The Hurt Locker, Birdman, Spotlight, Moonlight, Nomadland, Everything Everywhere All at Once) won. As a reminder, until this year, contenders for the Gothams were typically lower budgeted titles. Even with the budgetary restrictions removed, some heavy hitters like Oppenheimer and Killers of the Flower Moon opted not to compete at this ceremony.

As far as Past Lives is concerned, the perception of it losing could’ve hindered its Oscar chances. So it helped itself tonight by doing what it was expected to do. That said, it missed another possible victory with Greta Lee coming up short in Outstanding Lead Performance. Lily Gladstone took the trophy… not for the non-contending Killers of the Flower Moon, but for The Unknown Country. Gladstone seems on her way to a Best Actress slot for Moon. This is another unexpected win for an awards body that frequently provides them.

Outstanding Supporting Performance went to Charles Melton in May December and he might’ve upped his Oscar stock more than anyone. This race saw potential victors like Ryan Gosling (Barbie) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) end up behind him. **Note that the Gothams recently switched to ten nominees in lead and supporting without a divide for gender**. I’ve had Melton in my projected quintet recently and am feeling more and more confident about that. While Melton is a long shot to win at the big show, it should be noted that the previous two recipients (Troy Kotsur in CODA and Ke Huy Quan for Everything Everywhere) took the Supporting Actor Oscar.

Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall received the Screenplay and International Feature awards. France did not select it as their pick for International Feature Film at the Academy Awards (where it probably would’ve been locked in a fierce competition with The Zone of Interest). Fall is a coin toss for BP inclusion so every little bit helps.

Finally, Four Daughters is your Documentary Feature pick (over 20 Days in Mariupol) as it increases it exposure.

Keep an eye on the blog for an Oscar predictions update in the coming days!

December 1-3 Box Office Predictions

November closed out at the box office with an unpredictable Thanksgiving frame where I had the entirety of the top four in the wrong spots. The head scratching will continue as December arrives with a quintet of newcomers (four of which could post very similar earnings). We have the concert pic Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, Japanese monster mash Godzilla Minus One, John Woo’s dialogue free action thriller Silent Night, sci-fi drama The Shift from Angel Studios, and Hindi-language shoot-em-up Animal. My detailed prediction posts on all of them can be accessed here:

Beyoncé’s tour doc might be the only new entry in the top five. While it shouldn’t approach the near $100M out of the gate that Taylor Swift accomplished, a mid to high 20s output would firmly put it in first position.

It is common to see hefty drops after the Turkey Day weekend and that should apply to the leftovers. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (after surprisingly staying at #1 over the holiday) should slide to second with a mid 50s decline.

After that… it’s a crapshoot. Any of the newcomers could post better figures than my calls. However, I have all four making between $5-8 million and each falling outside the top five.

That’s because Napoleon, Wish, and Trolls Band Together may all flirt with $10 million. I’ve got the trio falling under that for a close finish between 3-5.

With all the newbies, I’ll expand to a top ten outlook and here’s how I see it:

1. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé

Predicted Gross: $20.7 million

2. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Predicted Gross: $13.1 million

3. Wish

Predicted Gross: $9.3 million

4. Napoleon

Predicted Gross: $9.2 million

5. Trolls World Tour

Predicted Gross: $8.5 million

6. Godzilla Minus One

Predicted Gross: $7.6 million

7. Silent Night

Predicted Gross: $5 million

8. The Shift

Predicted Gross: $4.6 million

9. Animal

Predicted Gross: $4 million

10. Thanksgiving

Predicted Gross: $3.3 million

Box Office Results (November 24-26)

In one of the most unexpected upsets in recent memory, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes had a far better than anticipated sophomore hold to rather easily take the holiday weekend. The franchise prequel eased a mere 35% for $29 million from Friday to Sunday, surpassing my $20.3 million projection with flying colors. The ten-day take is now $98 million.

Ridley Scott’s bio-epic Napoleon with Joaquin Phoenix was second as it slightly rose above forecasts. It made $20.6 million from Friday to Sunday and $32.7 million when counting Wednesday and Thursday. That’s ahead of my respective $18.2 million and $28.5 million takes. With a weak B- Cinemascore grade, it may fade rather quickly.

After the massive flop that was The Marvels, the news didn’t get better for the Mouse House as the animated Wish was granted a tepid start in third. With ho-hum reviews, the Disney title fell far short of hopes with $19.6 million over the three-day and $31.6 million since Wednesday. I (along with most others) predicted a first place showing and had it at $32.2 million and $46.4 million. Ouch.

Trolls Band Together, in weekend two, was fourth with $17.8 million. I was more generous at $22.6 million and the DreamWorks Animated sequel has made $64 million after ten days.

Eli Roth’s slasher Thanksgiving capitalized on that title with a fifth place slot and $7 million (I said $6.5 million). The ten-day tally is a respectable $24 million, especially since it comes with a low budget.

And that does it for now, folks! Until next time…

Animal Box Office Prediction

Hindi language action pic Animal is unleashed in nearly 900 North American venues on December 1st. It will vie for second highest debuting newcomer of the weekend (behind Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé). From director Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the epic length (201 minutes) experience stars Ranbir Kapoor, Amil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika Mandanna, and Tripti Dimri.

As mentioned, the battle for the runner-up early December premiere could be a tight one between Godzilla Minus One, Silent Night, The Shift, and this. I have all four falling between $5-8 million.

This one could over perform, but comps are key. 2022’s Brahmastra – Part One: Shiva (another long Hindi language adventure) made $4.5 million out of the gate on slightly less screens. This September’s Jawan took in just over $6 million. Both were roughly a half hour shorter than Animal. I’m thinking a performance more like Shiva is the likely result.

Animal opening weekend prediction: $4 million

For my Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, click here:

For my Silent Night prediction, click here:

For my Godzilla Minus One prediction, click here:

For my The Shift prediction, click here:

The Shift Box Office Prediction

Angel Studios has had a heavenly 2023 with the massive success of Sound of Freedom over the summer and the recent better than anticipated debut of the documentary After Death. They’ll try to replicate the good tidings with The Shift on December 1st. The low-budget sci-fi pic is directed by Brock Heasley with a cast led by Kristoffer Polaha, Neal McDonough, Elizabeth Tabish, Rose Reid, and Sean Astin.

This is not expected to come anywhere the bounty that Freedom brought in. It earned $40 million over an extended Fourth of July frame on its way to a $184 million domestic haul. The Shift, at the high end of its range, could make a fourth or fifth of that for starters. At the low end, it might premiere to a tenth of that figure.

Fair warning: I’ve underestimated both aforementioned Angel titles this year. If it made close to $10 million, I wouldn’t be surprised. $4-5 million is also feasible.

The Shift opening weekend prediction: $4.6 million

For my Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé prediction, click here:

For my Silent Night prediction, click here:

For my Godzilla Minus One prediction, click here:

For my Animal prediction, click here:

Godzilla Minus One Box Office Prediction

The title character may be 70 years old in cinematic time, but the creature is still wreaking havoc on the general public. The not so jolly green giant returns in Godzilla Minus One, out domestically December 1st. From acclaimed filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki, it arrives in stateside multiplexes a month after it premiered to impressive box office numbers in Japan. Runosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, and Munetaka Aoki star.

The 37th feature in the franchise, it’s getting some of the strongest reviews of the bunch. One was made to earn the bulk of its bucks overseas, but hardcore U.S. fans could get this in mid to high single digits. The best case scenario would probably be a gross approaching $10 million. I’ll say it doesn’t get there though I have it outdoing John Woo’s Silent Night (its direct competition).

Godzilla Minus One opening weekend prediction: $7.6 million

For my Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé prediction, click here:

For my Silent Night prediction, click here:

For my The Shift prediction, click here:

For my Animal prediction, click here:

Silent Night Box Office Prediction

John Woo’s Silent Night hopes to make a little noise for Lionsgate when it opens December 1st. It marks the filmmaker’s first American feature in 20 years (since the 2003 Ben Affleck flop Paycheck). Joel Kinnaman, Scott Mescudi, Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno star in the dialogue free action thriller.

We are a quarter century past when Woo was a blockbuster making commodity, including hits like Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2. With a lack of star power, Silent may play to sparse venues.

I have a tough time envisioning this getting to $10 million and it faces direct competition from Godzilla Minus One. Mid single digits seems likely for a calm and quiet debut.

Silent Night opening weekend prediction: $5.1 million

For my Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé prediction, click here:

For my Godzilla Minus One prediction, click here:

For my The Shift prediction, click here:

For my Animal prediction, click here:

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé Box Office Prediction

With a similar distribution deal to what Taylor Swift cut with AMC Theaters last month, Queen Bey brings her world tour to the multiplexes on December 1st with the release of Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. The documentary concert pic hopes to capture a fraction of what Ms. Swift took in ($175 million thus far domestically).

No matter what happens, the performer will see lots of dough since (like Swift) she’ll receive 50% of the gross. That said, while Beyoncé is obviously a beloved international superstar, Renaissance will be fortunate to bring in a third of what The Eras Tour accomplished for its start. The Swifties propelled Eras to a record breaking $92.8 million premiere.

Anything over $30 million should be considered a tremendous debut. Even a low to mid 20s start could put it in the #1 spot to start off December at the box office (depending on where Wish and other Thanksgiving leftovers are at). I’ll say this falls in that range.

Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé opening weekend prediction: $20.7 million

For my Silent Night prediction, click here:

For my Godzilla Minus One prediction, click here:

For my The Shift prediction, click here:

For my Animal prediction, click here:

Oscar Predictions: Flamin’ Hot

I didn’t do an Oscar Predictions post on Flamin’ Hot when it premiered at South by Southwest back in March or when it began streaming over the summer on Hulu and Disney+. Eva Longoria’s directorial debut tells the true life tale of a man who claimed he invented the title seasoned Cheetos. Jesse Garcia, Annie Gonzalez, Dennis Haysbert, and Tony Shalhoub star.

Reviews were fairly decent at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes, but this didn’t strike me as an awards contender at the time or now. That’s with one exception and this brings us to Diane Warren. The songwriter has contributed many tracks to feature films and she has 14 Academy nominations to speak for it. This dates back nearly 40 years starting with “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” from Mannequin, continuing with gigantic hits like “Because You Loved Me” from Up Close and Personal and “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” from Armageddon, and including last year’s ceremony with “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman. Despite the impressive number of noms, Warren has yet to win Original Song (though she did pick up an Honorary Oscar for her work earlier this year).

Flamin’ Hot includes the track “The Fire Inside” performed by Becky G and written by the frequent hopeful. It hasn’t been on my radar screen in my previous predictions. Yet now that a planned documentary about Warren seems to be delayed to 2024 (in which I’m sure she’ll have a contending track), one has to consider this song for inclusion. Don’t be surprised if it materializes in my top ten possibilities in my next update. It’s risky to bet against the penner of the tune. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…