Tag: Brian Duffield

Oscar Predictions: Whalefall

20th Century Studios is hopeful that Whalefall makes a splash at the box office this weekend. Adapted from the 2023 novel by Daniel Kraus and directed by Brian Duffield (the two wrote the script together), Austin Abrams stars as a scuba diver stuck in the belly of a sperm whale. The survival thriller is also a family drama with Josh Brolin as his dad. Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd are among the supporting players.

The review embargo is up and mixed to positive notices have greeted it. “A bit too earnest” seems to be a theme. Rotten Tomatoes is at 77% with Metacritic at 62. It won’t enter the discussion for any major award categories but its tech work could get noticed. Critics are being kind to it practical effects so Visual Effects is a possibility. I suspect it will make the shortlist a couple months down the line. There are heavy hitters in VE including Project Hail Mary, The Odyssey, Godzilla Minus Zero, and almost certainly the unscreened Dune: Part Three. Plenty of movies could be jockeying for one or at best two slots including this. The same logic applies to Best Sound. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Whalefall Box Office Prediction

Fresh off his role fighting zombies in the blockbuster video game adaptation Resident Evil, Austin Abrams deals with a different dangerous creature in Whalefall starting October 16th. The survival thriller features Abrams as a scuba diver trapped in the belly of a sperm whale. Based on the novel by Daniel Kraus, Brian Duffield directs with Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy, and Emily Rudd in the supporting cast.

Buzz seems encouraging for the whale tale and this could be a word-of-mouth sleeper. In a best case scenario, it could approach the $20 million that Heart of the Beast premiered with. I suspect the combo of Brad Pitt and a German Shepherd could be far more potent. I’ll say a high single digits to possibly low digits start is where this lands as it hopes for staying power in subsequent frames.

Whalefall opening weekend prediction: $8.2 million

For my Street Fighter prediction, click here:

Street Fighter Box Office Prediction

For my Sense and Sensibility prediction, click here:

Sense and Sensibility Box Office Prediction

For my You Can See Everything prediction, click here:

You Can See Everything Box Office Prediction

Oscar Predictions: No One Will Save You

Brian Duffield’s sci-fi horror tale No One Will Save You is generating some buzz with its Hulu debut this weekend. It did open earlier this week in New York and L.A. so it would qualify for Academy recognition. A practically dialogue free experience, it stars Kaitlyn Dever as a victim of an alien home invasion. The Booksmart lead is drawing positive ink for her performance. For the most part, so is the picture with a 75% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

This is not a genre that receives Oscar attention and it’s unlikely No One will. However, it is worth mentioning that the sound team is receiving lots of praise. The horror genre is one where the audio wizardry probably should gets more awards love. Yet I wouldn’t expect it to start here. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…