Tag: Gloria Reuben

Oscar Predictions: My Dead Friend Zoe

My Dead Friend Zoe marks the feature-length directorial debut of Kyle Hausmann-Stokes. The dramedy is out in limited fashion this weekend. It premiered nearly a year ago at South by Southwest and stars Sonequa Martin-Green and Natalie Morales with support from Gloria Reuben, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Morgan Freeman, and Ed Harris.

Reviews are mostly impressive with 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 78 on Metacritic. The indie flick might be too small (and too early in the release calendar) to resonate with the Academy for next year’s ceremony. A stronger possibility could be the Independent Spirit Awards taking notice, particularly in Best First Feature for Hausmann-Stokes and maybe Lead Performance for Martin-Green. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Firestarter Box Office Prediction

Blogger’s Update (05/12): Revising my prediction down to $6.5 million

Based on Stephen King’s 1980 novel and a reworking of the 1984 film adaptation starring a young Drew Barrymore, Firestarter hopes to heat up multiplexes on Friday the 13th. Ryan Kiera Armstrong fills Barrymore’s original role as a pyrokinetic kid with Zac Efron, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, and Gloria Reuben among the cast. Keith Thomas directs.

Coming from the Blumhouse label which has produced plenty of horror hits, this will be released simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock, which is still finding its way in the streaming universe. The first Firestarter 38 years ago was not a hot property at the box office as it grossed $17 million. It’s also fair to say that it isn’t considered a genre classic like other King penned cinematic properties.

Horror pics are dangerous to underestimate, but my hunch is that Firestarter may not reach $13 million. The worst case scenario could be a start in the high double digits, but I’ll say it gets a bit beyond that.

Firestarter opening weekend prediction: $6.5 million

For my Downton Abbey: A New Era prediction, click here:

Downton Abbey: A New Era Box Office Prediction