Oscar Predictions: Father Mother Sister Brother

Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother is your surprise Venice Golden Lion winner (top prize) for 2025. The dramedy anthology from the veteran indie filmmaker boasts a cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Vicky Krieps, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, Luka Sabbat, and Sarah Greene.

The three act pic is being distributed by Mubi with a stateside release on Christmas Eve. While Italian reaction was positive, it would seem the jury’s verdict was even more effusive. Rotten Tomatoes is at 100% with 79 on Metacritic.

Five of the last 10 Lion recipients have gone onto a Best Picture nomination from the Academy – The Shape of Water (which won), Roma, Joker, Nomadland (which also won), and Poor Things. Jarmusch has never been a fixture with Oscar voters. Despite the Venice boost, I doubt that will change with Original Screenplay perhaps being the only realistic possibility. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions Box Office Predictions

Horror fans have been conjured, purged, and (umm) quiet placed already this summer with their scary sequels. Now it’s time to escape with the release of Escape Room: Tournament of Champions. The original $9 million budgeted effort took in a hefty $57 million back in January 2019 and Sony Pictures aspires to keep the gravy train rolling. The studio wished to capitalize on its momentum more quickly as this was originally slated for an April 2020 premiere before its COVID delay.

Taylor Russell and Logan Miller reprise their roles from part 1 as does director Adam Robitel. New cast members include Indya Moore, Holland Roden, Thomas Cocquerel, and Carlito Olivero. Two and a half years ago, Escape Room easily surpassed expectations with an $18.2 million domestic start. It even managed to only fall 51% in its sophomore frame and that’s quite solid for the genre.

Tournament of Champions could risk the weariness of moviegoers who’ve had plenty of fright fest follow-ups to choose from lately. I do think it will still manage low double digits.

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions opening weekend prediction: $11.4 million

For my Space Jam: A New Legacy prediction, click here:

Space Jam: A New Legacy Box Office Prediction