Tag: Nicholas Hoult

97th Academy Awards Predictions: July 13th Edition

We are beyond the midway point of 2024 so it’s time for me to forecast all feature-length film categories at the 97th Academy Awards! The result? Unsurprisingly, Dune: Part Two leads all nominees with 10 with Blitz and Emilia Pérez close behind at 9 and #1 BP selection Sing Sing at 7.

A caveat as obviously we are quite early to project certain races (Song comes to mind as does International Feature Film and Documentary Feature). Please note that all new competitions contain 10 possibilities while the acting and directing prizes list 15 (with 25 for BP). Those will likely get dwindled down around September.

We are still dealing with the matter of category placement. I’m going with the general consensus and now putting Carrie Coon’s work in His Three Daughters in lead Actress while her costar Natasha Lyonne is in supporting. Ms. Lyonne makes the cut in that race (replacing Coon).

I toyed with putting Saoirse Ronan back in Supporting Actress for Blitz since it’s been confirmed that her heralded role in The Outrun is officially out in October. Ultimately I decided to keep her in lead and I’m giving her the nom in Blitz over Outrun (slightly).

While BP remains the same, I’ve elevated Sean Baker’s direction in Anora over Mohammad Rasoulof for The Seed of the Sacred Fig. We also have Denzel Washington (Gladiator II) in Supporting Actor for the first time and that displaces Harris Dickinson (Blitz) from the quintet. With its trailer out, Gladiator II rises three sports in the BP hopefuls.

You can read all the movement and peep the new races below! I’ll have another update available before the end of July…

Best Picture

Predicted Nominees:

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

2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)

3. Dune: Part Two (PR: 3) (E)

4. Conclave (PR: 4) (E)

5. Anora (PR: 5) (E)

6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 6) (E)

7. Queer (PR: 7) (E)

8. The Piano Lesson (PR: 8) (E)

9. Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (E)

10. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 10) (E)

Other Possibilities:

11. Nightbitch (PR: 11) (E)

12. Gladiator II (PR: 15) (+3)

13. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 12) (-1)

14. The Apprentice (PR: 14) (E)

15. The End (PR: 13) (-2)

16. Maria (PR: 19) (+3)

17. The Room Next Door (PR: 17) (E)

18. All We Imagine as Light (PR: 20) (+2)

19. A Real Pain (PR: 16) (-3)

20. Nosferatu (PR: 18) (-2)

21. Hard Truths (PR: Not Ranked)

22. The Fire Inside (PR: 21) (-1)

23. His Three Daughters (PR: 22) (-1)

24. Here (PR: 25) (+1)

25. Dídi (PR: 23) (-2)

Dropped Out:

We Live in Time

Best Director

Predicted Nominees:

1. Steve McQueen, Blitz (PR: 2) (+1)

2. Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two (PR: 1) (-1)

3. Edward Berger, Conclave (PR: 3) (E)

4. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)

5. Sean Baker, Anora (PR: 7) (+2)

Other Possibilities:

6. Greg Kwedar, Sing Sing (PR: 6) (E)

7. Mohammad Rasoulof, The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 5) (-2)

8. Luca Guadagnino, Queer (PR: 8) (E)

9. Marielle Heller, Nightbitch (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Ridley Scott, Gladiator II (PR: 12) (+2)

11. Malcolm Washington, The Piano Lesson (PR: 11) (E)

12. RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys (PR: 9) (-3)

13. Payal Kapadaia, All We Imagine as Light (PR: 13) (E)

14. Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 15) (+1)

15. Joshua Oppenheimer, The End (PR: 14) (-1)

Best Actress

Predicted Nominees:

1. Amy Adams, Nightbitch (PR: 1) (E)

2. Angelina Jolie, Maria (PR: 2) (E)

3. Mikey Madison, Anora (PR: 3) (E)

4. Karla Sofia Gascón, Emilia Pérez (PR: 4) (E)

5. Saoirse Ronan, Blitz (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Saoirse Ronan, The Outrun (PR: 10) (+4)

7. Lady Gaga, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 6) (-1)

8. Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Tilda Swinton, The Room Next Door (PR: 7) (-2)

10. Carrie Coon, His Three Daughters (PR: Not Ranked) – moved from supporting

11. June Squibb, Thelma (PR: Not Ranked)

12. Ryan Destiny, The Fire Inside (PR: 11) (-1)

13. Zendaya, Challengers (PR: 14) (+1)

14. Florence Pugh, We Live in Time (PR: Not Ranked)

15. Jessica Lange, Long Day’s Journey Into Night (PR: 12) (-3)

Dropped Out:

Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters – moved to supporting

Lily Gladstone, Fancy Dance

Noémie Merlant, Emmanuelle

Best Actor

Predicted Nominees:

1. Colman Domingo, Sing Sing (PR: 1) (E)

2. Ralph Fiennes, Conclave (PR: 2) (E)

3. Daniel Craig, Queer (PR: 3) (E)

4. André Holland, The Actor (PR: 4) (E)

5. Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice (PR: 5) (E)

Other Possibilities:

6. Joaquin Phoenix, Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 6) (E)

7. John David Washington, The Piano Lesson (PR: 7) (E)

8. Paul Bettany, The Collaboration (PR: 9) (+1)

9. Sebastian Stan, A Different Man (PR: 8) (-1)

10. Glen Powell, Hit Man (PR: 10) (E)

11. Paul Mescal, Gladiator II (PR: 13) (+2)

12. Jesse Plemons, Kinds of Kindness (PR: 11) (-1)

13. Ethan Herisse, Nickel Boys (PR: 12) (-1)

14. Andrew Garfield, We Live in Time (PR: 15) (+1)

15. Nicholas Hoult, Juror No. 2 (PR: Not Ranked)

Dropped Out:

Tom Hanks, Here

Best Supporting Actress

Predicted Nominees:

1. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys (PR: 1) (E)

2. Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez (PR: 2) (E)

3. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson (PR: 3) (E)

4. Natasha Lyonne, His Three Daughters (PR: Not Ranked) – moved from lead

5. Isabella Rossellini, Conclave (PR: 4) (-1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Joan Chen, Dídi (PR: 8) (+2)

7. Julianne Moore, The Room Next Door (PR: 7) (E)

8. Kathy Burke, Blitz (PR: 6) (-2)

9. Elizabeth Olsen, His Three Daughters (PR: 13) (+4)

10. Selena Gomez, Emilia Pérez (PR: 11) (+1)

11. Erin Kellyman, Blitz (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Lesley Manville, Queer (PR: 12) (E)

13. Toni Collette, Juror No. 2 (PR: 9) (-4)

14. Valeria Golino, Maria (PR: 14) (E)

15. Emily Watson, Small Things like These (PR: 15) (E)

Dropped Out:

Carrie Coon, His Three Daughters – moved to lead

Best Supporting Actor

Predicted Nominees:

1. Samuel L. Jackson, The Piano Lesson (PR: 2) (+1)

2. Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing (PR: 1) (-1)

3. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain (PR: 3) (E)

4. Stanley Tucci, Conclave (PR: 4) (E)

5. Denzel Washington, Gladiator II (PR: 8) (+3)

Other Possibilities:

6. Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice (PR: 6) (E)

7. Harris Dickinson, Blitz (PR: 5) (-2)

8. Drew Starkey, Queer (PR: 7) (-1)

9. Adam Pearson, A Different Man (PR: 9) (E)

10. John Lithgow, Conclave (PR: 11) (+1)

11. Brian Tyree Henry, The Fire Inside (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Elliot Heffernan, Blitz (PR: 14) (+2)

13. Mark Eidelstein, Anora (PR: 15) (+2)

14. Stephen Graham, Blitz (PR: 12) (-2)

15. Scoot McNairy, Nightbitch (PR: 13) (-2)

Best Original Screenplay

Predicted Nominees:

1. Anora (PR: 1) (E)

2. Blitz (PR: 2) (E)

3. A Real Pain (PR: 3) (E)

4. The Seed of the Sacred Fig (PR: 4) (E)

5. Hard Truths (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. The Room Next Door (PR: 7) (+1)

7. His Three Daughters (PR: 5) (-2)

8. The End (PR: 8) (E)

9. Dídi (PR: 10) (+1)

10. Kinds of Kindness (PR: 11) (+1)

11. The Apprentice (PR: 9) (-1)

12. Challengers (PR: 15) (+3)

13. All We Imagine as Light (PR: 13) (E)

14. I Saw the TV Glow (PR: Not Ranked)

15. Juror No. 2 (PR: 12) (-3)

Dropped Out:

Maria

Best Adapted Screenplay

Predicted Nominees:

1. Sing Sing (PR: 1) (E)

2. Conclave (PR: 2) (E)

3. Nickel Boys (PR: 4) (+1)

4. The Piano Lesson (PR: 3) (-1)

5. Queer (PR: 6) (+1)

Other Possibilities:

6. Emilia Pérez (PR: 7) (+1)

7. Dune: Part Two (PR: 8) (+1)

8. Nightbitch (PR: 5) (-3)

9. Hit Man (PR: 9) (E)

10. Inside Out 2 (PR: 11) (+1)

11. Joker: Folie à Deux (PR: 10) (-1)

12. Gladiator II (PR: 12) (E)

13. The Fire Inside (PR: 14) (+1)

14. The Collaboration (PR: 13) (-1)

15. Here (PR: 15) (E)

Best International Feature Film

Predicted Nominees:

1. Emilia Pérez

2. I’m Still Here

3. The Count of Monte Cristo

4. Uprising

5. Grand Tour

Other Possibilities:

6. Simon of the Mountain

7. Evil Does Not Exist

8. Emmanuelle

9. Kneecap

10. The Girl with the Needle

Best Animated Feature Film

Predicted Nominees:

1. Inside Out 2

2. The Wild Robot

3. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

4. Flow

5. Memoir of a Snail

Other Possibilities:

6. Moana 2

7. Savages

8. The Most Precious of Cargoes

9. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

10. Orion and the Dark

Best Documentary Feature

Predicted Nominees:

1. Black Box Diaries

2. Daughters

3. Sugarcane

4. No Other Land

5. Will & Harper

Other Possibilities:

6. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

7. Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

8. Gaucho Gaucho

9. Union

10. Frida

Best Cinematography

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two

2. Blitz

3. Nosferatu

4. Anora

5. Gladiator II

Other Possibilities:

6. Emilia Pérez

7. Conclave

8. Joker: Folie à Deux

9. Queer

10. Maria

Best Costume Design

Predicted Nominees:

1. Wicked

2. Dune: Part Two

3. Gladiator II

4. Nosferatu

5. Blitz

Other Possibilities:

6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Story

7. Maria

8. Megalopolis

9. Conclave

10. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Best Film Editing

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two

2. Blitz

3. Sing Sing

4. Anora

5. Emilia Pérez

Other Possibilities:

6. Conclave

7. Furiosa: A Mad Max Story

8. Gladiator II

9. Challengers

10. Joker: Folie à Deux

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two

2. Nosferatu

3. A Different Man

4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Story

5. Maria

Other Possibilities:

6. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

7. Joker: Folie à Deux

8. Sasquatch Sunset

9. Longlegs

10. Nightbitch

Best Original Score

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two

2. Joker: Folie à Deux

3. Sing Sing

4. Queer

5. Emilia Pérez

Other Possibilities:

6. Blitz

7. Gladiator II

8. Nickel Boys

9. Nosferatu

10. Challengers

Best Original Song

Predicted Nominees:

1. TBD from Emilia Pérez

2. TBD from Sing Sing

3. TBD from Mufasa: The Lion King

4. “Relentless” from Diane Warren: Relentless

5. TBD from Moana 2

Other Possibilities:

6. TBD from Joker: Folie à Deux

7. “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper

8. “Compress/Repress” from Challengers

9. “Claw Machine” from I Saw the TV Glow

10. “Release” from Trap

Best Production Design

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two

2. Blitz

3. Gladiator II

4. Nosferatu

5. Wicked

Other Possibilities:

6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

7. Joker: Folie à Deux

8. Conclave

9. Beetlejuce Beetlejuice

10. Queer

Best Sound

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two

2. Gladiator II

3. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

4. Blitz

5. Emilia Pérez

Other Possibilities:

6. Twisters

7. Wicked

8. A Quiet Place: Day One

9. Civil War

10. Nosferatu

Best Visual Effects

Predicted Nominees:

1. Dune: Part Two

2. Gladiator II

3. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

4. Mufasa: The Lion King

5. Here

Other Possibilities:

6. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

7. Blitz

8. Twisters

9. Nosferatu

10. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

And, for the first time in 2024, my tally for overall nominations for various pictures are as follows:

10 Nominations

Dune: Part Two

9 Nominations

Blitz, Emilia Pérez

7 Nominations

Sing Sing

6 Nominations

Anora, Conclave, Gladiator II

4 Nominations

Nosferatu, The Piano Lesson, Queer

3 Nominations

Nickel Boys

2 Nominations

Furiosa: A Mad Max Story, Maria, Mufasa: The Lion King, A Real Pain, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, Wicked

1 Nomination

The Actor, The Apprentice, Black Box Diaries, The Count of Monte Cristo, Daughters, Diane Warren: Relentless, A Different Man, Flow, Grand Tour, Hard Truths, Here, His Three Daughters, I’m Still Here, Inside Out 2, Joker: Folie à Deux, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Memoir of a Snail, Moana 2, Nightbitch, No Other Land, Sugarcane, Uprising, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Will & Harper

Oscar Predictions: The Garfield Movie

Our nation’s most famous lasagna adoring orange cat hits theaters this Memorial Day weekend with The Garfield Movie. A year after (somewhat controversially) providing the voice of Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Chris Pratt does the same for this title character. Other notable thespians lending their talents are Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Giuillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Janelle James, and Snoop Dogg. Mark Dindal directs.

Even the fresher reviews for Garfield mostly call it nothing more than a pleasant diversion. The Rotten Tomatoes meter sits at a meager 55%. Mario didn’t manage any attention in the Animated Feature race and Pratt’s latest contribution to animation won’t either. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

The Garfield Movie Box Office Prediction

Arriving 20 years after the live-action version Garfield: The Movie based on the comic strip from Jim Davis, The Garfield Movie hits multiplexes this Memorial Day weekend. Mark Dindal, who made Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove and Chicken Little, directs. Chris Pratt, after providing the vocal stylings for Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie last year, mics up for the iconic tabby cat. Other voice work comes from Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Janelle James, and Snoop Dogg.

The aforementioned Garfield: The Movie from two decades ago (which led to a classic comedy line from Bill Murray in Zombieland) took in $21 million for starters and $75 million overall domestically. The 2006 sequel Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties was the equivalent of cinematic kitty litter with only $28 million total in its coffers.

This animated rendering seems poised for better results than what happened several years ago. The holiday frame should bring families out in droves and competition from the second weekend of IF may only be a minor threat.

For the Friday to Monday frame, I believe this could get a little north of $40 million.

The Garfield Movie opening weekend prediction: $41.5 million (Friday to Monday estimate)

For my Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga prediction, click here:

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Box Office Prediction

For my Sight prediction, click here:

Sight Box Office Prediction

Renfield Review

When it comes to the quality of humor in Renfield, the ska’s the limit. There are lame jokes about how ska music sucks. The impression I get from this horror comedy is they could’ve let Nicolas Cage vamp as Dracula for an hour and a half and it would’ve been better. It wouldn’t take much as this is a mighty, mighty letdown.

Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has been the servant to Cage’s Dracula for over 100 years and he’s finally ready to hang it up. The decades old duo now reside in subterranean New Orleans. The famed vampire depends on his employee for victims to gorge on. The more innocent they are (he requests a busload of cheerleaders or group of nuns), the more power he has. Renfield, meanwhile, stays nourished by feasting on bugs. His emotional nourishment comes from a 12-step group focused on co-dependency.

If this concept sounds like a clever angle on this oft told story, it is. Director Chris McKay and screenwriter Ryan Ridley can’t figure out how to make it enjoyable. Much of the runtime takes the light away from Cage, whose performance is easily the strongest. Instead we get a yawn inducing main plot teaming Renfield up with Awkwafina’s determined bayou cop Rebecca. She’s trying to bring down the Lobo crime family led by matriarch Bellafrancesca (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and hotshot son Teddy (Ben Schwartz). That storyline is filled with wretched overacting (not the glorious kind that Cage brings) with the Lobo’s as the worst offenders. There are shades of Eddie Murphy’s middling (but better) Vampire in Brooklyn in the Mob business. Awkwafina, on the other hand, underplays her part. It’s almost as if she’s not there. The script barely attempts romantic sparks between her and Renfield and there’s a family dynamic involving her FBI agent sister that is completely tacked on. I suspect her sibling might have had a larger role in the original draft and was cut. Hoult is a talented performer in need of a sharper role.

The action sequences are sloppily shot and edited though if it’s spurting blood you want, your thirst might be occasionally quenched. Cage is game and provides some laughs, but he’s trapped in the rubbish. Does this come off as a giant missed opportunity? No doubt.

*1/2 (out of four)

Oscar Predictions: Renfield

Reviews are out for this Friday’s Renfield and the general consensus is that it doesn’t suck. From The Lego Batman Movie and The Tomorrow War maker Chris McKay, Nicolas Cage stars as Dracula with Nicholas Hoult as his title character employee. Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, and Shohreh Aghdashloo costar.

With a 72% Rotten Tomatoes score, the bulk of the praise is going to Cage for his unsurprisingly demented work as the iconic vampire. Universal is certainly not looking at this as an awards contender, but it’s fair to wonder whether a tech race like Makeup and Hairstyling could be in play. Horror comedies have seen past successes there, including 80s winners An American Werewolf in London and Beetlejuice. In recent years, the genre has been underrepresented. I wouldn’t expect Renfield to change that, but it’s at least possible. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

April 14-16 Box Office Predictions

Those animated Nintendo plumbers should dominate the box office once again after a massive Easter haul, but there are newcomers to ponder. We have horror comedy Renfield with Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult, less funny horror tale The Pope’s Exorcist featuring Russell Crowe, and Japanese animated fantasy Suzume. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on that trio here:

Renfield Box Office Prediction
The Pope’s Exorcist Box Office Prediction
Suzume Box Office Prediction

Nothing will approach the sophomore frame for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which soared in its first five days of release (more on that below). The question is not whether it will remain #1 (it will easily), but how far it falls. With an A Cinemascore and no competition for families, I’ll say it drops in the 50% range.

Renfield is garnering pretty decent reviews and a double digits to low teens output should allow it to be the runner-up. Suzume is a little trickier. Other Toho titles have exceeded $10 million for their beginnings and this could do the same. I’m projecting it a tad under for a fourth place showing behind the sophomore weekend for Air (which should have a nice hold).

The Pope’s Exorcist is also a bit of a head scratcher. Horror flicks can certainly over perform and this did decent business overseas this past weekend. Yet with Renfield providing a diversion for eyeballs, this might not even make the top 5.

Finally, I’ll dispense with Mafia Mamma. This Bleecker Street comedy stars Toni Collette and seems to be flying far under the radar. I didn’t do an individual prognosis post for it and haven’t seen a screen count. Given the distributor’s lack of success with earlier projects, this might be lucky to hit $2 million. That would put it nowhere near the high five.

Given that numbers 3-7 especially could be close, I’ll give you my outlook for those spots:

1. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Predicted Gross: $74.9 million

2. Renfield

Predicted Gross: $12.2 million

3. Air

Predicted Gross: $9.5 million

4. Suzume

Predicted Gross: $8.7 million

5. John Wick: Chapter 4

Predicted Gross: $8.4 million

6. The Pope’s Exorcist

Predicted Gross: $7.4 million

7. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Predicted Gross: $6.9 million

Box Office Results (April 7-9)

Illumination Entertainment doesn’t really miss when it comes to putting out animated blockbusters (think Despicable Me, Minions, Sing, The Secret Life of Pets franchises). Now they clearly have a host of Nintendo properties that will shower them with coins. The Super Mario Bros. Movie vastly exceeded expectations with $146.3 million from Friday to Sunday and $204.6 million since its Wednesday premiere. That is, to say the least, better than my respective estimates of $98.6 million and $137.7 million. The temperature was clearly right for its massive breakthrough performance as its global $377 million gross is the best ever for an animated feature.

John Wick: Chapter 4 stayed put in second with $14.4 million (on target with my $14.6 million call). The three-week total stands at $146 million.

Ben Affleck’s Air rode a wave of rising buzz to impressive numbers. It made $14.4 million for third with $20.2 million since its Wednesday start. The sports drama managed to top my takes which were $12.7 million and $18.9 million. As mentioned, this should hold up well in the coming weekends.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves was the biggest victim of the Mario wave. In its second weekend, the adventure tumbled 63% to $13.8 million. I was more optimistic with $16.8 million. The ten-day domestic tally is $61 million as its future as a franchise is murky.

Scream VI was fifth with $3.4 million. I incorrectly had it outside the top five as it crossed the century mark after five weeks with $103 million.

Finally, faith-based drama His Only Son failed to capitalize on the religious holiday with $2.8 million for sixth. I thought it might do a bit better in frame #2 and said $3.8 million. It’s made $10 million.

Check out my podcast by searching Movies at the Speed of Speculation wherever you stream!

Until next time…

The Pope’s Exorcist Box Office Prediction

Not to be confused with The Pope’s Sous-Chef or The Pope’s Orthopedic Surgeon, Sony Pictures gives us The Pope’s Exorcist on April 14th. Julius Avery (Overlord, Samaritan) directs the supernatural horror tale with Russell Crowe as the Pontiff’s chosen demon extractor. Costars include Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Ralph Ineson, and Franco Nero. ‘

This particular genre subsection has conjured up its share of pics in recent years. Titles like 2018’s The Possession of Hannah Grace and last fall’s Prey for the Devil managed $6.5 million and $7.2 million for their respective starts. 2014’s Deliver Us from Evil made just under $10 million. Meanwhile 2012’s The Possession and 2011’s The Rite hit $17 million and $14 million out of their gates.

Exorcist has competition from Renfield, the vampiric comedy with Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult, premiering directly against it. Evil Dead Rises drops a week later. I think Crowe and company can gross north of $10 million, but I’ll say it falls under.

The Pope’s Exorcist opening weekend prediction: $7.4 million

For my Renfield prediction, click here:

Renfield Box Office Prediction

For my Suzume prediction, click here:

Suzume Box Office Prediction

Renfield Box Office Prediction

Universal Pictures is hoping horror and comedy fans add Renfield to their cinematic menu when it debuts April 14th. Nicholas Hoult stars as the title character and beleaguered assistant to Nicolas Cage’s Count Dracula. Chris McKay, who made The Lego Batman Movie and The Tomorrow War, directs. Costars include Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, and Shohreh Aghdashloo.

Early critical reaction is encouraging with an 89% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Will audiences sink their teeth into it? Renfield arrives on the same day as The Pope’s Exorcist with Russell Crowe and it could siphon away genre fans looking for a scary experience minus the laughs. Both pics hit multiplexes a week before Evil Dead Rise and some fright fest fans may simply wait for that.

Decent word-of-mouth could get this to high teens or even $20 million in the best case scenario. I’ll say double digits to low teens is likelier given the competition.

Renfield opening weekend prediction: $12.2 million

For my The Pope’s Exorcist prediction, click here:

The Pope’s Exorcist Box Office Prediction

For my Suzume prediction, click here:

Suzume Box Office Prediction

The Menu Box Office Prediction

Searchlight Pictures is hoping moviegoers check out The Menu when it opens November 18th. Mark Mylod, best known for small screens fare like Game of Thrones and Shameless, directs. The black comedy features a large cast of cooks and diners including Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Judith Light, John Leguizamo, Reed Birney, Aimee Carrero, and Arturo Castro.

For the most part, critics like what they were served when this debuted at Toronto. The Rotten Tomatoes score is 88%. That said, The Menu is not generating much awards chatter which could’ve helped in appetizing an older audience.

A debut at or above $10 million would be quite an accomplishment. I don’t think it gets there with $7-9 million being more likely.

The Menu opening weekend prediction: $8.2 million

For my She Said prediction, click here:

She Said Box Office Prediction

Dark Phoenix Review

If at first you don’t succeed, try and fail again. Dark Phoenix is the 12th feature in the X-Men universe. It continues the significant dip in quality that we witnessed in predecessor X-Men: Apocalypse. While it’s not necessarily worse, the mystique of this franchise was pierced last time around and the bloodshed continues here. We also have Jennifer Lawrence as Mystique and, like in Apocalypse, it seems she’d rather be elsewhere.

Like 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand, this is focused on Jean Grey’s origin story. A 1975 flashback shows how she became an orphan and it’s got a lot to do with her telekinetic mutant powers. We already know that Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) quickly brought her into School for Gifted Youngsters after a tragedy and she grows up to be played by Sophie Turner. By 1992, Jean’s abilities are accentuated in outer space while rescuing a group of astronauts with her colleagues. It also triggers some repressed memories, putting her at odds with her mentor. That’s not the only collateral damage from Jean’s galactic adventures. An alien race known as the D’Bari had their planet inadvertently destroyed by this particular gifted youngster. Jessica Chastain is Vuk, an extra-terrestrial leader looking to harness those gifts for her own use. Like Oscar Isaac in Apocalypse, Chastain represents another talented performer wasted in a forgettable villain role.

While X-Men: First Class had cheeky fun with its 60s setting and Days of Future Past grooved to a 70s vibe, Phoenix does nothing with the early 90s time frame (other than not aging the actors appropriately). Even Apocalypse tried to capitalize on the 80s retro craze.

Missed opportunities to dwell on a decade and boring baddies aren’t the worst problem. Jean Grey isn’t a compelling character in her own film and Turner’s bland acting shines that light brighter. When Michael Fassbender shows up from time to time, it’s a reminder that his island getaway and small army of followers might offer up a cooler storyline. I know that comic book lovers hold the Dark Phoenix Saga in high regard, but they’e been given the short shrift twice now. Maybe Fassbender, his effortless magnetism, and the backstory of his current circumstances might have more firepower.

This is Simon Kinberg’s first at bat directing the series. He is responsible for writing The Last Stand so he’s .000 with the Grey matter. I guess he’s .250 on his X screenplays as he also penned Apocalypse but had a hit with Days of Future Past. Some of the violent encounters are dimly presented and plenty of the CG is subpar. A final set piece aboard a train has the most competent technical work and random moments of effective action. That doesn’t come close to saving this. The X-Men have been off the rails for two movies in a row.

** (out of four)