Tag: Rose Byrne

Oscar Predictions: If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Rose Byrne has been highly visible on the big screen in horror flicks like the Insidious franchise, superhero adventures such as X-Men: First Class, and multiple comedies including Bridesmaids, Spy, and Instant Family. The Australian actress received Emmy nods for her supporting role in the acclaimed Damages in 2009 and 2010.

She has yet to have a cinematic vehicle that’s driven significant awards talk. That may change this year with If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. Focused on the not so great aspects of motherhood (there are comparisons to Nightbitch), Byrne is being lauded in Mary Bronstein’s second directorial feature. The eclectic supporting cast includes Conan O’Brien (who’ll be hosting the Oscars in a few weeks), Danielle Macdonald, Delaney Quinn, A$AP Rocky, and Christian Slater.

Premiering at Sundance, critics are already proclaiming Byrne’s performance as a 2025 highlight. I would expect distributor A24 to mount a serious campaign for Best Actress. The frenetic energy of the pic is being likened to Uncut Gems. It’s worth noting that 2019 A24 title did not end up getting Adam Sandler his first Academy nod despite a major push.

Obviously we’ll need to see how competition is as the months roll along, but I could envision Byrne being in the conversation. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions: Ezra

Actor Tony Goldwyn goes behind the camera for Ezra which hits theaters Friday after screening at the Toronto Film Festival last fall. Bobby Cannavale headlines the family dramedy alongside Robert De Niro, Rose Byrne, William Fitzgerald, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, Rainn Wilson, and Goldwyn himself.

The project was met with muted buzz during its north of the border unveiling in September. Bleecker Street eventually picked up the distribution rights for what should be an unceremonious opening. The Rotten Tomatoes score is a so-so 65%. While some reviews are good, in order for it to get awards attention… well, it needs to be better than Ezra. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Oscar Predictions – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

In what might be the most egregious Oscar snub in the history of the ceremony, Vanilla Ice’s iconic jam “Ninja Rap” was not (I repeat not) nominated for Original Song with 1991’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. Therefore the six previous features in the TMNT franchise have had zero presence with the Academy in the 30 years+ of its existence.

That could very well change with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The animated pic that includes Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg among its cowriters opens Wednesday, August 2nd. With the review embargo lifted, the Rotten Tomatoes score is a boisterous and rather shocking 98%! Many critics are saying this is the best Turtles offering the series has seen.

Best Animated Feature is absolutely in play. The catch could be the competition. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is guaranteed a slot and perhaps the win. Japan’s The Boy and the Heron is probably in and don’t discount Pixar’s Elemental. Disney also has this fall’s Wish and other hopefuls could pop up in the second half of the year.

Yet it’s hard to ignore the positivity for Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo. My hunch is that this quartet could make the quintet of animated features in contention. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Box Office Prediction

It’s been over seven years since Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo have graced the silver screen. With Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg among the five cowriters, animated versions of the pizza loving reptilian crimefighters return in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on Wednesday, August 2nd. Jeff Rowe makes his directorial debut with teens (Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Brady Noon, Nicolas Cantu) voicing the title characters. Plenty of known actors are in on the fun including Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph, and Rogen himself.

Paramount and Nickelodeon fully plan for this latest iteration to become its own franchise. A sequel and a spinoff TV series are in the works. Early buzz for the project is strong. While we won’t see anything approaching The Super Mario Bros. Movie numbers, there’s a three decades plus TMNT cinematic history mostly in its favor.

The first big screen adaptations of the comic book was the live-action trilogy from 1990-1993. Each entry there was less successful than the other with 1990’s original as the high point with a $25 million start and $135 million (not adjusted for inflation) eventual domestic haul. 2007’s TMNT is the other animated work. It made a decent $24 million out of the gate before limping to a $54 million overall take. In 2014, the franchise returned to live-action with Megan Fox leading and it posted series best results ($65 million premiere and $191 million total). 2016 sequel Out of the Shadows couldn’t keep up with $82 million in the bank.

We know something with near certainty. This won’t nab the greatest turtle debut at $65 million or the lowest which was 1993’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III at only $12 million. With a Wednesday start, I’ll project mid to high 30s for the traditional weekend and possibly in the high 4os to $50 million when factoring the five-day.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem opening weekend prediction: $36.1 million (Friday to Sunday); $51.2 million

For my Meg 2: The Trench prediction, click here:

Meg 2: The Trench Box Office Prediction

Insidious: The Red Door Box Office Prediction

Sony hopes for happy horror returns when Insidious: The Red Door opens on July 7th. The fifth feature in the franchise that began in 2010, costar Patrick Wilson takes over the directorial reins. Joining him in the cast are Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne, Andrew Astor, and Lin Shaye.

The PG-13 supernatural saga is the first Insidious entry in five and a half years. It is said to serve to serve as a direct sequel to parts 1 and 2. 2013’s second chapter was the financial zenith with a $40 million premiere and $83 million eventual domestic take. Chapter 3 in 2015 did $22 million out of the gate and $52 million overall. 2018’s Insidious: The Last Key improved on its predecessor with $29 million in its initial weekend and $67 million total.

Door could be helped with the lack of genre fare in the marketplace (its TV teaser spot with Wilson getting a frightening MRI is pretty effective too). I don’t think it’ll quite reach the near $30 million of Key, but mid 20s sounds like the correct prognosis.

Insidious: The Red Door opening weekend prediction: $25.2 million

For my Joy Ride prediction, click here:

Joy Ride Box Office Prediction

For my Sound of Freedom prediction, click here:

Sound of Freedom Box Office Prediction

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway Box Office Prediction

After hopping around the release calendar at least half a dozen times due to COVID-19 delays, the hybrid live-action/animated comedic adventure Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway hits theaters June 11. Will Gluck returns to direct with James Corden again voicing the title character and Margot Robbie reprising her behind the mic work as Flopsy. Live-action participants include Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, and David Oyelowo. Elizabeth Debicki, Aimee Horne, Sia, and Sam Neill are among the voice cast.

In 2018, the first Rabbit premiered on the high end of expectations with $25 million and legged out nicely to a $115 overall domestic haul. Part 2 shouldn’t fall too far off that mark, but I do believe it’ll have trouble reaching that number. This won’t have anything to do with reviews. The 2018 pic had a mixed critical reaction with 63% on Rotten Tomatoes while the sequel is currently perched at 71%.

The Runaway has already opened in Australia and the United Kingdom to decent results. More than three years after the original, there could be a falloff of some youngsters not clamoring to see the followup. That said, a gross of $20 million is feasible. I’ll put it a few million below that figure though.

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway opening weekend prediction: $15.9 million

For my In the Heights prediction, click here:

In the Heights Box Office Prediction

Oscar Watch: Irresistible

With his consistently Emmy winning work as host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart became synonymous with biting political satire for a generation of viewers. Toward the end of his run hosting the program, he took a hiatus to helm his directorial debut Rosewater, a political drama that failed to gain much of an audience. It was released in 2014 and despite mostly positive reviews, it came and went with zero awards buzz. As a side note, the break that Stewart took allowed John Oliver to gain exposure and nab his own currently running acclaimed HBO show.

Stewart is back in the director’s chair again with Irresistible, a political satire focused on a small town mayoral race. The pic stars Steve Carell, who first entered the mainstream on the show Stewart hosted with a supporting cast including Rose Byrne, Chris Cooper, Topher Grace, and Natasha Lyonne. It hits a small number of theaters and the VOD circuit today after its original May release was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While some reviews are quite positive (including Rolling Stone), many critics are saying Irresistible is quite resistible. The Rotten Tomatoes score stands at just 40%. So while Mr. Stewart picked up many awards for his television work, don’t look for his second feature behind the camera to follow suit. My Oscar Watch posts will continue…

Daily Streaming Guide: March 19th Edition

My Daily Streaming Guide for titles worthy of including in your binge watching escapades continues with some lighter and laugh inducing material:

Amazon Prime

Our taste for cinematic whodunits increased this fall with the release of the blockbuster Knives Out. For those who haven’t seen Clue, not only is it my favorite flick based on a board game – it’s one of my favorite murder mysteries (packed with great one-liners). Featuring an array of hilariously broad performances led by Tim Curry, the pic has deservedly turned into a cult classic. I watched it endlessly as a kid and find it just as entertaining today.

Netflix

Over a decade before Robin Williams donned a dress and spectacles in Mrs. Doubtfire, Dustin Hoffman did the same in 1982’s massive hit Tootsie. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, a new generation might not be familiar with it. If you haven’t seen it, it’s definitely worth a look.

Hulu

For something more recent, Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne headline the dramedy Instant Family. It casts the pair as foster parents entering unknown and often funny and dramatically resonant territory. Certainly a worthwhile experience that the whole family can enjoy.

I’ll be back at it tomorrow! Until then…

Like a Boss Box Office Prediction

Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne headline the business themed comedy Like a Boss next weekend as Paramount Pictures hopes many girls will make a trip to view it. Originally slated for release last summer, Boss is directed by Miguel Arteta with a supporting cast including Jennifer Coolidge, Billy Porter, and Salma Hayek.

It’s been over two years since Haddish broke through in a major way with Girls Trip and her lucky streak continued with Night School with Kevin Hart. However, things have slowed down a bit as of late with Nobody’s Fool (which grossed $14 million for its start). Then there was last year’s crime drama flop The Kitchen with Byrne’s Spy costar Melissa McCarthy.

The lack of much comedic competition should help a bit, but buzz seems to fairly muted here. My guess is this makes a bit under what Fool accomplished and struggles to hit teens.

Like a Boss opening weekend prediction: $12.4 million

For my 1917 prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/01/01/1917-box-office-prediction/

For my Just Mercy prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/01/01/just-mercy-box-office-prediction/

For my Underwater prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2020/01/02/underwater-box-office-prediction/

Jexi Box Office Prediction

From the directors of the Bad Moms pics, Jexi dials into theaters next weekend and is hoping for a decent reception. The comedy stars Adam DeVine as a loner obsessed with his phone. When he gets an upgrade that includes Rose Byrne voicing the title character/feature, life begins to improve until the artificially intelligent being develops an obsession with him. Costars include Alexandra Shipp, Michael Pena, Justin Hartley, and Wanda Sykes.

I have a hunch Jexi will have a tough time connecting with filmgoers. As far as its effectiveness via trailer and TV spots, I’m getting a bit of a Stuber vibe. That comedy with Kumail Nanjiani stalled over the summer with just an $8.2 million opening weekend. And one could argue Nanjiani has more drawing ability than DeVine.

Considering that, I’ll say this will be lucky to reach that number and won’t do so.

Jexi opening weekend prediction: $3.5 million

For my Gemini Man prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/10/01/gemini-man-box-office-prediction/

For my The Addams Family prediction, click here:

https://toddmthatcher.com/2019/10/01/the-addams-family-box-office-prediction/