Predicting the Movie Hits and Bombs of 2016

I quite enjoyed The 5th Wave. It was an entertaining action film that passed 90 minutes without having to use too many brain cells.

Ben Stiller must be disappointed at the Zoolander's rubbish reviews and box office. There seemed to be a lot of hype surrounding it, especially after eight years of talking about doing another one. I bet everyone involved thought they had a hit in the bag.

 

I think Ben Stiller is pretty freaked out, given that Walter Mitty was a huge bomb and Zoolander 2 was a huge bomb. On the plus side, he survived colon cancer and is doing well, so at least his health is good.

 

Isn't this thread past its sell by date ?

 

I predict Rogue One will do OK.

 

Going out on a limb, huh?

I'll be curious to see how "Rogue One" does. Clearly it's gonna move a lot of tickets, but I suspect it'll make way less money than "Force Awakens".

Speaking completely anecdotally, I'm a lifelong - well, since I was 10 - "Star Wars" fan and I can't claim to be especially jazzed for "R1".

Will I see it opening night? Sure. Am I excited about it? Not really - I just don't view it as being an "event" ala one of the nine chapters is.

Maybe I'm alone, but I doubt it - I have to believe other fans are less excited about it than they were "Force Awakens" or will be for "Episode 8"...

 

Have no clue what Rogue One is suppose to be, pre org SW, past the last one or a spinoff of something? No clue!

 

Spinoff.

I've not read much about it because I like to avoid potential spoilers, but I think it's a tale that takes place shortly prior to Episode 1...

 

Spinoff, although

Spoiler

a certain black-caped-and-helmeted figure makes an appearance

in the final trailer.

 

Thanks for using the spoiler block!

 

Rogue One is a standalone story that takes place in the timeline in between Episode 3 (Revenge of the Sith) and Episode 4 (A New Hope).

 

Prequel to Star Wars Episode 4: A New Hope. Basically, they took the first two sentences of the opening crawl about the resistance getting the plans of the Death Star and turned that into its own movie, which I think is a clever idea. My understanding is that it takes place about two months before the 1977 Star Wars film.

The trailer is pretty clever and reproduces quite a few bits of the graphics of the old film in a modern way. I'm glad they resisted the urge to put way, way too much ultra-modern stuff in it. But... I'm only judging it by the trailer.

I'm convinced that Seth MacFarland has totally lost it: A Million Ways to Die in the West and Ted 2 were haaaaarible movies with very few laughs. And they got bad reviews and made no money. And he's a smart, funny man capable of doing good work.

 

Does this count?

 

Not yet it's officially out next weekend.

 

Thanks, I didn't know that.

 

I initially said the same thing, but the industry buzz is very high and Disney is pulling out all the stops to promote the hell out of it. I'll be very curious to read the early reviews.

 

I still don't see that it comes close to the gross of "Force Awakens". That was the first "Star Wars" movie in 10 years and very well-received. "Rogue One" doesn't have a decade of pent-up demand behind it - "Force Awakens" was a major event in a way "R1" can't be.

Also, I really think the fact it's a "chapter movie" and not some spin-off makes a big difference. Bringing back the Big 3 actors from the OT also was huge.

Even with good reviews, I don't see anyway "R1" approaches the US gross of "Force"...

 

From what I've seen thus far, commercials on TV and whatnot, they aren't hyping Rogue One anywhere near as much as they did The Force Awakens. I think Disney realized they went a little over the top with the Force Awakens promotion and are laying back for Rogue One.

 

Given that Star Wars VII made over $1.5B, I think they'd be very happy if Rogue One even made half that. That's still a very, very successful movie by any measure.

 

'Office Christmas Party' should continue Anistson's string of monster hits
I noticed with a smile that she seems to be only doing ensemble pictures instead of starring roles

 

Yeah, that's true, isn't it?

Aniston last took a "clear lead role" two years ago with "Cake". Her last non-ensemble before that was 2011's "Just Go With It" - and even there, she was second-billed to Adam Sandler.

None of Aniston's upcoming projects change this...

 

Maybe not in Canada but it has been in the theaters for a while now and just about everything I watch has a commercial for it.

 

Jennifer Aniston isn't really a leading actor. The popularity of Friends tended to obscure this, but she is at her best in quirky, sort of desperate parts and doesn't really have the magnetism or gravity to headline a big movie. She is also getting on for 50...

 

50 ain't what it used to be - even for women!

Sandra Bullock is 52 and still bankable. I think Aniston is as viable as she's ever been - she was never someone who played the lead in hits.

Helps that both women look great at their "advanced ages"!

 

IMO, one of the most overpaid actress for what her movies have done. BTW, she's a hot 50.