SCARY BOX OFFICE
B
etween Hurricane Harvey and the Mayweather-McGregor bout the summer movie season went out with a whimper instead of a bang . Pamela McClintock of The Hollywood Reporter recently reported that August was a dismal month with box-office revenue ” down nearly 50 percent from the same frame last year .” We had some hits ( Wonder Woman , Dunkirk , Spider Man , the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel ) but even they couldn ’ t overcome the losses . According to Anthony D ’ Alessandro at Deadline . com , to make matters worse , both major studios and specialty distributors won ’ t be releasing any new titles into wide release ( 1000 plus theaters ) for Labor Day weekend for the first time in 25 years . The last time this
By Lori Vernon
happened was in 1992 . “ How ironic for the majors to cap off the lowest summer in 25 years in regards to admissions without any new titles ,” said D ’ Alessandro .
Last month we mentioned Stephen King ’ s The Dark Tower , which turned out to be one of those underperformers that killed August . This month we have King ’ s It remake , which is getting a great buzz and is poised to break some box-office records . Here are a few other films to check out this September .
It
Director : Andy Muschietti September 8 • Rated R
Based on Stephen King ’ s 1986 novel , It tells the story of a group of outcast kids ( ala
It
Stranger Things ) called the " Losers Club " who encounter a diabolical creature called It , who for centuries has preyed upon the children of Derry , Maine , in the form of a sadistic clown called Pennywise . When the creature reappears years later and more children disappear , the Losers Club , now adults , are called upon to square off against Pennywise , even though they have no memory of their first battle . The original 1990 made-for-TV miniseries featured Tim Curry as Pennywise and gave me nightmares for years . This one , with Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise , looks even scarier ! Also starring Jaeden Lieberher , Jeremy Taylor , Sophia Lillis , Finn Wolfhard , Wyatt Oleff , Chosen Jacobs and Jack Dylan Grazer .
Mother !
Director : Darren Aronofsky September 8 • Rated N / A
Mother ! revolves around a couple ( Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem ), whose relationship is tested when disruptive , uninvited guests arrive at their remote country home , shattering their tranquil existence . Terror ensues in this thriller-psychological horror film that also explores love , devotion , and sacrifice . All I ’ ve seen is the trailer and frankly , it looks like a cross between Rosemary ’ s Baby and Burnt Offerings . Premieres September 5th at the 74th Venice International Film Festival . The cast includes Ed Harris , Michelle Pfeiffer , Domnhall Gleeson , Brian Gleeson and Kristen Wiig .
American Assassin
Director : Michael Cuesta ' September 15 • Rated R
Based on a book in the series by Vince Flynn , Mitch Rapp ( Dylan O ’ Brien ), an orphaned Arab linguistics student is recruited by CIA black ops after his fiancé is killed in a terror attack . His reluctant mentor , Cold War vet Stan Hurley ( Michael Keaton ) takes Rapp under his wing and they are enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy ( Sanaa Lathan ) to investigate a wave of random attacks on both military and civilian targets . After the three discover a pattern of violence , Hurley and Rapp join forces with a lethal Turkish agent ( Shiva Negar ) to stop a mysterious operative named Ghost ( Taylor Kitsch ) from starting a global war .
Battle of The Sexes
Director : Darren Aronofsky September 22 • Rated PG-13
The 1973 tennis match between the world ’ s # 1 women ’ s player , Billie Jean King ( Emma Stone ) and ex-men ’ s champ and hustler Bobby Riggs ( Steve Carell ) was billed as the “ Battle of the Sexes ” and became the most watched televised sports event of all time . But the match actually sparked a global conversation on gender equality , spurring on the feminist movement . King and Riggs were on opposites sides of the equal right movement in the media , but off-court each was also fighting more personal and complex battles . With a supportive husband urging her to fight the Establishment for equal pay , the fiercely private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality , while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past . Together they served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court and spurred the discussions between men and women around the world . The film also stars Austin Stowell , Andrea Riseborough , Elisabeth Shue , Sarah Silverman , Eric Christian Olsen and Jessica McNamee .
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14 illinoisentertainer . com september 2017