Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Trades! My name is Reuben Schwartz and this is my annual look at the news, casting, rumors, and general happenings at the studio each season.
Let’s talk box office. It’s fair to say that things have been slow thus far, lacking any huge hits. Perhaps the most notable standout is a lack of a major comic book film. The two adaptations, Watchmen and Lucifer, both failed to make a profit - which is not a total surprise given their eccentric approaches. The three set for the second half of the season (Thor, Supergirl, and Black Panther) will likely fare better, but it is time to wonder if the dominance of superhero films is starting to fade at LRF.
The studio has seen a few new potential franchises emerge, however. Power Rangers was a moderately successful blockbuster, and likely doing even better in the merchandising realm. Metroid continues the trend of successful video game adaptations, proving to be a great start for rookie writer Dawson Edwards. Even bigger expectations are on Edwards’ next video game film, The Legend of Zelda, in Round 7. The wildly popular franchise has long eluded the big screen and looks to follow in the footsteps of Season 17’s Super Mario, still the studio’s biggest animated hit.
On a positive front, Season 33 has shown that there is a market for more modestly-budgeted films. Continuing a larger trend at the studio of late, films like The Night Stalker and The Essence really show horror to be a viable genre going forward. In Round 5, Sniper hit with critics and audiences alike and didn’t cost a fortune. This isn’t to say that the studio will totally embrace this “singles and doubles” approach in favor of going for home runs, but seeing these results has to be encouraging for bolstering a varied slate.
As for the GRAs, the aforementioned Night Stalker and Broadway Joe have thrown their names into the hat. It’s a safe bet to say both lead actors will be in vying for Best Actor, but neither film is what you’d expect from a traditional Best Picture front-runner. Will one of those emerge in the second half of the season? Depending on how things go, films like Cedar Ridge, Boys from the Forest and Before Love Came to Kill Us could become quiet acting contenders despite not making a major splash in their initial release.
Looking ahead, we’ve already discussed the potential for bigger box office receipts. There’s no major sledgehammer like The Avengers or Justice League on the horizon but you never know what may surprise. On the awards front, a lot of eyes are on Splendour has the latest Lon Charles true crime story - with the added oomph of the main roles being recognizable public figures. I look forward to seeing what else the studio has in store and checking back in at season’s end!
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