Bob Marley Biopic | February 14, 2024 | Paramount | Kingsley Ben-Adir is Bob Marley

[CoolioD1]

they really start the trailer with a "Bob marley needs to think about his whole life before he gets on stage" these movies don't even tryyyyy oh my fucking god.

[Cmasterclay]

Looks like every single one of these movies. Pretty bad treatment of one of the greatest artists to ever live. That said, as long as they don't totally botch the release and reception Whitney Houston style it should make money.

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

Everyone knows these sorts of movies are Greatest Hits vehicles interspersed with Oscar Clip dramatics, and this trailer isn't trying to pretend it'll be anything else. Poor Walk Hard fans, lol.

 

They're pushing the January 2024 release: is this really not going to do a limited run in December for awards eligibility? Or will they do a qualifying release, but the big push is in January to steer clear of The Color Purple? It would surprise me if this wasn't released in some form anywhere prior to next year.

[ZattMurdock]

Lead actors is actually very good, based on what I’ve seen of him on Secret Invasion. Never cared about any of the other artists biopics other than Cash and June’s, so I’m intrigued by this.

[filmlover]

1 hour ago, BoxOfficeFangrl said:

They're pushing the January 2024 release: is this really not going to do a limited run in December for awards eligibility? Or will they do a qualifying release, but the big push is in January to steer clear of The Color Purple? It would surprise me if this wasn't released in some form anywhere prior to next year.

It seems so. Guess they have a good feeling (or know) this isn't going anywhere in terms of awards so probably hoping for a solid opening over MLK Weekend followed by strong legs through February.

[Boxx93]

Yeah, this one is a hard pass for me.

Edited July 7, 2023 by Boxx93

[PrinceRico]

From the director and King Richard and the writer of King Richard and Creed 3 and The Wolf of Wall Street and the producers of The Departed, 12 years slave and Moonlight. Definitely have high hopes for this.

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

5 hours ago, filmlover said:

It seems so. Guess they have a good feeling (or know) this isn't going anywhere in terms of awards so probably hoping for a solid opening over MLK Weekend followed by strong legs through February.

Given the talent involved and subject matter, avoiding an awards play altogether just seems so...unlikely. Movies like this are made to boost an artist's catalog, to earn huge box office, and to get accolades for the cast/crew. Bohemian Rhapsody has a 49 on Metacritic and it won 4 Oscars; how much worse can this be? Maybe Paramount was just that burned by how Rocketman fared for its awards season? And even then, it still won something.

 

That's why I remain skeptical.  There's a way for this movie to be released in January but still be in contention as a 2023 release: the qualifying run. Not a limited release that starts in a few markets and slowly expands, but a qualifying release: a movie is shown in one theater for a week to meet the calendar year requirement, but with little-to-no advertising and no box office gets reported. Then, the "real" release date with hype/junkets/ads/etc. is scheduled for January/February. Still Alice did this, but that's a tiny movie compared to a big studio musicIan biopic.

 

Announcing it as a January movie takes it out of awards predictions, removes months of pressure and lowers expectations. But release dates can change, especially 6 months out. Or not, and Paramount can say it's really a movie about peace and love, one for the fans. We will see...

 

[JustLurking]

3 minutes ago, BoxOfficeFangrl said:

Given the talent involved and subject matter, avoiding an awards play altogether just seems so...unlikely. Movies like this are made to boost an artist's catalog, to earn huge box office, and to get accolades for the cast/crew. Bohemian Rhapsody has a 49 on Metacritic and it won 4 Oscars; how much worse can this be? Maybe Paramount was just that burned by how Rocketman fared for its awards season? And even then, it still won something.

 

That's why I remain skeptical.  There's a way for this movie to be released in January but still be in contention as a 2023 release: the qualifying run. Not a limited release that starts in a few markets and slowly expands, but a qualifying release: a movie is shown in one theater for a week to meet the calendar year requirement, but with little-to-no advertising and no box office gets reported. Then, the "real" release date with hype/junkets/ads/etc. is scheduled for January/February. Still Alice did this, but that's a tiny movie compared to a big studio musicIan biopic.

 

Announcing it as a January movie takes it out of awards predictions, removes months of pressure and lowers expectations. But release dates can change, especially 6 months out. Or not, and Paramount can say it's really a movie about peace and love, one for the fans. We will see...

 

BoRap probably only gained that award momentum because of its absolutely ludicrous BO run, take that away and I don't think it gets to be that much of a player.

[filmlover]

Musical biopics have always been tricky that could go either way, sensations like BoRap tend to be more the exception than the rule. Remember that Hank Williams movie with Tom Hiddleston? Yeah, didn't think so.

[joselowe]

I think this has potential to do BoRap number, good in the US and huge overseas

[WorkingonaName]

I will watch this half-asleep on a airplane someday. 

[BoxOfficeFangrl]

 

 

47 minutes ago, filmlover said:

Musical biopics have always been tricky that could go either way, sensations like BoRap tend to be more the exception than the rule. Remember that Hank Williams movie with Tom Hiddleston? Yeah, didn't think so.

I forget the name of it but remember the gossip columns doing the "are they/aren't they" dance with Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen back when there was still awards buzz. Then it got moved out Oscar season and there went that "relationship".

 

But the thing about I Saw The Light (looked it up!) is that it was originally scheduled for a November 2015  release and premiered at TIFF that year. It was only after the tepid response that Sony Pictures Classics moved it to the following spring.

 

They didn't start out like Paramount seems to be, from the very first trailer saying, "We're releasing this two weeks after this year's Oscar eligibility window!" I can't help but find that weird and unusual. The director's last movie was a Best Picture nominee that won Best Actor, Kingsley Ben-Adir won some Breakthrough awards for One Night in Miami, Lashana Lynch is a rising star, and everyone behind the scenes is cool with their music biopic not even taking a crack at awards season? Okay...

 

 

44 minutes ago, joselowe said:

I think this has potential to do BoRap number, good in the US and huge overseas

Back when I was a charthead on music boards, someone would post the Soundscan numbers (a huge no-no BTW) and the Legend album would just be there selling thousands week after week. Bohemian Rhapsody numbers will be hard now, pre-pandemic was a whole different era, just getting to Elvis box office would be great for this.

Edited July 7, 2023 by BoxOfficeFangrl

[joselowe]

Trailer has 11 million views in 3 days! This is def going to do Bohemian Rhapsody numbers! Bob's impact is underestimated on here!

[PrinceRico]

Yeah this will be big 

[filmlover]

Delayed to Valentine's Day.

 

‘Mean Girls’ New Movie Going Theatrical – Deadline

[joselowe]

On 9/22/2023 at 8:23 PM, filmlover said:

Delayed to Valentine's Day.

 

‘Mean Girls’ New Movie Going Theatrical – Deadline

That sucks. This movie had potential!

[emoviefan]

4 hours ago, joselowe said:

That sucks. This movie had potential!

 Why would moving back a month kill it's potential? 

[joselowe]

7 minutes ago, emoviefan said:

 Why would moving back a month kill it's potential? 

I meant Oscar potential. He’s un eligible now for best actor.

[filmlover]

4 hours ago, joselowe said:

That sucks. This movie had potential!

 

4 minutes ago, emoviefan said:

 Why would moving back a month kill it's potential? 

It's a fine date tbh. Gonna have a 6-day opening between Valentine's Day/President's Day falling on that frame. Plus it's opening in Black History Month now.

 

Does put an end to any expectations that they were positioning this for awards with a surprise late December qualifying date though (and that the studio doesn't see it as an awards contender).