By Chris Kavan - 03/28/19 at 07:40 AM CT
Jordan Peele's Us helped March continue its strong run in 2019, and the box office looks to keep strong with the latest live-action Disney update. While Dumbo isn't going to deliver Beauty and the Beast-style numbers, it should still open strong and the second weekend of Us should be enough for March to once again top the same weekend in 2018. Joining the flying elephant is the expansion of Hotel Mumbai, Harmony Korine's far out Matthew McConaughey-leading Beach Bum and the conservative-targeting Unplanned. While I don't expect these other three to inject much into the box office, every little bit helps.
DUMBO Disney is set to have a massive year, what with Marvel, Star Wars, Toy Story 4, Lion King and Frozen 2 all coming out. While Dumbo may not generate as much hype, it's still going to be a winner. Much like the animated original, the story follows a young, big-eared elephant who loses his mother, but proves to have a hidden talent that looks to revitalize a struggling circus. But this version also adds in a a wounded war veteran Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly and Joe (Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins) who look to form the heart of the film along with the flying star. Danny DeVito is on hand to play the owner of the circus with Michael Keaton tackling the role of V. A. Vandevere, the man with the plan - but who may not be on the up-and-up. Rounding out the cast is Eva Green as Dumbo's high-flying co-star along with Alan Arkin, Roshan Seth and Joseph Gatt. The effects once again look pretty spectacular - they put a lot of emotion into a fake wee elephant with big ears after all. The one thing that will hold Dumbo back is the fact that unlike say, Beauty and the Beast, the upcoming Lion King or even Aladdin, this story is a bit dated. I'm sure they've updated plenty to give it a more modern feel, but the nostalgia factor just isn't going to hit the audience as hard and thus it won't reach stratospheric numbers. Still, it should top the box office with a $50 million plus opening and bring in the families to boot. We'll see how audiences respond, but I'm guessing it will be a modest success for Disney amid their many massive blockbusters.
To say director Harmony Korine is an acquired taste might be putting things lightly. From the his debut of Gummo to the the despised Trash Humpers to the outrageous Spring Breakers, this is not exactly what you would call a mainstream director. Yet The Beach Bum, starring Matthew McConaughey as the ultimate stoner Moondog, may be his most approachable film to general audiences yet. It also has Snoop Dogg, Isla Fisher, Martin Lawrence, Zac Efron and Jonah Hill - some sporting names like Lingerie and Captain Wack. I guess if you're going to make a stoner comedy - you go all out. The film essentially follows this group of outcasts, dreamers and drifters as they just try to make their way through life. I don't know how deep this is going to get, but the casting looks spot on. I don't think this means Korine is going to go straight mainstream, but if it gets his name out there and people try his more... esoteric work, I'm all for it.
HOTEL MUMBAI The first of this weekend's films based on true events, Hotel Mumbai takes place during a terrorist attack at the Taj Hotel (which claimed the lives of 174 people) and follows the stories of the people who finds themselves in the middle. This includes a world-renowned chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) and a dedicated waiter (Dev Patel) who choose to help instead of hide; along with couple David and Zahra (Armie Hammer and Nazanin Boniadi) who will do anything to save their child. Jason Isaacs, Alex Pinder, Vipin Sharma, Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Angus McLaren round out the cast. The film did well enough in limited release, coming away with the best per-theater average last weekend. I don't know if this will appeal to a huge audience, but it looks like a solid cast and has a lot of emotional heft going for it. Even if it doesn't open to huge numbers, this is the kind of film that doesn't have to top the box office to be considered a success.
UNPLANNED As I said, there is another film this weekend based on true events and Unplanned is the second. The film follows Abby Johnson (Ashley Bratcher) one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors who quickly became a spokesperson for the cause until she saw something that changed everything and she switched over to becoming one of the leading voices against abortion. Now, the fact that Pure Flix is responsible for this film should be all you need to know. Also, despite all their effort, this film is also rated R (probably for graphic depiction of said abortions). I hate when blatant agendas are disguised as films, and way too many faith-based films fall under this banner. But Unplanned is an even worse offender, as it is clearly just an anti-abortion diatribe dressed up as a feature-length film. I don't care if it's based on a true story and I'm not getting into my feelings on this hot-button topic, but I do find it a bit sickening and hope it withers miserably on the vine.
Dumbo is going to rule the weekend while I think Us with have a strong second-week showing. The rest of the pack is going to settle in the middle at best, though some may fall well below, but I still think the overall weekend is going to be a winner as we look for several weeks of strong films ahead.
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