The Two Films This Spring that Moviegoers Are Most Interested In May Come as a Surprise

Matthew Belloni has a piece on Puck this week about Warner Bros.’ risky and expensive slate of upcoming films — projects that could make or break the studio. Belloni loves dragging studios for their questionable business decisions, even when those choices lead to more creatively interesting films. He seems like the kind of guy who probably mocked Warner Bros. for greenlighting a Greta Gerwig-directed Barbie, only to later claim he knew all along it would be a massive hit.

In his latest, Belloni takes aim at Warner Bros. executives Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, scrutinizing the $118 million they spent on Mickey 17 — a big creative swing that may end up a corporate misfire — as well as some other upcoming gambles, particularly Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. According to Belloni, the film would need to open to at least $50-$60 million just to break even, which could be a stretch. He may be right — a Jim Crow-era vampire film doesn’t exactly scream box-office juggernaut — but it does look intriguing. Belloni also questions the decision to hand Maggie Gyllenhaal $100 million for only her second directorial effort, the Frankenstein-inspired The Bride, especially since, according to his sources, test screenings suggest it’s “too arthouse” for its budget. A $100 million art-house Frankenstein flick starring Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley? Honestly, sign me up.

But the part of Belloni’s piece that really caught my eye wasn’t about any of that. As he often does, he included tracking data from The Quorum on audience interest in upcoming releases. No surprises in the awareness category: the most recognized films set to release in the next eight weeks are Snow White, A Minecraft Movie, and Thunderbolts (though the latter is barely outpacing The Accountant 2).

However, when it comes to interest — as in, among the movies people know about, which ones they actually want to see, the top two were a bit of a shock, outranking Snow White, Thunderbolts, Sinners, and even A Minecraft Movie.

The first is A Working Man, which suggests that Jason Statham’s success with The Beekeeper ($150 million worldwide on a $40 million budget) wasn’t a fluke. The trailer looks like a blast, and Statham has a ton of blue-collar appeal across political and socioeconomic spectrums.

The other top-ranked film surprised me more, though maybe it shouldn’t have. The trailer is easily one of the best for any spring release. It’s called The Amateur, and it stars Rami Malek as a geeky tech guy who has to transform himself into a badass to take revenge on the people who killed his wife (Rachel Brosnahan). Naturally, Jon Bernthal plays the guy who trains him. So basically, it’s tech-guy John Wick, and the supporting cast — Laurence Fishburne, Holt McCallany, Julianne Nicholson, and Caitríona Balfe — is stacked. Director James Hawes has several Slow Horses episodes under his belt, and The Amateur seems to be aiming for a similar vibe.

I get it. I’m still plenty excited for Sinners, but I’m hoping a number of mid-budget films — The Amateur, A Working Man, Novacaine, Drop, and The Accountant 2 — outperform some of the usual IP-driven blockbusters like Snow White, A Minecraft Movie, and Thunderbolts (though, to be fair, Thunderbolts does look fun).

via Puck