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The Preview Reel: Can the Blair Witch Conjure Up a Win?

Scott Davis
The Preview Reel

Welcome to another “Preview Reel” column, where we look at the week’s upcoming wide release movies. Last weekend finally saw some good box office results as Sully grossed over $35 million in its opening weekend, and this weekend looks to continue that trend. The surprise horror sequel Blair Witch hits the screen, along with another legacy sequel in Bridget Jones’s Baby, and the Oliver Stone thriller, Snowden. Let’s break them down.

 

Blair Witch

What we are excited about:
Originally titled The Woods, no one knew that this found footage horror film was a sequel to the mid-1990s phenomenon The Blair Witch Project until it premiered at this year’s Comic-Con. Even though that tactic might not get points for originality (10 Cloverfield Lane did the same thing back in March), it is still pretty cool that Lionsgate was able to keep that under wraps and it seems that people are actually pretty excited about it. The trailers look very creepy and seem to use the somewhat annoying found footage gimmick well, so hopefully this sequel that no one was expecting can deliver the horror goods.

What we are worried about:
It’s been a while since The Blair Witch Project became a box office blockbuster, in fact it has been seventeen years since that movie premiered. That first movie is great (not a popular opinion, I know), but what many people forget is that there was actually already a sequel that came out the following year, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, and that movie is awful – like arguably one of the worst movies ever made awful. This makes us worried that the first film was just an example of lightning in a bottle and there are no more stories to tell. Now the trailers do a good job of selling the idea of why this movie is happening, but we are worried that most of the effective scares were used to better effect all those years ago.

The Buzz:
Horror movies have had a gangbuster year at the box office, and this movie looks to continue the trend. While the first trailer debuted in front of Lights Out under the title of The Woods, it gained a ton of buzz when it was revealed to be Blair Witch. Reviews were stellar right out of the gate at Comic-Con, but they have been on the decline as of late. Most are saying that it is a terrifying follow-up to the classic, while some are saying it is a just dull retread. Still, with a huge initial buzz and the strong showing from horror flicks this year, look for Blair Witch to debut at number one with around $30 million.

Final Thoughts:
A couple months ago we had no idea that this movie was a sequel to The Blair Witch Project, and now it is one of the more intriguing releases this fall. It should be interesting to see if it lives up to the hype it has slowly been building over the last couple of months.

 

Bridget Jones’s Baby

What we are excited about:
Similar to this week’s other big release, Bridget Jones’s Baby is a sequel to a beloved a franchise that has been away from cineplexes for a while. Bridget Jones’s Diary was a big hit back in 2001, and Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason was a moderate success in 2004, but the real takeaway was Renee Zellweger. This is arguably her most famous role and she has not had an onscreen appearance in six years. It will be fun to see her back on the screen and see if she can recapture the fun of the first two movies.

What we are worried about:
Again, similar problem we had with Blair Witch, is a Bridget Jones sequel necessary after all of these years? It’s great seeing Zellweger back on the big screen, but it would probably would have been nicer if it were in something that was original or a potential award-worthy material. The trailers have been decent, but nothing memorable, which is probably what this movie is going to end up being.

The Buzz:
There is minor buzz for this movie, but nothing that should set the box office on fire. Reviews have actually been pretty good, so look for a decent debut with around $10 million.

Final thoughts:
Great to see Zellweger back, and even though it is her most iconic role, we wish it was in something a little more adventurous than this.

 

Snowden

What we are excited about:
This is one of those true stories that seems perfect for a movie, and with a director like Oliver Stone, there’s a lot of potential here. It seems like the perfect marriage of source material and director, so hopefully it all works out.

What we are worried about:
Even though we were excited when it was announced that Joseph Gordon-Levitt would play Edward Snowden, the trailers have us kind of worried about his performance. It seems a little too forced for our liking, but maybe it will be better with some context. Also, last year’s documentary, Citizenfour, documented the Snowden saga very well, so do we really need a dramatization of it? We’ll see.

The Buzz:
There seems to be buzz in the movie community that this could be one of the first major Oscar contenders of the season, but reviews have not been kind so far. While a few have glowed about it, most are saying that it is a complete misfire. Look for a slow start at the box office with around $6 million.

Final thoughts:
We are intrigued, but the reviews have us a little worried that Oliver Stone has lost his touch to deliver satisfying political thrillers.

Scott Davis

Scott Davis is a recent graduate of Oakland University where he earned a degree in journalism. He worked for the student newspaper on campus, The Oakland Post, where he became the paper's managing editor. He also earned a minor in Cinema Studies at OU. Scott enjoys all things film and TV related, especially the blockbuster kind. He might be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan you know.
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