Universal Pictures Announces Steven Spielberg’s The Fables a platform release kicking off with four locations in NYC (Lincoln Square, Union Square) and LA (The Grove, Century City) with a robust media campaign aimed at cinephiles, but also capitalizing on the broad appeal of a Spielberg production- Testament to the semi-autobiographical film’s unusual pedigree.
It started in Toronto and featured Spielberg’s first ever performance at the party. Reviews were great. Deadline called it “a glorious tribute to art and family”. The audience of TIFF gave him the People’s Choice Award. Like other high-profile specials, it’s starting small to increase word of mouth before expanding to about 600 screens on Nov. 23, the day before Thanksgiving, a mix of art house and commercial theater. Initial reactions to the film show that it appeals to all walks of life: a good film to watch with the family over the Christmas period.
Schindler’s list (1993), Lincoln (2012) and The comments (2017) also had limited openings but led to wide publications. It was unknown if the force was behind it Yep, ET the extraterrestrial, Jurassic Park and so many other cult films will release on opening weekend.
The media campaign included a strong NY/LA presence with high-profile outdoor advertising, social, local TV, newspaper and retail exposure, as well as spots in top-rated linear and streaming dramas from the new seasons of yellowstone to The story of the maid. The expanded reach included NFL, World Series and connected TV acquisitions from Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Vizio and Samsung. Spielberg and his cast were about to strike CBS Sunday Morning, The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and lives with Kelly
Written by Spielberg and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, The Fables Gabriel LaBelle stars as 16-year-old aspiring filmmaker Sammy Fabelman. Michelle Williams and Paul Dano are his parents, Mitzi and Burt, Seth Rogen is his father’s best friend and honorary uncle to the Fabelman children, and Judd Hirsch is Mitzi’s uncle Boris. Music by five-time Oscar winner John Williams.
It hasn’t been an easy week to book screens Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Suck Oxygen and a dozen or more festival favorites and Oscar nominees currently showing in theaters tar and triangle of sadnessto The Banshees by Inisherin, Holy Spider and After sun. But that’s good. The flow of products has boosted the indie space even as the broader market gears up for one of the biggest openings of the year.
Elsewhere in the specialty: Streamers are bringing some notable movies to the big screen this week. Netflix starts with Sally El Hosainis the swimmers at more than 20 theaters in as many markets, including the IFC Center in NYC and Landmark Westwood and the Bay in LA. The official TIFF selection and opening film – which earned El Hosaini the TIFF Tribute Emerging Talent Award – follows the poignant true journey of two sisters and swimming champions from war-torn Syria to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Written by El Hosaini and Jack Thorne. Produced by Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner alongside Ali Jaafar and Tim Cole with executive producer Stephen Daldry. On Netflix on November 23. Appointment overview here.
Also from Netflix, Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro opened Wednesday at the Laemmle Royal in LA and today expands to Los Feliz and the Bay Area in LA, Landmark Opera Plaza in SF and TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. The expansion will continue next week. An animated stop-motion version of Carlo Collodi’s classic story about the legendary wooden boy directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson. Written by del Toro and Patrick McHale. With Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Ron Perlman, Tim Blake Nelson and Burn Gorman. Stream December 9. See Deadline’s London Film Festival review.
In their hands, the first project from Hillary and Chelsea Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions, opens at the IFC Center in NYC. The documentary by directors Tamana Ayazi and Marcel Mettelsiefen tells the story of Zarifa Ghafari, who at the age of 26 became one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors and the youngest in this position. The film documents their struggle for survival against the backdrop of their country’s accelerating disintegration as Western powers announce their withdrawal and the Taliban begin their return to power. Premiere at TIFF. streaming on 11/16
A notice: Netflix’ BARDO, False Chronicle of a fistful of truths by Alejandro G. Iñárritu moves to about 25 theaters in more than 15 cities and will continue to expand next week. The movie started in Venice and opened last week in Paris and Village East in NYC and Nuart in LA. A renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles wins a prestigious international award and returns to his homeland and an existential crisis.
Apple TV+ presents Sean Anders’ spicy at 11 locations in 10 markets and expanding to more than 725 locations in the US and UK next weekend. A new version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer and big musical numbers. Appointment overview here. streaming on 11/18
On the other hand, Zipporah Films presents Frederick Wiseman’s one-woman film A couple with Nathalie Boutefeu as Sophia Tolstoy. At the Film Forum in New York with a limited expansion planned in the coming weeks. Leo and Sophia Tolstoy, married for 36 years and father of 13 children, each kept a diary. This is Sophia’s monologue about the joys and struggles of their life together, loosely drawn from her journal and letters to each other. Premiere in Venice. Appointment overview here.
Presented by Vertical Entertainment Sam and Kate in 50 cinemas in top markets. This Friday on VOD. A family drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek and, unusually, their real-life and on-screen children, Jake Hoffman and Schuyler Fisk, respectively. Jake Hoffman plays Sam, who has returned to a small town in Central America to care for his ailing father, Bill (Dustin Hoffman). Sam falls in love with a local woman, Kate (Fisk), even as Bill begins to fall for her mother, Tina (Spacek).
IFC Films presents bar fight! by writer-director Jim Mahoney in limited and on-demand theaters. With Melissa Fumero, Rachel Bloom, Luka Jones and Julian Gant. There’s only one way to settle scores after a breakup, and for Nina (Fumero) and Allen (Jones), it’s a fight over their favorite bar.
On the occasion of arthouse, ending with the presentation of Raphael Sbarge’s documentary by The Film Collaborative In theaters only about the history of Laemmle Theaters, the 84-year-old Los Angeles art house cinema chain and the three generations of families behind the company, currently led by CEO Greg Laemmle. Premiere at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. It is located in six of the circuit’s seven locations and moved to NYC’s New Plaza Cinema film company. Filming began in early 2019 with the last day of filming the day theaters reopened post-Covid.
A notice: you look like me by Dina Amer, executive produced by Spike Lee, Riz Ahmed, Spike Jonze, Alma Har’el, reported grossing $14.39K at the Angelika Film Center. The filmmakers are independently releasing the film, starting on 11/11. in LA’s Laemmle NoHo and in more than 35 markets, including major chains such as AMC, Harkins, Regal and leading independent cinemas. Premiere in Venice.
Author pmc-u-font-size-14″>Writer: Jill Goldsmith
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
