Weekend Preview for August 12

Drew Dietsch
TV Movies
TV Movies Games

Your weekend time is valuable and at the end of a long week, the discretionary time must be spent to its maximum value. In order to help narrow choices down on the film, television, and gaming fronts, every Friday the Weekend Preview gives you the rundown of your options and an educated guess as to which ones make the most sense.

Nick Nunziata and I predicted the box office returns for these films last Sunday.

At the Movies

Pete’s Dragon

Director: David Lowery
Stars: Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley
Current RT Meter: 86% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday:
$37,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $45,000,000

Disney has been on a roll with their live-action remakes, but will Pete’s Dragon be the first stumble for the company? The reviews have been strongly positive but the marketing hasn’t quite gotten across what makes this movie special. Will the film’s somewhat darker aesthetic turn away some parents? If the film really clicks with audiences, expect to see a big uptick in Saturday’s box office.

The Verdict: You can usually depend on Disney, and this does have Karl Urban. That’s good enough for us.

Sausage Party

Director: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon
Stars: Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill
Current RT Meter: 86% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday:
$22,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $17,000,004

It’s pretty rare that we get a raunchy animated comedy that gets a wide theatrical release. There’s been a strong focus on Sausage Party‘s unique appeal and that’s made it something of a minor event film. Seth Rogen and his gang of talented comedians know how to do vulgar and ridiculous comedy – Preacher and This Is the End prove that – so if you’re even remotely interested in this kind of experience, you’ll probably love it.

The Verdict: If you don’t get easily offended, this is a safe bet for a laugh.

Florence Foster Jenkins

Director: Stephen Frears
Stars: Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg
Current RT Meter: 91% Fresh
My box office prediction last Sunday:
$13,000,000
Nick’s box office prediction: $5,000,000

Meryl Streep really wants another Oscar, and it looks like Florence Foster Jenkins might provide her with that opportunity. The wacky true story is getting a warm reception with Streep’s performance being highlighted. The comfortable trailers and non-threatening tone will probably lure in a lot of the older crowd.

The Verdict: This’ll be a good rental for Grandma in a few months.

On the Tube

The Get Down

Baz Luhrmann has been given a wide berth over at Netflix to make this lyrical take on the growth of 1970s New York’s musical scene. Luhrmann is a beautifully messy filmmaker and this looks like one of the most indulgent of Netflix’s original programs. The company is really spreading its wings when it comes to presenting more and more cinematic material, and The Get Down could be a big step in that direction.

The Verdict: This is too big to ignore, but it might be more style than substance.

50 Years of Star Trek

star-trek-crew

History Channel is running a retrospective on one of the most important franchises in the history of modern fiction. How in-depth this documentary will be is a little unclear, but it’s likely that History Channel will be giving a good amount of time exploring all aspects of this expansive universe.

The Verdict: Live long and DVR this.

For the Gamers

No Man’s Sky

One of the most ambitious and hyped games of the year has hit the market. The response has been extremely polarized but that’s not uncommon with such a unique gaming experience. It’s undeniable that there’s something special about this space exploration game, but it might also make it a more niche experience.

The Verdict: Everyone’s going to be talking about this one, so pick this up if you wanna be in on the conversation.

See you next weekend!

Drew Dietsch
Drew Dietsch has been professionally writing about entertainment for over a decade. His bylines include FANDOM - where he was a founding contributor and Entertainment Editor - Bloody Disgusting, SYFY WIRE, and more. He created and hosts GenreVision, a weekly film discussion show at genrevision.com.