Four new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is the action comedy Ride Along directed by Tim Story and starring Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, John Leguizamo, Bruce McGill, Tika Sumpter, Bryan Callen and Laurence Fishburne. The film’s original music is composed by Christopher Lennertz (Revolution, Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief) who previously scored Story’s Think Like a Man and will also score its sequel. Back Lot Music has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music earlier this week and a CD version will be coming out on January 28 by Varese Sarabande. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and to listen to audio clips.
Also opening wide is the action thriller Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit written and directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring Chris Pine, Keira Knightley, Kevin Costner, as well as Branagh himself. The director’s regular musical collaborator Patrick Doyle (Thor, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sense and Sensibility) has composed the film’s original score. Varese Sarabande has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music digitally earlier this week and a CD version will be coming out in a few weeks. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and click here to listen to audio clips. Also visit YouTube for a video from the scoring sessions featuring an interview with Doyle.
Also opening wide is the animated feature The Nut Job directed and co-written by Peter Lepeniotis and featuring the voices of Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Stephen Lang, Sarah Gadon and Jeff Dunham. Paul Intson composed the film’s original score with a 62-piece orchestra and a 13-piece big band. No word yet on a soundtrack album. The Nut Job follows the exploits of a feisty squirrel who must leave his park homeland and find the means to survive in the big city. The animated feature is being released by Open Road Films. To learn more about the film, visit the official movie website.
The final wide release of the week is the found-footage horror film Devil’s Due directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, written by Lindsay Devlin and starring Allison Miller and Zach Gilford. The movie centers on a couple who discover they’re expecting a baby after a honeymoon outing that they can’t fully recall. The film doesn’t feature any original score and no soundtrack album has been announced. Devil’s Due is being released by 20th Century Fox. For more information about the film, visit the official movie website.
Opening in limited release is the Israeli thriller Big Bad Wolves written and directed by Aharon Keshales & Navot Papushado and starring Lior Ashkenazi, Tzahi Grad, Rotem Keinan and Dov Glickman. The film’s original music is composed by Frank Ilfman (Nemesis Game). MovieScore Media and Kronos Records have released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score. Check out our previous article for the full album details and to listen to audio clips. Click here to check out a video from the recording sessions and visit Film Music Magazine for a recent interview with Ilfman about his work on the film.
Also opening in limited release is the British period drama Summer in February directed by Christopher Menaul and starring Dominic Cooper, Emily Browning, Dan Stevens and Hattie Morahan. Benjamin Wallfisch (The Escapist, Conquest 1493, Hours) has composed the film’s original music. Deutsche Grammophon has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score, which features piano solos by Yuja Wang. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details. Also check out ASCAP’s We Create Music blog for a recent interview with the composer about his work on the project and click here to check out a video featurette on Wallfisch’s music for the film.
Also opening in select cities is the crime thriller Jamesy Boy directed by Trevor White and starring Spencer Lofranco, James Woods, Mary-Louise Parker, Ving Rhames, Taissa Farmiga and Taboo. The film’s original score is composed by Jermaine Stegall (Blood Out, Breathless). A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music is in the works. Check back on this page for the album details. Jamesy Boy tells the true story of teenager James Burns who goes from a suburban street gang to a maximum-security prison cell surrounded by hardened criminals. The movie is being released by Phase 4 Films and Xlrator Media and is also available on VOD. Visit the official Facebook movie page to learn more about the film.
Another limited release this weekend is the drama Life of a King directed by Jake Goldberger and starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Malcolm Mays, Richard T. Jones, Paula Jai Parker, Carlton Byrd, LisaGay Hamilton and Dennis Haysbert. Eric V. Hachikian has composed the film’s original music. No soundtrack album has been announced. Life of a King tells the true story of Eugene Brown and his one-man mission to give inner-city kids of Washington D.C. a future. The drama premiered at last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival and is being released in theaters and on VOD by Millennium Entertainment. To learn more about the film, visit the official movie website.
Also opening in limited release is the thriller Freezer directed by Mikael Salomon (Hard Rain, A Far Off Place) and starring Dylan McDermott, Peter Facinelli, Yuliya Snigir, Pascal Petardi, Milan Malisic, Andrey Ivchenko. David C. Williams (Phantoms, Supernova) has composed the film’s original score. A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music will be released soon. Details will be announced on this page. Freezer follows a New York City mechanic who is knocked unconscious at his birthday dinner and wakes up to find himself locked inside the restaurant’s walk-in freezer. The movie is being released by Anchor Bay Film and will also be available on Blu-ray and DVD next Tuesday.
Also opening in select cities is the indie comedy G.B.F. directed by Darren Stein (Jawbreaker) and starring Michael J. Willett, Paul Iacono, Sasha Pieterse, Andrea Bowen, Xosha Roquemore, Molly Tarlov, Joanna “JoJo” Levesque, Megan Mullally, Rebecca Gayheart and Natasha Lyonne. Brian H. Kim has composed the film’s original score. Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the movie’s songs by artists including Dragonette, Morganpage feat. Tegan and Sara, Veva, Neil Halstead, Royal Teeth and Hi Fashion earlier this week. Check out our previous news article for the full details, audio clips and more information about the film.
