Two new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Expected to top the weekend box office is the thriller Non-Stop directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Liam Neeson, Julianne Moore, Anson Mount, Michellle Dockery, Scott McNairy, Lupita Nyong’o and Corey Stoll. The film’s original music is composed by John Ottman (X2, The Usual Suspects, Valkyrie) who previously scored the director’s features Unknown, Orphan and House of Wax. Varese Sarabande has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score digitally earlier this week and a CD version will be coming out on March 4. Check out our previous news article for the full album details.
Also opening wide is the biblical drama Son of God produced by Mark Burnett & Roma Downey and starring Diogo Morgado, Greg Hicks, Adrian Schiller, Darwin Shaw, Sebastian Knapp, Joe Wredden, Simon Kunz and Paul Marc Davis. Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe who also scored the mini-series The Bible, which the film is based on, have composed the movie’s original music. Republic Records has released a soundtrack featuring the composer’s score, as well as songs by Cee Lo Green, OneRepublic, Steven Stern & George Krikes and Hillsong United. Click here for the full details. Word Entertainment has released a separate soundtrack featuring songs from and inspired by the film.
Opening in around 300 IMAX theaters is the Russian war drama Stalingrad directed by Fedor Bondarchuk and starring Thomas Kretschmann, Petr Fedorov, Sergey Bondarchuk, Mariya Smolnikova and Yanina Studilina. The film’s original music is composed by Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive). MovieScore Media and Kronos Records have released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and to listen to audio clips. Also visit Film Music Magazine for an interview with the composer about his work on the film.
Opening in numerous cities following a limited release last weekend is the Japanese animated feature The Wind Rises directed by Hayao Miyazaki and featuring the voices of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Martin Short, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin,Werner Herzog, William H. Macy, Darren Criss and Elijah Wood. Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) who regularly works with Miyazaki has composed the film’s original music. A soundtrack album featuring the composer’s score is available overseas. Click here to order the soundtrack as an import. To learn more about The Wind Rises, which is up for an Academy Award in the Best Animated Feature category and which is being released in the U.S. by Walt Disney Pictures, visit the official movie website.
Another animated film that is up for an Academy Award, Ernest & Celestine, is also opening in limited release this weekend. The movie is directed by Benjamin Renner, Vincent Patar & Stéphane Aubier and features the voices of Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, William H. Macy, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman and Jeffrey Wright. Vincent Courtois has composed the film’s music. Milan Records has released a soundtrack album featuring Courtois’ score, as well as the songs from the film. Check out our previous news article for the full album details.
Opening in Los Angeles and New York this week is the Indian romance The Lunchbox written and directed by Ritesh Batra and starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Denzil Smith, Bharati Achrekar, Nakul Vaid, Yashvi Puneet Nagar and Lillete Dubey. The film’s original score is composed by Max Richter (Disconnect, Waltz With Bashir, Perfect Sense). No word on a soundtrack release. The Lunchbox follows a solitary widower on the eve of retirement and a neglected housewife who connect thanks to a wrongly delivered lunchbox. The romantic comedy premiered at last year’s Cannes Film Festival and was picked up by Sony Pictures Classics for domestic distribution. To learn more about the film, visit the official movie website.
Another limited release this weekend is the thriller The Bag Man directed by David Grovic and starring John Cusack, Robert De Niro, Rebecca Da Costa and Crispin Glover. Tony Morales (Hatfields & McCoys,Enemies Closer) and Edward Rogers (Warehouse 13, Alphas) have composed the film’s original score. Lakeshore Records will release a soundtrack album featuring the composers’ music on March 4. Check out our soundtrack announcement for more information about the album and the movie and to listen to audio clips.
Also opening in select cities is the psychological thriller Repentance (previously entitled Vipaka) directed by Philippe Caland and starring Forest Whitaker, Anthony Mackie, Mike Epps, Sanaa Lathan and Nicole Ari Parker. The film’s original music is composed by Mark Kilian (Tsotsi, Pitch Perfect, Rendition,Traitor). No soundtrack album has been announced yet. Repentance centers on a life coach who is mysteriously abducted by a deranged client. The thriller is being released by Lionsgate’s Codeblack Films label. To learn more about the film, visit the official movie website.
Also opening in limited release is the action adventure Odd Thomas written and directed by Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing, G.I. Joe) and starring Anton Yelchin, Addison Timlin, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nico Tortorella, Patton Oswalt and Willem Dafoe. John Swihart (Napoleon Dynamite, How I Met Your Mother) has composed the film’s original music. No word yet on a soundtrack release, but visit Soundcloud to listen to a couple of tracks from the composer’s score. Odd Thomas follows a short-order cook with clairvoyant abilities who encounters a mysterious man surrounded by dark, threatening forces. The movie is being released both in select theaters and on VOD by Image Entertainment.
Another limited release this weekend is the indie comedy HairBrained directed by Billy Kent and starring Alex Wolff and Brendan Fraser. The film’s original score is composed by The Newton Brothers (Detachment, Oculus, High School). Legacy Recordings has released a soundtrack album featuring four tracks by the composers, as well as the songs from the film by such artists as The Vaccines, Craig Richey, The Front Bottoms, Jessie Woods, Sam Means and The Feelies. To listen to audio clips and to check out the full album details, visit our previous article.
Also opening in select theaters is the indie drama Bottled Up directed by Enid Zentelis and starring Melissa Leo, Josh Hamilton and Marin Ireland. Sam Retzer & Tim Boland (Stomp the Yard, Honey 2) have composed the film’s original music. No soundtrack album has been released. Bottled Up centers on a woman faced with the difficult choice of living a life dictated by the daughter she loves or her own personal needs. The drama premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and is being released by Osiris Entertainment.
