Three new movies are opening nationwide this weekend:
Opening in most theaters is the comedy sequel Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 directed by Andy Fickman and starring Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Neal McDonough and Shirley Knight. The film’s original music is composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams (Over the Hedge, Bee Movie, Click, Blended, Veep). No soundtrack album has been announced. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 follows the security guard as he travels to Las Vegas to attend a Security Guard Expo with his teenage daughter and inadvertently discovers a heist. The comedy is being released by Sony Pictures. To learn more about the film, visit the official movie website.
Also opening wide is Disneynature’s documentary Monkey Kingdom directed by Mark Linfield and Alastair Fothergill. Walt Disney Records has released the original song It’s Our World performed by Jacquie Lee from the film earlier this week. Click here to download the track. Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek series, The Chronicles of Narnia, Kingdom of Heaven, Man on Fire, The Equalizer) has composed the film’s original score. No word yet on a release of the composer’s music. For more information about the documentary, check out our scoring assignment announcement from last year.
The third wide release is the horror thriller Unfriended directed by Levan Gabriadze, produced by Timur Bekmambetov and Jason Blum and starring Shelly Hennig, Moses Jacob Storm, Renee Olstead, Will Peltz, Jacob Wysocki, Courtney Halverson and Heather Sossaman. The film doesn’t feature an original score. No soundtrack album has been released. Unfriended unfolds over a teenager’s computer screen as she and her friends are stalked by an unseen figure who seeks vengeance for a shaming video that led a vicious bully to kill herself a year earlier. The thriller premiered under the title Cybernatural at last year’s Fantastic Film Fest and is being released by Universal Pictures. For more information about the film, visit the official movie website.
Opening semi-wide in around 800 theaters is the dramatic thriller True Story directed by Rupert Goold and starring Jonah Hill, James Franco and Felicity Jones. The film’s original music is composed by Marco Beltrami (World War Z, 3:10 to Yuma, Scream, The Wolverine). No soundtrack album has been announced, but several tracks from the composer’s score are available on his official website. True Story centers on journalist Michael Finkel’s relationship with Christian Longo, a Most Wanted List murderer who for years lived outside the U.S. under Finkel’s name. The thriller premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and is being released by Fox Searchlight. Visit the official movie website to learn more about the film.
Also opening semi-wide in around 500 theaters is the thriller Child 44 directed by Daniel Espinosa and starring Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, Paddy Considine, Jason Clarke and Vincent Cassel. Jon Ekstrand (Easy Money series) has composed the film’s original music. Lakeshore Records has released a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music earlier this week. Check out our soundtrack announcement for the full album details and for more information about the Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate release.
Opening in limited release is the thriller Beyond the Reach directed by Jean-Baptiste Leonetti and starring Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irvine, Hannah Mangan, Lawrence and Ronny Cox. The film’s original music is composed by Dickon Hinchliffe (Out of the Furnace, Winter’s Bone, Locke, Shadow Dancer). No soundtrack album has been announced. Beyond the Reach follows a businessman and big game hunter in pursuit of his ultimate prize who hires a college student to lead him into the American desert. The thriller premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival and is being released by Roadside Attractions. Visit the official movie website for more details about the film, which also being released on VOD.
Also opening in select cities is the sci-fi sequel directed by Tom Green, executive produced by Gareth Edwards and starring Johnny Harris, Sam Keeley and Joe Dempsie. Neil Davidge (Halo 4, Push, Good People) has composed the film’s original music. 7Hz Productions will release a soundtrack album featuring the composer’s music, as well as the songs from the movie by such artists as The Graveltones, The Amazing Snakeheads, When Gravity Falls & more on May 1. Check out our previous news article for the full album details and to learn more about the Radius-TWC release, which is now also available on VOD.
Also opening in select theaters is the indie drama Alex of Venice directed by Chris Messina who also stars in the film alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Don Johnson, Derek Luke, Katie Nehra and Skylar Gaertner. The film’s original music is composed by David Wingo (Take Shelter, Mud, Joe, All the Real Girls, The Sitter). No word on a soundtrack release. Alex of Venice follows a workaholic environmental attorney who is forced to reinvent herself after her husband suddenly leaves the family. The drama premiered at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and is being released in select theaters and on VOD by Screen Media Films.
Also opening in limited release is the indie comedy The Road Within written and directed by Greg Wells and starring Robert Sheehan, Dev Patel, Zoe Kravitz, Robert Patrick and Kyra Sedgwick. John Debney (The Passion of the Christ, Elf, Iron Man 2) has composed the theme for the film and the composer’s son Josh Debney and The Newton Brothers (Oculus, Detachment) have written the original score. The Road Within follows a young man with Tourette’s, a young woman at the center for her anorexic and his OCD-stricken roommate who find themselves on a three-day journey. The movie premiered at last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival and is being distributed by Well Go USA Entertainment and also available on VOD.
Another limited release this weekend is the action adventure The Dead Lands directed by Toa Fraser and starring James Rolleston, Lawrence Makoare, Te Kohe Tuhaka, Xavier Horan, George Henare, Raukura Turei and Rena Owen. The film’s original music is composed by Don McGlashan. No soundtrack album has been announced. The Dead Lands follows a Maori chieftain’s teenage son, must avenge his father’s murder in order to bring peace and honour to the souls of his loved ones after his tribe is slaughtered through an act of treachery. The movie premiered at last year’s Toronto Film Festival and is being released in select theaters and on VOD by Magnolia Pictures’ Magnet Releasing. Click here for more information.
