‘A Monster Calls’ Pushed Back A Couple Months, May Be On The Hunt For Awards
Right now we’re in a bit of a dead zone between the blockbuster summer season and awards season, but that’s going to change onceSnowdenarrives in the middle of September as we start to move into October. However, one of the movies that I was looking forward to quite a bit has just been bumped back from its original October release date into December.
A Monster Callswill no longer arrive this fall, but the good news is that this date looks like a vote of confidence in the film’s quality to potentially be in contention for some awards. Find out the newA Monster Callsrelease date below.
If you’re just now hearing aboutA Monster Calls, here’s the trailer for the promising film:
The film directed byJ.A. Bayona(whowill directJurassic World 2next) is based on the book of the same name by Patrick Ness and follows a 12-year-old boy (Lewis MacDougall) who in dealing with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) terminal illness, his less-than sympathetic grandmother (Sigourney Weaver), and bullying classmates, finds a friend in a nocturnal monster (voiced byLiam Neeson).
Focus Features has pushedA Monster Callsback from October 21 to a limited release onDecember 23with a wide release following a couple weeks later onJanuary 6. The move is a smart one for Focus Features because the previous October date was already crowded with four other major releases:Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, Keeping Up with the Joneses, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Boo! A Madea Halloween. Plus there’s that religious teen dramaI’m Not Ashamedopening that weekend.
Every film has its respective target audience, butA Monster Callslooks like it could be a great holiday release that mostly the whole family can see. It appears to be something along the lines ofE.T. The Extra Terrestrial, The Iron Giantand this summer’sPete’s Dragon. That’s the kind of story that could do very well at Christmas, even if has to contend with that other Felicity Jones movie,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which hits theaters a couple weeks earlier.
Once the film gets a wide release in January, the competition will be next to nothing, leaving the movie to take in some decent box office. The only competition in that January weekend right now isUnderworld: Blood WarsandAmityville: The Awakening, which won’t be anything to worry about.
This also bodes well for the quality of the movie, because the reason for the release date change comes after some positive test screenings and press reactions. It could also meanA Monster Callscould be going for some awards love as well. The film is preparing to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month, followed by screenings at the San Sebastian Film Festival on September 21 and the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 10.
We’ll be looking forward toA Monster Callsin its new release date. How about you?
