2009 Preview: November - The Numbers

Name: The Princess and the Frog
Distributor: Disney
Official Site: Disney.Go.com/DisneyPictures/PrincessAndTheFrog
Release Date: November 25, 2009 (exclusive)
Release Date: December 11, 2009 (expansion to wide)
MPAA Rating: G for General Admissions
Source: Based on a Book
Major Genre: Musical
Keywords: Secret Magic, Princess, African-American, Curses, etc.
Production Budget: Unknown - Predicted at $100 million
Box Office Potential: $225 million
Notes: The first 'traditional' animated movie to come out of Disney since Home of the Range. I put 'traditional' in scare quotes because while it is 2D like hand animated films and not the normal style of 3D rendered computer animation like Toy Story, it is still animated on a computer. Also of note, this the first Disney Princess movie to feature an African-American as the lead. As for the film's box office chances, it will likely be a huge hit. The studio announced that they were shutting down there hand animation division back in 2004 and going back on that means they have a lot of pressure to make sure it scores, otherwise it will have been a huge, and costly, mistake. Because of this, John Lasseter, who is producing, will make damn sure the story will be top-notch story, because that's the most important part of a film's success, and he knows that well. I expect amazing reviews, lots of positive buzz, and even a possible Oscar nomination.

Name: The Road
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Official Site: TheRoad-Movie.com
Release Date: November 25, 2009
MPAA Rating: R for some violence, disturbing images and language
Source: Based on a Book
Major Genre: Drama
Keywords: Post Apocalypse, Road Trip, etc.
Production Budget: Unknown - reported at $20 to $30 million
Box Office Potential: $15 million
Notes: This movie may or may not open wide on Thanksgiving weekend. If it opens in limited release, its reviews suggest that it has a chance to expand. In fact, it reviews suggest it could have some play during Awards Season. This is not that surprising, since the book it is based on won a couple major awards. In the movie Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee star as father and son in a post apocalyptic world who are traveling across the country looking for food, shelter, and fellow survivors. Even with the good reviews, I doubt pure mainstream success is in the film's future, but Viggo Mortensen could have another solid Indie hit to compliment his post-Lord of the Rings career.

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