2013 Preview: September - The Numbers

Trailer: Click to Play
Official Site: BattleOfTheYear-Movie.com
Distributor: Sony
Release Date: September 20th, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for language and some rude behavior.
Source: Based on a Movie
Major Genre: Drama
Keywords: Dancing, Hip Hop, Underdogs, Tournament, Inspirational Coach, Gratuitous Cameos, Director Remaking His Own Film, Romance, 3-D, and more
Directed By: Benson Lee
Written By: Benson Lee, Brin Hill, and Chris Parker
Starring: Josh Holloway, Laz Alonso, Caity Lotz, and others
Production Budget: Estimated at $20 million
Box Office Potential: $25 million

Based on the documentary Planet B-Boy, which was also directed by Benson Lee. In the film, America is on a losing streak at the world Breakdancing championships and Laz Alonso hires Josh Holloway to be the new coach, even though he was a basketball coach and knows nothing about dancing. Because of this, they hire a choreographer, Caity Lotz, who as Josh Holloway points out, is a girl! He says this as if girls can't be choreographers! Did the writers of this movie step out of the 1950s?

The trailer is not effective, at least in my opinion, while the dancing genre is on a downward slope. The same can be said of 3D films. Critics will occasionally praise the 3D effects, when done right, but adding 3D to a movie is no longer enough to draw in millions of moviegoers. The buzz is really quiet and rather negative. On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience anticipation is second lowest with the number of user ratings at less than 4000. (Only Baggage Claim has lower, and I'm not 100% sure that film is opening truly wide.) Additionally, its only earning an 80% score, compared to scores in the high 90% positive range for nearly every other wide release. (Baggage Claim is also earning a better rating, but it is at 86%.) Perhaps it will surprise and be a midlevel hit; however, it might open with less than $10 million and disappear a few weeks later. The lower end is much more likely.