By Chris Kavan - 02/25/16 at 06:42 AM CT
Deadpool has been on an R-rated, all-out box office blitz with little in the way of competition. That could finally change as there is a big-budget CGI epic, a crime thriller and (another) uplifting sports story all vying for that coveted top spot. Deadpool still might have the edge for one more week as the competition, while varied, may not be quite enough to unseat the crowd-pleasing hero. I think it's going to be a tighter race than last weekend, but I have a feeling Deadpool will still come out on top.
GODS OF EGYPT The most high profile film coming out this weekend could also be one of the first missteps of the year. Gods of Egypt looks like a warmed over combination of 300 and the Clash of the Titans remake - lots of flashy special effects and creatures - but, when you get past the spectacle, it looks a like it doesn't offer much else. Gerard Butler plays Set, who has taken it upon himself to overthrow the rules of Egypt and raise an army in its place - an Army of Darkness if you will. Horus (Game of Thrones vet Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) teams up with a mortal, Bek (Brenton Thwaites) to stop the god and his nefarious plans. Elodie Yung, Geoffrey Rush, Rufus Sewell, Chadwick Boseman, Abbey Lee and Courtney Eaton round out the cast. I don't think the special effects are going to be special enough to save this one - which probably has a a large budget and, I'm just guessing here, isn't going to cover that cost (at least on the domestic front) - something along the lines of Battleship or John Carter is what I'm expecting out of this one.
If a big, flashy title doesn't interest you, how about a gritty crime thriller with corrupt cops, the mob and one unlucky cop caught in the middle. Triple 9 refers to the code 999 - the police code for "officer down" and, in this case, killing a cop is just the ticket a corrupt group needs in order for the Russian mob to pull off an insane heist. Too bad the cop that is supposed to die decides to fight back, and the whole plan is suddenly in jeopardy of falling apart. The film sports an impressive cast: Woody Harrelson, Kate Winslet, Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Aaron Paul, Norman Reedus, Gal Gadot, Anthony Mackie, Teresa Palmer and Clifton Collins Jr. all lend their considerable talent to the film. While there has been marketing, it hasn't been as much as I would expect for such a high-profile film - but I still think it has a better chance than Gods of Egypt to rise to the top. I would certainly choose this one first, that's for sure.
EDDIE THE EAGLE Coming off the heels of last week's Race, we have yet another sports biopic to contend with. Taron Egerton (fresh off the success of Kingsmen: The Secret Service) steps into the shoes of Eddie Edwards - the most unlikely of British sports heroes who rose above the establishment, drowned out the harsh criticism and made an improbable run at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics where he became the hero he always deserved to be. Hugh Jackman is on board as his patient and tenacious coach while Christopher Walken, Edvin Endre, Tim McInnerny and Jo Hartley round out the cast. The producers are the same men behind Kingsmen and obviously liked what they saw in Egerton. While this is a much different character, it should be a crowd-pleasing effort but, as we saw in Race, not necessarily a large crowd. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and how it does in comparison to Race. I have a feeling it's going to turn out much the same way, but we'll see.
That's a wrap - at least until Sunday when we see if any of these three can challenge the might of Deadpool. I'll be back with the full write-up then.
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