Movie Preview: November 2021

It was a very successful October at the domestic box office, the biggest of the pandemic so far, with totals that are beginning to look like they did before the pandemic. Prior to people spending the Halloween weekend mostly away from theaters, we had four straight weekends with a new movie opening with at least $40 million, a feat hadn’t been accomplished since early summer of 2019. The biggest story of the month was “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” with a staggering $90 million opening, the best of the year so far. In fact, that opening was better than the first “Venom,” which didn’t have a pandemic to deal with. It was also the second highest October opening ever, behind only 2019’s “Joker” with $96.2 million.

While the pandemic itself is still very much around, meaning things are always on thin ice to a certain extent, October was another great sign for box office recovery, leaving studios more confident than they have been in letting their big blockbuster releases go through. That leads us into the holiday season, of which November has at least two big titles on the docket and a very crowded Thanksgiving weekend that will provide plenty of options, so let’s dive in and explore what this month has to offer.

Box office data and release date information, which is always subject to change, is courtesy of the-numbers.com and boxofficepro.com. The movies listed are the ones scheduled for a wide theatrical release in the United States and Canada.

November 5 – 7

Marvel Studios' "The Eternals"

Leading November off will be Marvel yet again, with Eternals. This is the third of four movies this year from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, all coming in the second half of the year. While their biggest release is waiting in the wings for December, that being “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” there is a lot of confidence in “Eternals,” especially after “Shang-Chi” in September proved yet again that the Marvel brand is strong enough to power just about any superhero to a huge box office run. Not many people knew about the character of Shang-Chi prior to September, but now his movie is the highest grossing movie of 2021 at the domestic box office. With “Eternals,” we have a full team of lesser known Marvel characters all making their theatrical debut, much like “Guardians of the Galaxy” in 2014.

The Eternals have been around in the comics since 1976 and are a group of extraterrestrial humanoids that were intended to be the defenders of Earth. They were created by another alien race known as the Celetials and have lived on Earth secretly for 7,000 years. Their reason for showing up now is to protect Earth from their evil counterparts, the Deviants. Portraying the Eternals in the movie are Gemma Chan (Sersi), Richard Madden (Ikaris), Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo), Lia McHugh (Sprite), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos), Lauren Ridloff (Makkari), Barry Keoghan (Druig), Don Lee (Gilgamesh), Salma Hayek (Ajak), and Angelina Jolie (Thena). The movie is directed by Chloé Zhao, fresh off her best picture and best director wins for “Nomadland.”

“Eternals” is definitely the biggest release of the weekend, with projections currently being in the range of $80-100 million, which may be softened a bit with early mixed word of mouth, but it’s not the only release of the weekend. Challenging it will be the buzzy awards drama Spencer, which sees Kristen Stewart playing the beloved Princess Diana, a performance that has been almost unanimously praised coming out of the festival circuit, making her the very early favorite to win best actress at the Oscars. Obviously the awards season has just begun and a lot can happen. But Stewart seems to at least be a lock to get her first nomination, an honor that is a long time coming. While casual movie fans still know her best from “Twilight,” she’s built up quite the impressive résumé in the indie realm over the past decade, making her a favorite in the industry. While critical praise and awards buzz doesn’t necessarily lead to box office success, “Spencer” is nevertheless looking for a lengthy, more backloaded run, meaning a huge opening weekend isn’t prerequisite to this movie’s success.

While I normally don’t bring up Netflix releases in this post due to there being so many of them, as well as it being sometimes hard to predict what is coming out when, a couple of exceptions will be made in this post and the first one is with Red Notice. I was a bit surprised myself when, at the beginning of one of last month’s big movies, there was a trailer for “Red Notice.” My initial thought was, “I thought this was a Netflix movie, not a theatrical release.” The answer is that it’s both. It will be playing in select theaters starting on November 5, then will be released on Netflix on November 12. That means we can include it here. Don’t ask for a box office prediction. Netflix doesn’t even report those numbers. But the movie is a big, giant action film starring Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot doing things that Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot typically do in action films. Looking at local showtimes in my city, this is playing in most theaters around me, which means this is getting a wide theatrical release. So check it out in theaters if you want. Or wait a week for it to show up on Netflix

November 12 – 14

Universal's "Clifford the Big Red Dog"

The second weekend of November will also most likely be dominated by “Eternals” as November is not quite as crowded with major releases like October was. But entering the market this weekend will be the live action, theatrical debut of Clifford the Big Red Dog. This was actually scheduled for September of this year. And I brought it up in my September preview as a movie that got taken off the schedule due to worries about the Delta Variant of COVID. But with how much success there has been since, Universal was confident enough to put it back on the schedule. While it’s debatable as to whether there’s any demand for a live action “Clifford” movie, it’s nevertheless worthy of noting that this is a very popular IP. It started as a series of children’s books in 1963 and was adapted into a successful animated TV series that aired on PBS Kids starting in 2000.

Does that mean family audiences are going to swarm into theaters for “Clifford? That remains to be seen, but family movies have done fairly well during the pandemic. “Clifford” will also be getting a hybrid release as it will debut on Paramount+, meaning a potential box office comparison can be made to last month’s “The Addams Family 2,” which had a PVOD release along with its theatrical release, yet still opened to $17.3 million. I could see a world in which “Clifford” comes close to that number. Although the biggest draw for family audiences will be on Thanksgiving with Disney’s “Encanto,” so this could be unfortunate timing for “Clifford.”

The other wide release this weekend is another awards player, Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast. This is a movie that was the winner of the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. While not a perfect Oscar predictor, this is a significant note because since “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2008, the winner of this award has at least gone on to be nominated for best picture at the Oscars in every year except 2011. Five times in that span, the winner has gone on to win best picture, including “Nomadland” from last year. So that’s a lot of positive mojo for “Belfast.” Branagh has described this as his most personal film, and semi-autobiographical, as it centers around a young boy growing up in the tumult of Belfast in Northern Ireland in the 1960s. Cirian Hinds, Jamie Dornan, Caitriona Balfe, and Judi Dench are among the names that could score an acting nomination from this film. As with “Spencer,” and other award hopefuls, a major opening weekend isn’t required for “Belfast.” These award hopefuls are looking to play the long game throughout the season.

November 19 – 21

Sony Pictures' "Ghostbusters: Afterlife"

After “Eternals” looks to rule at top of the box office for two weekends, the other major November release that will take its throne will be Ghostbusters: Afterlife. A history of the “Ghostbusters” franchise isn’t necessary here as most on planet Earth are well aware of this franchise’s existence, but nevertheless it’s a fun fact to point out that the original movie was in the top 5 for 19 straight weeks during its initial release in 1984, eight of those at No. 1. It’s been a major part of pop culture ever since. Unlike the 2016 reboot that put a bad taste in many fans’ mouths, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” has been treated as a direct continuation of the original two movies, essentially the “Ghostbusters 3” that never came about. It’s also had strong “Stranger Things” vibes as it stars Finn Wolfhard leading another cast of kids exploring otherworldly things, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing for the movie’s awareness. It premiered at New York Comic Con in October and had mostly positive vibes from that crowd as well as a strong early score from critics, both of which suggest that this could be a really strong audience pleaser that plays well throughout the holidays.

Rounding out this weekend will be another trio of awards hopefuls. I’ll get to the other two in a second, but King Richard is one that deserves its own paragraph. Not only is this an awards hopeful that, along with the others, is looking for a leggy box office release throughout the season, but it’s also a movie that could play very well with casual audiences as a heartwarming sports drama. The King Richard referenced in the title is that of Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena Williams. The popularity of the Williams sisters is what could lead this to be a major draw. And it’s been a minute or two since there’s been a sports drama in theaters for people to see. Richard Williams is played by Will Smith, a performance that has been buzzy enough that could lead to his third Oscar nomination and a chance at his first ever win after previously being nominated for “Ali” and “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Warner Bros. is the studio releasing “King Richard,” which means it will also be available on HBO Max.

The other two awards releases this weekend that I referenced are A24’s C’mon C’mon and Netflix’s The Power of the Dog. These two get combined together in a paragraph because they are actually limited releases this weekend as opposed to being a wide release. And with “The Power of the Dog” being a Netflix release, its theatrical run might simply be an Oscar-qualifying run. Nevertheless, “C’mon C’mon” is directed by Mike Mills, director of “20th Century Women” and stars Joaquin Phoenix as a radio journalist who forms a bond with his young nephew as they embark on a cross country road trip. “The Power of the Dog” has Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead, along with Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst, and is a western set in the early 1900s involving two brothers (Cumberbatch and Plemons) as ranchers and the drama between them when one of them brings home a new wife. Both movies have had very strong early reviews out of the festivals as they currently are both above a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.  

November 24 – 28

Walt Disney's "Encanto"

As referenced in the intro of this post, Thanksgiving weekend is a crowded one with five wide releases and one major limited release. Although how big all of them will be is a different story. There’s two major ones and the one that will be leading the way is Disney’s Encanto, the second of two films this year from Walt Disney Animation Studios, following the release of “Raya and the Last Dragon” in March. “Encanto” is a big musical from Disney, with music from Lin-Manuel Miranda. The story follows a family who lives in an enchanted town in the mountains of Colombia. The lead of the story is a girl named Mirabel, the one person in the family who doesn’t have a magical gift.

In regards to the box office prognosis for “Encanto,” this will be a good test for Disney because it’s the first animated movie they’ve released exclusively in theaters during the pandemic. In a normal world, this Thanksgiving weekend is one that Disney has really liked and has found lots of success on, having released the likes of “Tangled,” “Frozen,” “Moana,” “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and “Frozen 2” all on this weekend in the past. Not only do they have the 5-day Thanksgiving weekend to play their movie, but also the entire Christmas season following that. “Moana” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” both opened with $56 million for the 3-day and over $80 million for the full 5-day weekend. Pixar’s “Coco” also opened in that same ballpark in 2017, albeit a tad bit lower with a $50 million/$70 million total over the 3-day/5-day. Can “Encanto” hit those pre-pandemic heights? If not, it would be understandable, all things considered. But regardless, this should hold very well over the holidays.

The other big release of the weekend is the return of the Resident Evil franchise with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. This here is another testament that you should never believe Hollywood when they claim something is the final chapter. It makes the title of the most recent movie, “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” seem a bit silly. Although to their credit, this is a full reboot of the franchise as opposed to being a sequel to other Mila Jovovich-led movies. This does not star Mila Jovovich, who played Alice in all six movies, nor does it have Paul W.S. Anderson in any role, who directed four of them and was a writer and producer on all six. Kaya Scodelario is the lead female here with Johannes Roberts, director of “47 Meters Down” and a handful of other horror films, as director of this reboot. The goal here from the filmmakers is to make this version more of a horror film that is truer to the actual video games. Is that enough to get people excited to come back and see another Resident Evil movie? The second through fifth movies all opened in the $20 million range, but the most recent one opened significantly below that with just $13 million. So we’ll see where this one hits.

While “Encanto” and “Resident Evil” are the two headlining movies, the three others currently scheduled for wide release are movies that I’m not 100 percent sure how wide they actually will be or how much of an impact they will make on the box office. Of the three, I am most confident in Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci at least making an attempt to be a major player. As the title suggests, this is a movie that tells the story of the fashion house of Gucci, with Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci, Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, Jared Leto as Paolo Gucci, and Jeremy Irons as Rodolfo Gucci. Heading into the season, this was thought to be a potential major player in awards season, but the buzz has lessened quite a bit and it didn’t even bother to make a run at the festivals, which is a slight red flag. It doesn’t help that Ridley Scott’s other movie, “The Last Duel,” was a non-starter at the box office despite great reviews. “The Last Duel” opened to just $4.8 million from 3,065 screens and plummeted in both ensuing weekends. Ridley Scott will be hoping for a better outing this time around, although confidence in the industry isn’t necessary super high, meaning this could go even lower.

The other two scheduled for wide release I will both include in this paragraph, because, again, I’m not even sure how wide these will be. Freestyle Releasing will be releasing For the Love of Money¸ the trailer of which just was released a week ago and has just 17,000 YouTube views. It's directed by Leslie Small and is about a single mother who leaves the family’s billion dollar business to raise her child, only to get pulled back in when some shadowy gangsters threaten her daughter. STX Entertainment will also theoretically be releasing National Champions, a sports drama following a star quarterback who ignites a players strike hours before the biggest game of the year in order to fight for fair compensation and equality. I say this is theoretically getting released because I can’t even find a trailer for this movie, nor does the IMDb page have a poster. But the IMDb page does exist (that’s where I got that description) and also claims it’s getting released on November 24. So I don’t know what the deal is here. It has a big cast with Timothy Olyphant, J.K. Simmons, and Kristin Chenoweth. If it is coming out, maybe STX will start advertising it at some point during this month.

And finally, a movie that is definitely coming out, albeit on Friday the 26th and in limited release, is another buzzy awards drama, Licorice Pizza. If you’re confused at what that title is in reference to, Licorice Pizza was the name of a chain of record stores in Los Angeles in the 1970s, Licorice Pizza being a reference to the old vinyl records. “Licorice Pizza” the movie is the latest from Paul Thomas Anderson, director of “There Will Be Blood,” “The Master,” and “Punch-Drunk Love” among others. He’s an eight-time Oscar nominee, so whenever he releases a new movie, the industry pays attention. “Licorice Pizza” is a coming-of-age drama following a young teenage couple navigating life and love in the 1970s Los Angeles. Cooper Hoffman, son of the late actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, is in the lead role along with Alana Haim, the youngest sister in the band Haim, who Anderson has directed several music videos for. Supporting Hoffman and Haim in the movie are the likes of Bradley Cooper, Sean Penn, Tom Waits, and Benny Safdie. Early buzz on this is that it’s very much a crowd pleaser, which is often not the case for Paul Thomas Anderson, so that could help this even more.