To say that the box office results for March were disappointing would be minimizing just how bad things were for the studios last month. Marketing campaigns were either nonexistent or awkwardly executed for several high-profile releases, leading to Disney’s live-action version of “Snow White” and Warner Bros. Discovery’s “Mickey 17” both suffering significant losses after opening at the low end of expectations. Steep declines in their second weekend, modest returns for other releases like “Novocain” and “Black Bag,” and an outright bomb for “The Alto Knights” (another WBD film) didn’t provide the early kick-off to the summer blockbuster season that has historically happened around this time of year. There are a few hopeful signs that April will pick up the slack and close the gap, so here are a handful titles to watch out for this month. Always remember to check the local listings at your favorite AMC Theaters and Showplace Cinemas locations before you round up the gang and enjoy the show!
The Minecraft Movie (April 4) – Jack Black is slowly becoming the undisputed king of popular game adaptations. This time, he leads a crew of four misfits through an imagination-filled world populated by bizarre cubes. Cast members include Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Jennifer Coolidge (HBO’s The White Lotus), Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows) and Kate McKinnon (Barbie). Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre, Gentleman Broncos) directs, building the movie from a script with six credited writers—that’s a lot!
The Amateur (April 11) – Oscar winner (and University of Evansville graduate) Rami Malek is back on the big screen as a CIA cryptographer who convinces the agency to let him seek high-tech revenge on a group of terrorists that killed his wife (Rachel Brosnahan). Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix series, the John Wick saga) and Jon Bernthal (The Wolf of Wall Street, The Accountant) co-star, with veteran British TV director James Hawes (Slow Horses, Black Mirror) helming this espionage thriller.
Warfare (April 11) – Fresh from 2024’s A24 hit Civil War, writer/director Alex Garland teams with veteran Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza to bring the harrowing tale of a dangerous Iraq War mission to the big screen. They assemble a team of young, up-and-coming actors including Will Poulter (The Death of a Unicorn, We’re the Millers), Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place: Day One), Cosmo Jarvis (FX’s Shogun), Charles Melton (May December), and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (FX’s Reservation Dogs).
Sinners (April 18) – The powerhouse duo of writer/producer/director Ryan Coogler and superstar Michael B. Jordan are back again. This time, they’re bringing to the screen an original, big-budget horror/thriller about twin brothers (both played by Jordan) who return to their hometown looking for a fresh start, only to find a new kind of evil waiting for them. Hailee Steinfeld (Spider-Gwen in the Across the Spider-verse films), Jack O’Connell (Unbroken, Starred Up), and legendary actor Delroy Lindo (Get Shorty, Da 5 Bloods) co-star.
The Ballad of Wallis Island (April 18) – In this low-key absurdist dramedy, an eccentric British lottery winner (Tim Key, Mickey 17) who lives alone on an island attempts to bring his favorite folk duo (played by Carey Mulligan and Tom Basden) back together for a concert years after they have broken up. With successful screenings at this year’s Sundance and South by Southwest Film Festivals, the film is directed by yet another veteran British TV director James Griffiths and co-written by stars Tom Basden and Tim Key.
The Accountant 2 (April 25) – The sequel we didn’t know we wanted is finally here! Ben Affleck reprises his role as Christian Wolff, who again uses his unique talents to solve a Treasury chief’s murder. Jon Bernthal and J.K. Simmons join Affleck in this unlikely but highly entertaining series, with the original director Gavin O’Connor and writer Bill Dubuque assuming their previous duties.
The Legend of Ochi (April 25) – In this family-friendly adventure/fantasy, a young girl who lives on a remote island discovers a wounded baby creature she’s been taught to fear and decides to go on a quest to return it to its home. Young actress Helena Zengel (News of the World) stars, with Finn Wolfhard (It, Stranger Things), Emily Watson (Punch-Drunk Love, Breaking the Waves), and Willem Dafoe (Nosferatu, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) co-starring. The film marks the feature debut for veteran music video writer/director Isaiah Saxon.
Henderson resident McManus Woodend is an Assistant Professor of Digital Media at the University of Southern Indiana and has worked in film, television and commercials for more than 20 years. To see some of his work, visit www.mcmanuswoodend.com.