The year’s first space disaster flick, “Supernova,” will blast into the stratosphere this week.
Along with the sci-fi thriller, this week’s openers include the family drama “My Dog Skip,” Ice Cube‘s “Next Friday” and the baseball documentary “The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg.”
Here’s a look at the new films hitting theaters – and the films already around going into new release patterns:
WEDNESDAY:
“The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg” (Cowboy Booking) — Portrait of the legendary Bronx-born Jewish baseball player who came close to breaking Babe Ruth’s home-run record. Tall, handsome, and uncommonly good-natured, Greenberg was a secular Jew from Bronx who became “the baseball Moses,” an icon for everyone from Walter Matthau to Alan Dershowitz. (Limited release)
“My Dog Skip” (Warners) — Based on the autobiographical book by Willie Morris, the film chronicles the growing pains of an unpopular, introverted 9-year-old boy living in a small Mississippi town during World War II. The arrival of a Jack Russell terrier puppy on his birthday will open the boy up to valuable lessons of life and friendship. Kevin Bacon plays his overprotective father. Diane Lane co-stars as his mother. (Limited release)
FRIDAY:
“Supernova” (MGM/UA) — Set in the 22nd century, this sci-fi thriller follows the rescue mission of Nightingale 229, an ambulance spacecraft dispatched to investigate a distress signal from a distant comet. Awaiting the six members are a lone survivor, a strange alien artifact and a star that is about to go supernova. James Spader, Angela Bassett and Lou Diamond Phillips play the time-bound rescuers. (Wide release)
“Next Friday” (New Line) — Ice Cube produces, writes and stars in this sequel to 1995’s comedy hit “Friday.” The action picks up where the original film left off with Cube taking down the neighborhood bully. In fear of revenge, the young man flees the inner city to hide out at his uncle’s suburban home. (Limited release)
“The Quarry” (First Run) — Set in the South African outback, an escaped criminal accidentally kills a minister and assumes his identity. His action catches up with him when a band of petty thieves discover his true identity and threaten to expose the impersonator. Based on the novel by South African writer Damon Galgut. (Limited release)
“The Terrorist” (Phaedra) — Inspired by events surrounding the assassination of Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, this insightful portrait traces the final days of a female bomber preparing for a suicide mission to kill a major political figure. Her ideological quest transforms into a spiritual and psychological journey after a series of encounters she has with various characters. (Limited release)
“Girl, Interrupted” (Sony) – Winona Ryder stars in this based-on-a-true story tale of a teen confined to a psychiatric ward. Angelina Jolie co-stars as a fellow patient. (Expanded release)
“Holy Smoke!” (Miramax) — Kate Winslet plays a young Australian woman who journeys to India for spiritual enlightenment. When her family suspect her transformation is in fact the doing of religious brainwashing, they hire Harvey Keitel to rescue her. Undermining his task, the experienced guru gets sucked into a world of temptation. Directed by Academy Award-winning director Jane Campion. (Expanded release)
“The Hurricane” (Universal) – Denzel Washington stars as Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the real-life middleweight boxer who was wrongly convicted of the murders of three white men in 1966. Deborah Kara Unger, John Hannah and Liev Schreiber co-star as the activists who champion his cause. (Expanded release)
“Jesus’ Son” (Lions Gate) — Billy Crudup plays an itinerant junkie stumbling across 1970s America, searching for meaning in everything from drugs and sex to chance encounters with anonymous strangers. Samantha Morton, Holly Hunter, Denis Leary and Dennis Hopper co-star. (Expanded release)
“Topsy-Turvy” (USA) — Acclaimed director Mike Leigh leaps back in time to enter the lives of two Londoners who were marked by their extraordinary creativity: William Schwenck Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan. (Expanded release)
