Sci Fi Movies This Week: Weekly column tracking what is coming in the current week in the way of sci fi, fantasy, and horror releases as well as news and updates on genre films, streaming and theatrical.
Sci Fi Movie Premieres This Week:
The Summer Blockbuster season is officially over (watch for an upcoming recap of that) as we head into September, and there is only one genre entry hitting the theaters in wide release this weekend. The action film Onslaught premieres on Friday, and we will be getting any of a number of films not deemed competitive enough for the Summer or Holiday seasons arriving through early November. Premiering On Demand on Friday is the horror film Dark Hollow, and arriving on streaming is the Shudder original Parasomnia. The anime classic Akira has received a 4K restoration and it will be getting a limited theatrical run. And having their streaming premieres are the Summer film The Mandalorian and Grogu (Disney+, now available) and the indie sci fi entry Signal One (Hulu/Disney+, arrives on Friday). You can see highlights for this week below, and you can see the schedule of all the current and upcoming sci fi and fantasy movies at this link.
Onslaught (In Theaters, September 4th): When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers break loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter.
Directed by: Adam Wingard
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Adria Arjona, Michael Biehn, Drew Starkey, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Alex Pereira
Dark Hollow (On Demand, September 4th): When a nightmarish monster emerges from the depths of an Appalachian coal mine, a young mother must hunt down the creature to protect her home and save her family.
Directed by: Daniel Byers
Starring: Sean Michael Wilkinson, Ian Deighan, J. Stephen Brantley, David Garelik, Annie Cook
Parasomnia (Streaming-Shudder, September 4th): After her friend vanishes, Riley must confront the demon from her night terrors that may have crossed into reality, while facing her own tragic past.
Directed by: James Ross II
Starring: Jasmine Mathews, RJ Brown, Sally Stewart
Sci Fi Movie News of Note:
A potential new fantasy franchise is kicking off in the theaters with a film based on an original story to be titled Wars of the Drakons: The Seer’s Prophecy. Deadline gives the following description of the project:
This film is set in the war-torn world of Aerion, where kingdoms battle for power with the aid of Drakons — formidable dragon-like creatures possessing extraordinary supernatural abilities. At the center of the story is legendary warrior and Drakon master Kale D’Sar, whose loyalty to a ruthless king is shattered when a mysterious Seer reveals a prophecy: the King’s own daughter, Princess Kahrie, is destined to become a great warrior, unite the divided kingdoms of Aerion, and ultimately bring an end to his brutal Blood Regime.
When the King moves to eliminate the child, Kale becomes part of a dangerous conspiracy to save her, forcing him to choose between duty, family and the future of an entire world. What follows is a sweeping journey of war, forbidden love, betrayal, magic and spectacular Drakon battles, as ancient secrets are revealed and the struggle for Aerion’s future begins.
Barrie M. Osborne, who was producer on all three of the Lord of the Rings movies, will be onboard as executive producer, and newcomer Carla Romero is writing the story. According to Deadline, this “large-scale fantasy adventure will combine immersive world-building with emotionally driven storytelling and have broad international appeal”, and this is planned as the kick-off of a new franchise. No casting announcements have been made at this time, but those should follow pretty soon.
The new Star Trek movie in the works from John Francis Daley and Johnathan Goldstein (who both wrote Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) will apparently be very different from previous entries in the franchise. In a recent interview, they claimed that it will take place in “almost real time” and that they are drawing inspiration from the action film Training Day and submarine drama Crimson Tide. Daley had the following to say about their plans for the film:
I would say it’s really kind of a look at the institution of Starfleet and any institution as a whole that has existed for a long time and what that does. I think the portrayal of Starfleet and the people that work within it have always been generally idealized versions of what the future could be. And while this [script] isn’t a cynical or nihilistic take on it, I think it does acknowledge that there are some bad apples in every institution that can have a strong voice and can really make an impact on that institution and everything it stands for.
You can read more from the interview at this link.
At the Box Office this past weekend, the hybrid live-action and animated film Coyote vs. Acme hit the Number 2 slot for its premiere, pulling in nearly $16 million in domestic ticket sales. That still puts it a long way from recouping its budget (or the $50 million that Ketchup Entertainment paid to acquire the rights), but since this one almost never made it to the theaters, that may still count as a win. You can see more recent Box Office results at this link.
Recent Trailers
April X (In Theaters-Limited, September 18th): When his twin sister April goes missing, Bax searches every corner of their futuristic, post-Soviet cityscape to find her, ultimately descending into madness.
Directed by: Dave Boyle
Starring: Connor Storrie, Lilly Krug, Tudor Chirila
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