There’s something for every taste in this New Year’s bu ffet of cinematic endeavors, bringing top names to a warm theater near you!
BY LAURA D.C. KOLNOSKI
THE BEACH BUM
MARCH 22 (RATED R)
Supported by a cast that includes Isla Fisher, Snoop Dog, Zac Efron, Martin Lawrence, and Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey dons a scraggly blond wig to star as raunchy reprobate Moondog, described, yes, as a “rebellious stoner.” (The role was originally intended for Gary Oldman, who turned it down.) Director Harmony Korine’s previous work includes Spring Breakers. Bonus: tropical troubadour Jimmy Bu ffett appears as himself.
THE RHYTHM SECTION
FEBRUARY 22 (UNRATED)
Blake Lively stars in a mystery thriller based on the first of the four action-packed Stephanie Patrick novels written by Mark Burnell, who also penned the screenplay. After her family is killed by a bomb aboard an airplane, Lively becomes a covert intelligence operative, undergoing rigorous training and entering a world of violence, subterfuge, and plot twists. Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown co-star.
ISN’T IT ROMANTIC
FEBRUARY 14 (RATED PG-13)
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, this musical rom-com finds jaded Manhattan career woman Natalie (Rebel Wilson) living with Liam Hemsworth as her love interest following a head injury. She’s joined by her Pitch Perfect co-star Adam Devine and Priyanka Chopra. Director Todd Strauss-Schulson reportedly watched 65 romantic comedies and noting similarities, including New York settings, co ffee shops, rain, and bubble baths.
THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART
FEBRUARY 8 (UNRATED)
Giggle-inducing pop culture satire returns five years after the original in a di fferent kind of toy story. The adventurous denizens of Bricksburg take on fearsome Duplo invaders from outer space in an e ffort to save the Lego universe. Featuring a constellation of star voices, including Margo Robbie, Alison Brie, Chris Pratt, Jonah Hill, Nick O fferman, and Ti ffany Haddish.
COLD PURSUIT
FEBRUARY 8 (UNRATED )
Liam Neeson stars as unassuming resort town snowplow driver and “Citizen of the Year” Nels Coxman, a quiet family man who turns innovative vigilante after his son’s murder by drug dealers. The action/thriller/drama, filmed in Canada, is based on a 2014 Norwegian movie. Using his skills, Neeson’s Nels mixes vengeance with innovative ways to target and punish his prey. But the gang run by “Viking” (Tom Bateman), isn’t going without a fight, or several. Laura Dern plays Nels’s wife, while Emmy Rossum is a detective.
TYLER PERRY’S A MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL
MARCH 1 (RATED PG-13)
Ready to retire the makeup and persona of his uproariously domineering matriarchal creation, Tyler Perry said this will be Madea’s final comedy romp, in which the family travels to a funeral in Georgia with unexpected consequences. Perry also portrays sibling Heathrow, a Vietnam vet.
WHERE’D YOU GO BERNADETTE?
MARCH 22 (RATED PG-13)
Seattle is the backdrop as the powerhouse trio of Kristin Wiig, Cate Blanchett (seen here), and Judy Greer take on Maria Semple’s 2012 best selling comedic novel about the “notorious” Bernadette Fox (Blanchett), whose “having it all” life and family are upended when she suddenly disappears. Her astute teenage daughter Bee undertakes a meticulous investigation of messages, documents, and secrets to solve the mystery as the family endeavors to locate its matriarch.
