#OnTheBigScreen: Abominable, Teen Spirit and Ready Or Not

Downton Abbey makes a new entry in first at the nouveau box office, with Angry Birds 2 as the new number one at the commercial box office. The top 10 title currently on the circuit with the highest LTD is The Lion King with R114,237,026.

Films entering this week’s box office include DreamWorks Animation’s new feature, Abominable; Max Minghella’s directorial debut, Teen Spirit; mystery-thriller Ready or Not; horror Polaroid; and an in-depth look at the life of Luciano Pavarotti in Pavarotti – A Tribute Documentary. 

Abominable

This animation film takes audiences on an epic 2,000-mile adventure from the streets of China to the breathtaking Himalayan snowscapes.

When a teenage girl stumbles upon a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, she and her friends name him “Everest” and embark on an unforgettable quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth.

For Abominable writer/director Jill Culton, the road to DreamWorks Animation has been a long and winding one.

In bringing Abominable to life, Culton would find kindred spirits in producer Suzanne Buirgy, DreamWorks Animation’s long-time champion of the production; and Peilin Chou, the chief creative officer of Pearl Studio and our story’s Yi writ large.

Making history as the first trio of female filmmakers to bring a big-studio animated feature to the big screen, the collaborators did and do not take that historic designation lightly.

Teen Spirit

With his stylish directorial debut, Max Minghella creates a modern fairytale – scored to a lush, pop soundtrack – about a quiet 17-year-old girl who finds the support and self-confidence she needs to step into her power.

Violet (Elle Fanning) is a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion to sing. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a local singing competition that will test her integrity, talent and ambition.

Driven by a pop-fuelled soundtrack, Teen Spirit is a visceral and stylish spin on the Cinderella story.

Ready or Not

The stakes are high as a newlywed fights for her life, trying to survive her in-laws in a deadly game of hide and seek on her wedding night. When she draws the ‘Hide and Seek’ card she makes the terrifying discovery that she is being hunted in lethal blood sport.

Pushed to her limits physically and emotionally, Grace becomes hell-bent on not only staying alive but attempts to change the game forever by fighting back in any way she can.

From the filmmaking trio collectively known as Radio Silence – comprising of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet and executive producer Chad Villella.

Polaroid

High school student Bird (Kathryn Prescott) is given an old Polaroid camera that holds dark and mysterious secrets. She soon realises that those who get their picture taken by it meet a tragic and untimely death.

Directed by Lars Klevberg, based on his 2015 short film of the same name.

Pavarotti – A Tribute Documentary

The award-winning filmmaking team behind the hit documentary The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years turns to another musical phenomenon with Pavarotti, an in-depth, no holds barred look at the life, career and lasting legacy of the musical icon.

Directed by Ron Howard.

Read more.