Hamnet Grows, Jodie Foster Shines in A Private Life, Oscar-Shortlisted Sound of Falling, and the Charming Rom-Com A Useful Ghost – Specialty Preview
In a strategic expansion following its recent Golden Globe victory, Focus Features is increasing the release of Hamnet, which clinched the award for Best Motion Picture – Drama and garnered a nod for Jessie Buckley as Best Female Actor – Drama. This weekend, the film will be screened in 688 locations across the United States, up from 232. The release is expected to further grow following the conclusion of Oscar nominations, with voting wrapping up today at 5 p.m. PT. The nominations for the 98th Academy Awards will be announced on January 22.
New films debuting this weekend include notable titles such as A Private Life, featuring Jodie Foster, from Sony Pictures Classics. Additionally, Mubi’s Oscar-shortlisted film, Sound of Falling, directed by Mascha Schilinski, and the Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize winner, A Useful Ghost, from Cineverse, are also in limited release. Furthermore, Abramorama is introducing the SXSW documentary winner Shuffle and the AI critique Deepfaking Sam Altman.
Moderate releases: Gkids will premiere All You Need Is Kill, a Japanese action sci-fi anime directed by Kenichiro Akimoto, on approximately 760 screens. The film is adapted from Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s bestselling novel, which previously inspired the 2014 live-action version Edge of Tomorrow featuring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. It originally premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
In addition, IFC’s RLJE and Shudder will release Night Patrol in 800 theaters. This film follows an LAPD officer who must reconcile his differences with local street gangs after discovering a hidden secret within a police task force that jeopardizes the community. The movie stars Justin Long, Dermot Mulroney, RJ Cyler, and Jermaine Fowler, and premiered at Fantastic Fest.
The combat veteran drama Sheepdog, written, directed by, and starring Steven Grayhm, is set to open in 415 locations through Allen Media Group Motion Pictures. The film centers on Calvin Cole (Grayhm), a decorated veteran mandated to undergo trauma therapy, where he confronts his past and reconnects with his estranged father-in-law (Vondie Curtis-Hall), a recently released Vietnam veteran. Virginia Madsen portrays Dr. Elecia Knox, a VA therapist-in-training guiding Calvin’s healing journey.
Abramorama’s documentary Shuffle will also open at the DCTV Firehouse in NYC. The film examines the opioid epidemic’s aftermath, highlighting insurance companies’ obligations to cover addiction and mental health treatment on par with other medical issues, leading to exploitation within the treatment industry. Shot over three years, the documentary follows three individuals caught in a cycle of treatment fraud, emphasizing their struggles for recovery. SXSW described it as “a quietly searing exposé of exploitation and fraud in the addiction treatment industry.”
Lastly, the distributor will also showcase the lighter documentary Deepfaking Sam Altman, characterized as “a comedic documentary exploring AI, identity, and humanity through the creation of ‘Sam Bot.’” Showing at the Quad Cinema in NYC, it includes a Q&A session with director Adam Bhala Lough, and will expand to the Laemmle Noho in Los Angeles on January 30. In the film, after failing to interview the elusive Sam Altman, Lough travels to India to deepfake the tech CEO and inadvertently creates a malfunctioning AI “Sam Bot,” which becomes part of his family dynamic and raises questions about the implications of artificial intelligence.
