2007 Preview: Lions Gate and New Line Cinema

Posted by Brian C. Gibson (brian@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 28, 2006

With Christmas out of the way, we are all anticipating the new year for one reason or another. Here at Film School Rejects we are anticipating what looks like a great year for movies. Here is a sneak peak of what Lions Gate and New Line Cinema has in store for us in 2007, and if we think the film will make the 2007 Honor Roll, slide to the Merit Roll or be sentenced to Academic Probation.

Hostel 2

Starring: Bijou Phillips, Jay Hernandez, Jordan Ladd

Director: Eli Roth

Synopsis: Last January, writer/director Eli Roth terrified moviegoers with the blood-drenched HOSTEL, which catapulted to the top of the box office charts and became the first Number One film of 2006. One year later, Roth takes us back to where it all began, and deeper into the darkest recesses of the human mind. In HOSTEL: PART II, three young Americans studying in set off for a weekend trip when they run into a beautiful model from one of their art classes. Also on her way to an exotic destination, the gorgeous European invites the coeds to come along, assuring them they will be able to relax and rejuvenate. Will the girls find the oasis they are looking for? Or are they poised to become victims for hire, pawns in the fantasies of the sick and privileged from around the world who secretly travel here to savor more grisly pursuits?

With Hostel, Eli Roth cemented the cutting-edge credentials he earned with his debut feature Cabin Fever (2002). In HOSTEL: PART II, Roth invites fans to take another frightening trip where suppressed urges, once unleashed, have chilling consequences.

The Verdict: Merit Roll

The Number 23

Starring: Jim Carrey, Virginia Madsen, Danny Huston, Logan Lerman and Rhona Mitra

Director: Joel Schumacher

Synopsis: The psychological thriller “The Number 23″ stars Jim Carrey as a man whose life unravels after he comes into contact with an obscure book titled The Number 23. As he reads the book, he becomes increasingly convinced that it is based on his own life. His obsession with the number 23 starts to consume him, and he begins to realize the book forecasts far graver consequences for his life than he could have ever imagined. Directed by Joel Schumacher (”Phone Booth”), the film co-stars Virginia Madsen (”Sideways”), Danny Huston (”The Constant Gardner,” “The Aviator”), Logan Lerman and Rhona Mitra. The screenplay is written by Fernley Phillips and the producers are Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson (”The Exorcism of Emily Rose”). “The Number 23″ is scheduled for a February 23rd, 2007 release.

The Verdict: Honor Roll

Read more articles by Brian C. Gibson