Three new movies arrive in South African cinemas this Friday, and while two of the three have a heavy action focus, it’s the third, very different film that’s set to dominate the box office as of this weekend. If you were a 90’s adolescent or teenage girl, you probably already know what it is – and have your ticket booked.
It’s been almost 30 years, but the Owens family of witches is back in Practical Magic 2. Set twenty-five years after the events of the original romantic fantasy, sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) swing into action when Sally’s oldest daughter Kylie (Joey King) resolves to break the centuries-old curse that every Owens woman will lose the man she loves. Also in the cast are a returning Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, along with Maisie Williams and Lee Pace. Bird Box’s Susanne Bier directs. Practical Magic 2 has already been enjoying Girlfriends Getaway and Girls’ Night Out early screenings for nostalgic fans.
Move over Dwayne Johnson and John Cena. Cinema’s new go-to guy for physically imposing action heroes is Reacher star Alan Ritchson. With Motor City released just over a month ago, Ritchson is back in good guy mode in Angel Studios’ Runner. In this action comedy thriller, he plays a former soldier whose job as a courier forces him into a race against time after he picks up Owen Wilson’s character. The latter’s cargo, a liver for a sick little girl, puts a crime syndicate target on their backs.
Finally, there’s action movie The Fix, which is consciously releasing on 9/11, for better or worse. Formerly known as Hotel Tehran, the film centres on a band of CIA operators disillusioned by the end of the war in Afghanistan, and haunted by a failed mission that left them in disgrace. Mentored by “Larry” (Liam Neeson) and led by “Tucker” (Zachary Levi), the group embarks on a daring rescue that sends them into the heart of Iran to set things right, and potentially return with a life-changing score.