Coming Soon: ‘Opus’ and ‘Kayara’
Domestic:
The upcoming thriller Opus, the feature directorial debut of Mark Anthony Green, tackles the cult of celebrity in literal terms. Ayo Edibiri plays hapless journalist Ariel who is assigned to write a story on Moretti (John Malkovich), a famous pop star who disappeared from the public eye for thirty years. Teasing a new project, he invites several journalists – Ariel among them – to his remote compound. "Never finished, only abandoned – Leonardo da Vinci" a placard ominously reads as Ariel enters Moretti's elaborate dwelling, complete with a throng of devotees. Little is revealed in the trailer of what is expected of them, but when an assistant tells Ariel all followers are expected to be shaven and asks her the status of her "lady garden," an unsavory tone is set. Scenes of security cameras on the compound, voodoo dolls, poisoning, and Ariel frantically running are shown, culminating in a final clip of her hiding in a bathtub from an unknown perpetrator. With the thrills cranked up high, Opus’s trailer is intriguing and withholding.
This concept has been well-covered in recent years – The Menu, Don’t Worry Darling, and Midsommar are just a few of the cult-horror films released in the last decade. Opus will have to pull a lot of weight to prove it has something new to say. Its depiction of celebrity has some well-rounded quirks, such as a Times Square impersonator of Moretti and a Tony Hale cameo as a YouTube music reviewer. However, since most of the film takes place in the remote compound its thriller aspect will have to be truly unique.
Opus is produced by Macready and MACRO, and distributed by A24. With a March 14 release date, Opus is butting against dystopian comedy Mickey 17 – releasing March 7 – and action comedy Novocaine – releasing March 14. Bong-joon Ho's sci-fi clone film will draw in viewers given the director's major standing and stands to be Opus's biggest competition. Oddly enough though, A24 is releasing another film, Death of a Unicorn, on March 28 which gives Opus only two weeks to breathe. Splitting its audience is an interesting decision that shows a lack of faith in Opus, further reinforced by the fact that Death of a Unicorn had a much earlier trailer release (December) than Opus.
International:
The Peruvian film Kayara renders Incan culture in CG animation. Set centuries before today, the trailer sees 16-year-old girl Kayara yearning to be a Chasqui, an official messenger of the Incan Empire. "There is no greater symbol of our pride than the Chasqui, they link our vast empire," the Incan emperor declares to a joyous crowd. Kayara is faster than her brothers but is shut out of the male-dominated tradition. Under the guise of being a boy, she wins a race and proves her talent, shocking her community. Kayara then sets out on a journey for a reason undisclosed in the trailer and encounters "a great danger" that sees her responsible for
saving her land.
Produced by Tunche Films and B-Water studios, Kayara is the first to feature Incan tradition in an animated, family-movie format. Its premise is disappointingly cookie-cutter, however. At one point in the trailer, Kayara says "This is a critical time for our people, we can't let them down." Such blatant dialogue suggests a screenplay that lacks nuance and charm. Some aspects, such as Kayara's guinea pig sidekick, seem to be ripped from the Disney book of children's filmmaking – but the animation style shows promise with vivid, dynamic visuals.
The film was released in Ukraine in January, and is set to be released on March 6, 2025, in Peru and March 30, 2025, in the U.S. Kayara is unlikely to draw a large box office yield due to its smaller distributor – Cinema Management Group – and facing hefty competition from Disney’s live-action Snow White releasing on March 21. Previous Cinema Management Group and Tunche Films release Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon, made $9.7 million against its budget of $10 million, and a similar turnout can be foreseen for Kayara.
