Tag Archives: Regal Cantera Stadium 17

Opening October 11: War Chhod Na Yaar

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I’m stunned that War Chhod Na Yaar is opening in the Chicago area on October 11, 2013. The movie wasn’t promoted in local theaters, and with mid-tier stars like Sharman Joshi and Soha Ali Khan in leading roles, I never expected WCNY to open here. Something tells me Besharam‘s poor box office performance may have had something to do with it.

WCNY opens on Friday at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 1 hr. 59 min.

To put Besharam‘s disappointing box office performance in perspective, we can look at the amount it earned per screen in its opening weekend in the United States. Besharam opened in 217 theaters — a very high number for a Bollywood film in the U.S. — and earned $389,000 from Friday to Sunday, for an average of $1,793 per screen. (Including Wednesday and Thursday returns, Besharam‘s total stood at $504,000 as of Sunday.) By comparison, here’s what other recent releases earned per screen in their opening weekends:

Through its fourth week in theaters, Chennai Express continued to earn more per screen than Besharam did in its opening weekend. Nevertheless, Besharam carries over at all three of the above theaters, plus the Regal Gardens Stadium 1-6 in Skokie and AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge.

In Theaters: October 4, 2013

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For better or worse, Besharam is the main game in town for the foreseeable future. For the weekend beginning Friday, October 4, 2013, Besharam continues its run at all seven of the Chicago area theaters in which it opened on Wednesday.

The only other Hindi movie playing locally is the surprisingly funny Phata Poster Nikla Hero, which has earned $390,207 in the U.S. so far. It gets a third week at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. Sadly, Warning gets tossed overboard after just one week.

With upcoming star-studded films timing there releases around major holidays in India (and trying to avoid competing with one another), we’ve likely entered a cycle in the Chicago area in which only one new Hindi movie will open theatrically every other week, as opposed the usual schedule of at least one new movie per week. Apart from a brief flurry of big-time releases in mid-November, the intervening weeks are peppered with the releases of low-budget films from smaller studios featuring no major stars. Those movies may get sizable releases in India, but they aren’t likely to command screenspace in U.S. theaters.

Here’s the schedule of films likely to open in the Chicago area for the remainder of 2013, based on the release dates posted at Bollywood Hungama. (Keep in mind that release dates may change, and we could be surprised with some limited openings of smaller films.)

Opening October 2: Besharam

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Ranbir Kapoor stars alongside his famous parents, Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh, in Besharam, which opens in the Chicago area on October 2, 2013.

Besharam (“Shameless”) opens on Wednesday in seven area theaters: AMC River East 21 in Chicago, Regal Gardens Stadium 1-6 in Skokie, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC Loews Crestwood 18 in Crestwood, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 23 min.

Opening September 27: Warning

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The odds seemed infinitesimal, yet the Bollywood 3D shark attack film Warning opens in the Chicago area on September 27, 2013. Sometimes dreams do come true. Check out the gloriously tawdry trailer:

Warning opens on Friday in 3D at the AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington. It has a listed runtime of 1 hr. 45 min.

After posting modest opening weekend earnings of $260,188 in U.S. theaters, Phata Poster Nikla Hero carries over for a second week at the South Barrington 30, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. All three theaters also carry over Grand Masti for a third weekend. Its total U.S. earnings stand at $362,560.

Both the South Barrington 30 and Golf Glen 5 carry Chennai Express ($5,294,853) this weekend. South Barrington also holds on to Satyagraha ($736,826), while the Golf Glen 5 is showing Shuddh Desi Romance. As if to underscore what a lousy weekend this is for new Hindi films — no offense, Warning — Golf Glen is even bringing back the July release Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include: Ya Ya (Tamil) at the Golf Glen 5; Atharintiki Daaredi (Telugu w/English subtitles) at Century Stratford Square in Bloomingdale, Muvico Rosemont 18 in Rosemont, and Cinemark at Seven Bridges in Woodridge; and Raja Rani (Tamil) at the Cinemark at Seven Bridges and AMC Loews Streets of Woodfield in Schaumburg. If necessary, call ahead for information on the availability of English subtitles.

Opening September 20: Phata Poster Nikla Hero

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The action-comedy Phata Poster Nikla Hero opens in Chicago area theaters on September 20, 2013. I’m not impressed with Shahid Kapoor’s acting in the trailer, but the bit with Sanjai Mishra as a fraudulent screenwriter is hilarious. Check it out:

Phata Poster Nikla Hero opens on Friday at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 30 min.

Last weekend’s despicable new release, Grand Masti — which earned $223,222 in its first weekend in the U.S. — carries over at all four of the above theaters.

The terrific romcom Shuddh Desi Romance gets a third week at the Golf Glen 5, Cantera 17, and South Barrington 30, which is also holding over Satyagraha ($724,088 in the U.S.) and Chennai Express ($5,266,322 in the U.S.).

The Golf Glen 5 is carrying over the Tamil film Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam.

Friday also marks the opening day of the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, which I wrote about on Wednesday. This year’s lineup includes great movies like Oass and The Reluctant Fundamentalist.

Opening September 13: Grand Masti

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Only one new Hindi movie is set to open in Chicago area theaters on September 13, 2013, and it looks painful. The bawdy comedy Grand Masti stars Ritesh Deshmukh, Vivek Oberoi, and Aftab Shivdasani as three guys trying to cheat on their wives. If you have to include this many exclamation points in your official plot synopsis, your movie probably isn’t that funny.

Grand Masti opens on Friday at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. (Note: At the showing I attended at the Cantera this morning, the film had no English subtitles.) If you just can’t wait until tomorrow to see Grand Masti, the River East 21 has a pair of showings tonight. The movie has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 15 min.

Sadly, John Day isn’t opening in the Chicago area.

The charming romantic comedy Shuddh Desi Romance gets a second weekend at all four of the above theaters, plus the Regal Gardens Stadium 1-6 in Skokie, and AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge.

Last weekend’s other new release, Zanjeer, carries over at the South Barrington 30 and Cantera 17. The Golf Glen 5 is holding over the film’s Telugu version, Thoofan, for a second week, but not the Hindi version.

Satyagraha gets a third week at the Golf Glen 5, South Barrington 30, and Cantera 17, having earned $672,951 in the U.S. so far. With total U.S. earnings of $5,220,926, Chennai Express chugs along for a sixth week at the Cantera 17 and South Barrington 30, which also holds over Madras Cafe for fourth week.

The Golf Glen 5 is also carrying over the Tamil film Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam.

In other news, the late-June release Ghanchakkar is now available for streaming on Netflix. It’s funny and worth checking out.

Opening September 6: Shuddh Desi Romance and Zanjeer

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Two new Hindi flicks hit Chicago area screens on September 6, 2013. Shuddh Desi Romance (listed at some theaters as “Random Desi Romance“) features rising stars Parineeti Chopra and Sushant Singh Rajput alongside newcomer Vaani Kapoor in a romcom love triangle.

Shuddh Desi Romance opens on Friday at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, Regal Gardens Stadium 1-6 in Skokie, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 5 min.

Also new in theaters this weekend is Zanjeer, a remake of the 1973 film of the same name starring Amitabh Bachchan. The remake stars Ram Charan, Priyanka Chopra, and Sanjay Dutt.

Zanjeer opens on Friday at the River East 21, Golf Glen 5, South Barrington 30, and Cantera 17. Its runtime is listed at IMDb as 2 hrs. 17 min. The Golf Glen 5 is also carrying the Telugu version of Zanjeer, Thoofan.

After posting solid earnings of $500,402 over the extended holiday weekend in the U.S., Satyagraha gets a second week at the River East 21, Golf Glen 5, South Barrington 30, and Cantera 17.

Madras Cafe gets a third weekend at the South Barrington 30 and Cantera 17.

Chennai Express is still going strong with earnings of $5,122,240 in the U.S. so far. It gets a fifth weekend at the South Barrington 30, Woodridge 18, and Cantera 17.

Other Indian movies showing at the Golf Glen 5 this weekend include the Tamil movies Madha Gaja Raja and Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam.

The teaser trailer from Dhoom 3 just released today, and it features some great footage shot in downtown Chicago. The movie releases on December 20, 2013.

Opening August 30: Satyagraha

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Director Prakash Jha’s latest star-studded political thriller, Satyagraha, opens in Chicago area theaters on August 30, 2013.

Satyagraha opens on Friday at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 26 min.

Last weekend’s new release, Madras Cafe, carries over at the Golf Glen 5, South Barrington 30, and Cantera 17. Chennai Express — which has earned $4,687,752 in the U.S. so far — gets a fourth week at all of the theaters carrying Madras Cafe, plus the AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge.

The Golf Glen 5 is also carrying the Malayalam film Memories this weekend.

Opening August 23: Madras Cafe

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The John Abraham spy thriller Madras Cafe opens in Chicago area theaters on August 23, 2013.

Madras Cafe opens on Friday at the Big Cinemas Golf Glen 5 in Niles, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 20 min.

Last weekend’s new release, Once Upon Ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!, gets a second weekend at all three of the above theaters, plus the Regal Gardens Stadium 1-6 in Skokie.

The Shahrukh Khan-Deepika Padukone romantic comedy Chennai Express — which has earned an incredible $4,014,657 in the U.S. so far — gets a third week at all four of the above theaters, plus the AMC River East 21 in Chicago and AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge as well.

The Golf Glen 5 is also carrying over the Tamil movie Thalaivaa this weekend.

Opening August 15: Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara

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Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara opens in the Chicago area on Thursday, August 15, 2013.

OUATIMD opens on Thursday at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago, Regal Gardens Stadium 1-6 in Skokie, AMC South Barrington 30 in South Barrington, and Regal Cantera Stadium 17 in Warrenville. It has a listed runtime of 2 hrs. 38 min.

After breaking first-weekend box office records with U.S. earnings of $2,416,513, Chennai Express carries over for a second week at all of the above theaters, plus the AMC Loews Crestwood 18 in Crestwood and AMC Loews Woodridge 18 in Woodridge.

Other Indian movies showing in the Chicago area this weekend include the Tamil film Thalaivaa at the Cinemark at Seven Bridges in Woodridge.