While Hugh Grant horror Heretic has the widest opening, it is awards contenders dominating new releases at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend as Juror #2, Anora and Blitz make their way to cinemas.
Steve McQueen’s World War Two drama Blitz launches this weekend for Apple TV+ ahead of hitting the streamer later this month. Saoirse Ronan stars as a mother searching for her son, played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan, who runs away after being evacuated from London.
McQueen’s last fiction feature Widows opened in 573 sites back in 2018 with £1.6m. His biggest success at the box office remains 2014’s 12 Years A Slave which debuted on £2.5m from 207 sites.
Blitz features a plethora of UK talent including Harris Dickinson, Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham, Paul Weller, Hayley Squires and Alex Jennings. It had its world premiere at the opening of BFI London Film Festival last month.
Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 heads to 438 venues for Warner Bros. Closing AFI Fest in the US, this courtroom drama stars Nicholas Hoult as a juror who begins to realise he might be connected to the murder trial he is sitting in on.
The release is up on Eastwood’s last feature Cry Macho which debuted in 341 sites in 2021. That title, also for Warner Bros, opened on a disappointing £71,950.
Cannes Palme d’Or winner Anora strides into 351 venues for Universal. Sean Baker’s romantic comedy follows a young sex worker, played by Mikey Madison, who elopes with the son of a Russian Oligarch and must fend off his family who are determined to get it annulled.
It is Baker’s widest release so far, ahead of 2022’s Red Rocket in 171 sites and 2016’s The Florida Project. Those films opened on £72,084 and £242,170, respectively.
Hugh does horror
Hugh Grant leads religious horror Heretic launches in 610 locations via Entertainment Film Distributors. Opening yesterday (October 31), the Toronto premiere follows two young Mormon women trapped in a strange man’s house and forced to confront their faith.
Documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is out in 359 cinemas for Warner Bros. The Sundance premiere centres around Christopher Reeve who, after rising to fame in 1978’s Superman, suffers a paralysing accident and becomes a disability advocate.
In event cinema, CinemaLive opens Phantom Of The Opera At The Royal Albert Hall in 363 venues from Sunday (November 3) while Trafalgar Releasing has English National Ballet 2024: Swan Lake in 145 locations. On Saturday (November 4), Piece Of Magic screens League Of Legends World Final 2024: Live From London in 23 cinemas.
Cillian Murphy stars in and produces Irish drama Small Things Like These which Lionsgate is launching in 278 venues. Murphy stars as a coal merchant who makes a shocking discovery at a local covenant. The film opened the Berlinale earlier this year and is also produced by Matt Damon for his and Ben Affleck’s Artists Equity. Lionsgate also has a re-release of 2004 horror Saw.
Indian action Singham Action opens in 224 sites via Moviegoers Entertainment. Rohit Shetty’s Hindi-language title is the third in the Singham series surrounding a police officer.
Box office hit Godzilla Minus One returns to 150 cinemas in a monochrome special edition Godzilla Minus One/Minus Colour. The film is screening in time with Godzilla Day on Sunday (November 3) which celebrates the 70th anniversary of the franchise.
Jade Films has two titles this weekend – World War One drama The Last Front in 40 locations and Cyprus documentary The Divided Island in 16 cinemas.
Park Circus is re-releasing the 1946 film noir Gilda starring Rita Hayworth in 14 locations.
Further titles this weekend include Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 via AA Films UK; Superklaus via Altitude; and Lucky Baskhar via Dreamz Entertainment. Key holdover titles include Venom: The Last Dance and The Wild Robot.
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