Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis makes its much-anticipated theatrical bow in UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend for Entertainment Film Distributors.
The sci-fi epic will open in at least 300 cinemas and marks The Godfather director’s biggest theatrical release in decades. It stars Adam Driver as a visionary architect tasked with rebuilding the city of New Rome as a modern Utopia.
Megalopolis polarised critics when it premiered at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year and has faced further controversy since, including several allegations of inappropriate behaviour from Coppola towards female extras on the film’s set. This extensive publicity, combined with Coppola’s legacy as one of the US’ leading filmmakers behind hits such as The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, could draw in plenty of crowds.
Further cast include Giancarlo Esposito, Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf, Jon Voight, Laurence Fishburne and Jason Schwartman.
Saoirse Ronan runs into cinemas
Vertigo Releasing is opening animation Dragonkeeper in 460 sites. The Spanish-Chinese feature opened Malaga Film Festival earlier this year and centres around a young girl who embarks on an adventure to return the last remaining dragon egg and save ancient China.
Alexandre Aja’s horror Never Let Go is launching in 450 cinemas through Lionsgate. Halle Berry stars as the mother of a family who belives they are being haunted by an evil spirit. This has gone on for years until one of her children begins to question the truth. It will be up against horror titles The Substance and Speak No Evil which have launched in the past two weeks.
Also opening in 450 locations is Universal’s 20th-anniversary re-release of Shaun Of The Dead. Edgar Wright’s 2004 zombie comedy stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in the first of their ‘Cornetto Trilogy’ features. Its original run opened on £1.6m and made a total of £6.7m.
It is a weekend of re-releases at the box office with Mean Girls also celebrating its 20th anniversary in 322 locations while a 4K restoration of the 1954 Japanese classic Seven Samurai is opening in five cinemas for BFI Distribution.
In event cinema, Trafalgar Releasing has Edward Scissorhands: Matthew Bourne’s Dance Version Of Tim Burton’s Classic in 335 venues over the weekend, after opening on Wednesday (September 25). The distributor is also screening Paul McCartney And Wings – One Hand Clapping in 123 cinemas. David Litchfield’s restored 1974 documentary of the musician’s album recording first opened on Thursday (September 26).
Indian action Devara Part 1 is launching in 310 locations for Dreamz Entertainment. The film, which stars N. T. Rama Rao Jr in dual roles, will be screened in three different languages - Telugu, Hindi and Tamil. Dreamz is also opening the Tamil-language musical Petta Rap in 8 cinemas.
Saoirse Ronan stars in The Outrun, opening in 300 locations for Studiocanal. Directed by Nora Fingscheidt, Ronan plays an addict who returns home to Scotland’s Orkney Islands hoping to confront her troubled past and heal. Paapa Essiedu also stars in this Berlinale Panorama premiere.
Ahead of the release of Terrifier 3, Signature Entertainment is screening a double bill of Terrifier and Terrifier 2 in 269 cinemas. The horror trilogy centres around a murderous clown who terrorises unsuspecting victims of an American town.
Curzon and Amazon MGM Studios are launching My Old Ass starring Aubrey Plaza in 143 locations. The US comedy follows a teenager whose mushroom trip forces her to confront her 39-year-old self and reevaluate everything she knows about life.
Trinity Film and Cine Asia are opening the Japanese animation Detective Conan: The Million-dollar Pentagram in 104 venues. The film is the 27th instalment in the hit anime franchise but the first to screen in the UK and Ireland.
Also releasing this weekend is Hellboy: The Crooked Man via Icon Film Distribution. The superhero horror title is the second reboot of the Hellboy series and the fourth title overall in the franchise.
Other releases include children’s animation Bing & Friends: Birthday Celebration via Vue Entertainment and Palestinian drama The Teacher through Miracle Comms.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice remains the key holdover title.
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