'Afraid'

Source: Sony

‘Afraid’

Horror Afraid leads the new titles at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend, launching in 450 locations for Sony.

Directed by Chris Weitz, Afraid stars John Cho and Katherine Waterston as devoted parents who get selected to try a new smart home AI device. The device quickly becomes overprotective of the family and begins interfering in their lives.

It is the latest feature from horror juggernaut Blumhouse, this year’s titles of which include Imaginary (£2m) and Night Swim (£1.4m). The film will have stiff competition from Disney’s fellow horror Alien: Romulus which was up to £8.8m at the end of last weekend.

Weitz is best known for directing American Pie and About A Boy alongside his brother Paul.

Saturday (August 31) marks the return of National Cinema Day where tickets will be priced from £4 at over 630 cinemas across the country.

Festival favourites and re-releases 

Piece Of Magic has the widest release this weekend with André Rieu’s 2024 Maastricht Concert: Power of Love playing in 649 locations. The Dutch conductor’s concerts have proved a regular hit at the box office, with his last release (André Rieu’s White Christmas) scoring £1.2m.

Universal is opening Icelandic drama Touch in 135 cinemas. Spanning several decades and continents, the film follows a man recently diagnosed with dementia who is determined to reconnect with his first love from 50 years ago.

Awards buzz title Sing Sing is in 86 locations for Black Bear. Colman Domingo stars in the SXSW award-winner as a prisoner who forms a theatre group with his other inmates. Greg Kwedar directs.

Black Dog

Source: Cannes Film Festival

‘Black Dog’

Cannes award-winner Black Dog is in 74 venues for Trinity CineAsia. Guan Hu’s Chinese drama centres around a former convict and a stray dog who form an unlikely bond. It picked up the top prize when it premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes earlier this year.

Entertainment Film Distributors opens French box office hit The Count Of Monte-Cristo in 175 cinemas. The Cannes premiere is the latest adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas revenge novel and is directed by Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte.

Metis Film makes its inaugural release with Saudi Arabian crime caper Mandoob (Night Courier) in 40 cinemas. The film follows a man racing against time to try and rescue his father.

UK horror Broken Bird, about a woman who works as an undertaker, flies into 32 locations for Miracle Comms/Dazzler.

Elliot Page drama Close To You is out in 17 cinemas for Vertigo Releasing. Page stars as a trans man who returns home to discover his family is struggling to deal with his transition.

Mika Gustafson’s Swedish drama Paradise Is Burning opens in nine locations for Conic Film. The 2023 Venice Horizons title surrounds three sisters who must find a stand-in for their recently disappeared mother when social services pay a visit.

Also out in cinemas is Sony’s latest re-release of Spider-Man titles with 2014’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 opening in 495 venues. The film topped £24m first time around. This particular iteration stars Andrew Garfield as the iconic superhero, tasked with saving New York City from the evil Oscorp. Other cast include Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Paul Giamatti, Dane DeHaan and Felicity Jones.

Park Circus has several re-releases this weekend including 1993’s Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm and 2017’s The LEGO Batman Movie, as part of the character’s 85th anniversary, as well as 1984’s The Terminator and 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven. The Italian Job also hits cinemas again for Paramount. 

Key holdovers include Disney’s Alien: Romulus and Deadpool & Wolverine, and Sony’s It Ends With Us. 

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