Lightyear will be hoping to blast to the top of the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, with Disney releasing the animation at 654 locations.
Pixar’s Buzz Lightyear origin story has had a lukewarm reception from critics, but the Angus MacLane-directed title will hope to capitalise on the enduring influence of the Toy Story franchise. When Toy Story 4 was released in 2019, it broke a record for the highest ever three-day opening for an animated title in the UK, opening in 668 venues, and taking £13.3m.
Chris Evans takes over from Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz, with Taika Waititi, Keke Palmer, Peter Sohn, Dale Soules, James Brolin and Uzo Aduba rounding out the voice cast.
The second widest new opening this week is Good Luck To You Leo Grande, released by Lionsgate at 171 sites. The Sundance premiere – which recently also played at Sundance London – is directed by Sophie Hyde and stars Emma Thompson as a 55-year-old widow who has never had an orgasm, and hires the services of a young, male sex worker, played by 2021 Screen Star of Tomorrow Daryl McCormack, bringing a renewed sense of adventure into her life.
For the rest of this weekend’s box office debuts, releases are rather more low-key.
Curzon has Francois Ozon’s moving tribute to his late writing partner, Emmanuele Bernheim, playing in 28 sites. French title Everything Went Fine – which premiered at Cannes 2021 – adapts Bernheim’s book about her tricky relationship with her elderly father as she helped him die, and stars Sophie Marceau, Andre Dussollier, Geraldine Pailhas and Charlotte Rampling.
Altitude’s playing The Lost Girls in 12 sites. Livia De Paolis wrote and directed the film based on the novel by Laurie Fox and inspired by J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan. De Paolis stars alongside Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Julian Ovenden, Parker Sawyers, Emily Carey, Louis Partridge, Ella Rae Smith and Iain Glen. It chronicles four generations of Darling women as they struggle in the aftermath of their adventures with Pan in Neverland.
Mubi, following a one-day event on Wednesday (June 15) in which it played at 22 sites, will put Sundance premiere Pleasure into six locations for a limited release this weekend. Ninja Thyberg’s feature debut takes a look at the porn industry in the US, and follows a Swedish young woman who wants to make it big in the LA porn scene. Sofia Kappel stars alongside actual members of the adult film industry.
Also out this weekend is Veetla Vishesham, a Tamil-language comedy drama and released by Zee Studios International, directed by Indian filmmakers RJ Balaji and N.J. Saravananthat. It sees a couple in their 50s discover they are about to become parents again.
Key holdovers from last weekend are Jurassic World Dominion (Universal), 2022’s highest grosser (so far) Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount), Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (Disney), Everything Everywhere All At Once (A24) and All My Friends Hate Me (BFI Distribution).
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