Ti West’s crime horror MaXXXine leads the new titles at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, opening in 477 cinemas through Universal.
The third title in the X film series from US director West follows X and Pearl. MaXXXine sees its protagonist, played by Mia Goth, set out for fame and success in 1980s Hollywood while being targeted by a mysterious killer.
X opened to £227,493 from 481 sites at a £473 average in March 2022, ending on £641,792, released through Entertainment Film Distributors. The franchise then moved to Universal for UK-Ireland, where Pearl started with £192,895 from 293 sites at a £658 average, ending on £477,076 in March 2023.
Goth was named a Screen Star of Tomorrow in 2014, since when she has appeared in The Survivalist (£23,830 total), Suspiria (£351,171) and Infinity Pool (£236,521).
Unicorns, the new film from Welsh-Egyptian filmmaker Sally El Hosaini co-directed with James Krishna Floyd, starts in 53 sites through Signature Entertainment.
A Toronto 2023 premiere, Unicorns tells the story of the romance between a queer South Asian nightclub performer and a young, single father who works as a mechanic.
Both El Hosaini (2009) and Floyd (2012) were previously named Screen Stars of Tomorrow; as were lead actors Jason Patel – this year – and Ben Hardy (2015).
View to a Kill
Lionsgate is starting Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s Indian crime drama Kill in 233 cinemas. Led by Indian star Lakshya, the ultra-violent film depicts a pair of commandos facing an army of invading bandits while on a train trip to New Delhi.
87Eleven, the production company behind the John Wick franchise, will soon team up with Lionsgate for an English-language remake of the Hindi-language original.
Sony’s latest anime title Blue Lock The Movie: Episode Nagi starts in 280 cinemas this weekend. It is adapted from the manga series written by Muneyuki Kaneshiro and illustrated by Yusuke Nomura.
Among independent releases, Picturehouse Entertainment is starting Paul B. Preciado’s documentary Orlando, My Political Biography in 30 sites. The film won a special mention from the Documentary Award Jury on its debut in Berlin’s Encounters section last year, going on to play Sydney, Toronto and BFI Flare film festivals.
It tells the story of Preciado’s and other people’s gender transitions through reenactments and visual interpretations of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A Biography.
Vertigo Releasing is starting Mona Chokri’s Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard title The Nature Of Love in 17 cinemas. The Canadian romantic comedy follows a university professor in a stable but unexciting marriage, who meets a blue-collar construction contractor who is renovating her home.
Tull Stories is starting Danielle Sellwood’s documentary Younger, about a group of female athletes in their 60s to 80s preparing to compete in masters competitions, in 23 cinemas across its first week; while Eclipse Pictures is opening Galway Film Fleadh 2022 entry The Sparrow. Romantic drama Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha will challenge Kill amongst Indian cinema audiences, through Bakrania Media.
With repertory cinema taking up significant space at the summer box office, Studiocanal is playing Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 The Conversation starring Gene Hackman in 54 sites; while Park Circus has a 25th anniversary re-release of Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in 316 cinemas.
Holdovers will dominate the top of the charts this weekend, led by Disney’s three-time number one Inside Out 2, Paramount’s A Quiet Place: Day One and Sony’s Bad Boys: Ride Or Die.
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