UK-Ireland box office preview: ‘Lee’, ‘Speak No Evil’, ‘The Critic’, ‘Prima Facie’ lead busy weekend

A busy weekend at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend as Prima Facie, Lee, Speak No Evil and The Critic all launch in 550+ cinemas.

National Theatre Live’s re-release of Prima Facie is in 679 locations. The theatre production starring Jodie Comer first played in cinemas in July 2022 in 662 venues, making £1.5m in a single day. 

It became the highest-grossing event cinema release at the time, ending just shy of £5m and overtaken only by Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour which made £12m on its run.

Prima Facie opened in cinemas Thursday (September 12). The one-woman play surrounds a female criminal defence lawyer who regularly defends men accused of sexual assault.

Studiocanal’s Lee opens in 610 cinemas. Kate Winslet stars in, and produces, this biopic about Lee Miller, a former fashion model who broke gender barriers to become an acclaimed war correspondent during World War Two.

The Toronto 2023 premiere also stars Andy Samberg, Alexander Skarsgard, Andrea Riseborough and Josh O’Connor while Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind cinematographer Ellen Kuras is in the directing chair.

Speak No Evil launches in 595 venues. The English-language remake of the acclaimed Danish horror stars James McAvoy, and surrounds two families who go on a weekend away together only to discover that one of the families has a dark side.

Horror films continue to prove a big draw at the box office. More recent hits include Disney’s Alien: Romulus which recently hit £12m; Black Bear’s Longlegs finishing upwards of £8m; and A Quiet Place: Day One on just shy of £10m.

Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy and Aisling Franciosi also star in Speak No Evil while James Watkins is director.

The Critic lands in 561 venues. Set in 1930s London, Ian McKellen stars as a renowned theatre critic who gets embroiled in a web of deceit and murder. Also a Toronto 2023 title, the all-star cast includes Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Lesley Manville and Ben Barnes.

Elsewhere

Also out in cinemas is Sony’s latest release of Spider-Man titles - Spider-Man Far From Home – in 485 cinemas. Originally released in 2019, the Tom Holland-starrer opened on £14.2m.

Chinese animation Boonie Bears: Time Twist opens in 394 venues for Miracle Comms/Dazzler.

Trafalgar Releasing has two event releases this weekend. Usher: Rendezvous In Paris lands in 165 venues, having opened on Thursday, while Riize Fan-Con Tour ‘Riizing Day’ Finale In Cinemas opens in 31 locations.

UK thriller Reawakening lands in 87 cinemas for Jade and Eclipse Pictures. Virginia Gilbert’s feature stars Jared Harris and Juliet Stevenson as a couple whose disappeared daughter returns a decade later.

Anime title Dan De Dan: First Encounter opens in 81 cinemas for Anime Ltd.

Curzon debut Berlinale title My Favourite Cake in 32 cinemas. The Iranian tragicomedy landed the top spot on Screen’s jury grid earlier this year.

Moviegoers Entertainment is re-releasing the 2003 Bollywood musical Kal Ho Naa Ho in 13 cinemas. Other re-releases include Park Circus’ Batman & Robin.

Conic Film is launching Bifa-nominated thriller In Camera in 11 locations. The film, starring Kaos actor Nabhaan Rizwan, screened at Karlovy Vary, London, and Thessaloniki – picking up the Fipresci prize at the latter. Directed by Naqqash Khalid, the story centres around a struggling actor who takes it upon himself to find a new part to play.

Further releases include Netflix documentary Will & Harper; Dreamz Entertainment’s Indian crime-comedy Mathu Vadalara 2; Peccadillo Pictures’ Canadian comedy The Queen Of My Dreams; and Kaleidoscope’s Indian thriller Kill.

Warner Bros’ Beetlejucie Beetlejuice will be this weekend’s key holdover title.

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