Black Bear’s horror comedy The Monkey leads the new titles in UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend as Oscar best picture contender I’m Still Here also makes its bow.
Osgood Perkins follows up last year’s horror hit Longlegs with The Monkey launching in 544 cinemas. It is up on Longlegs which opened in 475 locations, also for Black Bear, with that title debuting on £1.4m and enjoying a healthy run ending on £8.1m.
Based on the Stephen King short story, The Monkey stars Theo James, playing two estranged twin brothers who are brought back together by a childhood curse that is wreaking havoc once more. Further cast include Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood and Perkins himself.
Universal’s Nosferatu leads the way among 2025 horror releases, opening to £3.1m on the first weekend of the year, becoming January’s highest-grossing title and taking £12.9m as of last weekend. Warner Bros opened Steven Soderberg’s Presence to £292,058 from January 24, with the title closing out around £830,000. The distributor then opened Companion to £670,512 from January 31, making a £1.8m cume by its third weekend last time out.
I’m Still Here is here
In event cinema, National Theatre Live is screening The Importance Of Being Earnest in 772 cinemas over the weekend after opening last night (February 20). Based on the Oscar Wilde play, 2020 Screen Star of Tomorrow Ncuti Gatwa and Sharon D Clarke are among the cast of this comedy following two friends who get caught in a web of lies.
Also opening this weekend is Brazilian drama I’m Still Here in 141 venues via Altitude, after reports of strong previews. Walter Salles’ film is set in 1971 during Brazil’s military dictatorship and follows a mother whose life is thrown into disarray by an act of violence. Fernanda Torres leads the feature and is up for best actress at the Oscars; while the film is also nominated in best picture and best international feature.
In re-releases, 2011 Indian musical Rockstar lands in 29 sites via Moviegoers Entertainment while BFI Distribution has Peter Weir’s Picnic At Hanging Rock in 13 locations.
Mubi is opening Ariane Labed’s September Says in nine sites. Labed’s BBC Film-backed debut feature premiered at Cannes in Un Certain Regard last year, and centres around two sisters at odds with each other on a holiday in Ireland.
Further releases include documentaries Schmeichel and I Am Martin Parr via Dogwoof and Indian romantic comedy Mere Husband Ki Biwi via Bakrania Media.
Key holdover titles are Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy and Captain America: Brave New World.
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