Universal animation The Wild Robot leads the new releases at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend as Paramount’s Smile 2 and Studiocanal’s The Apprentice also open.
Chris Sanders’ The Wild Robot is opening in 675 locations. Produced by Dreamworks, the film follows a service robot shipwrecked on an uninhabited island who forms relationships with the local wildlife.
A starry ensemble comprises the voice cast including Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill and Catherine O’Hara.
It has already proven a box office hit abroad, topping the global charts last week to bring its total up to $150m. The film’s biggest competition will be fellow Universal title Despicable Me 4 which is still going strong after 14 weeks of release.
Crack a Smile
Paramount’s Smile 2 is also out this weekend, creeping its way into 606 cinemas. The sequel to 2022 horror Smile centres around a popstar, played by Naomi Scott, who begins experiencing escalating horrors and must confront her past.
The 2022 title opened in 518 locations with £1.5m and went on to top nearly £12m. This second instalment will hope to build on its success and the Halloween release window.
Making its way to 527 UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend is another anticipated release - Studiocanal’s The Apprentice.
Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong star in Ali Abbasi’s Donald Trump origin story which first premiered in competition at Cannes. The film has been under the spotlight due to its subject matter and the upcoming US election with Trump himself calling it “a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job”.
Also for Studiocanal, a double bill of the first two Paddington films will screen in 522 venues on Sunday (October 20) ahead of the third instalment Paddington In Peru next month. Paul King’s family films opened with £5.1m and £8.2m in 2014 and 2017, respectively, and have collectively grossed £80m.
Sony is opening Japanese animation My Hero Academia: You’re Next in 270 venues. Based on Kōhei Horikoshi’s manga series, the film follows a high school student who must confront a villain pretending to be his hero.
Trafalgar Releasing has a host of titles this weekend including Grounded - Met Opera 2024 in 135 venues; Taeyong: TY Track In Cinemas in 28 venues; and Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers Beach Party in three cinemas.
Magnetes Pictures is releasing Polish boxing drama Kulej. Dwie Strony Medalu in 79 locations.
French comedy The Crime Is Mine opens in 54 venues for Parkland Film Capital. François Ozon’s film follows an actress who begins to build a profile after being acquitted of murder.
Mark Cousins’ A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things which opens in 17 venues via Conic Film. Tilda Swinton lends her voice to this exploration of British painter Wilhelmina Barns-Graham which won best film at Karlovy Vary.
TAPE Collective is also opening a documentary - Milisuthando in nine cinemas. Premiering at Sundance and picking a special mention at IDFA, the feature explores the filmmaker’s relationship with South Africa and the apartheid.
More documentaries out this weekend include Since Yesterday: The Untold Story Of Scotland’s Girl Bands via Cosmic Cat Film; Studio One Forever via Kaleidoscope; The Remarkable Life Of Ibelin via Netflix; The Rubber-Keyed Wonder via MusicFilmNetwork; and Every Little Thing via Dogwoof.
Further titles include Park Circus’ re-release of the 1976 horror classic Carrie; family film Hey Duggee is 10 via Vue Entertainment; and Irish drama Kathleen Is Here via Break Out Pictures.
Paramount’s Transformers One is the key holdover title.
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