Warner Bros’ DC flagship title Superman dominates the new releases this week in the UK and Ireland as the film lands in 685 cinemas.
David Corenswet dons the red cape in James Gunn’s Superman, reimagining the hero for DC’s new cinematic universe. He is joined by Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luther and Nathan Fillion playing a member of the Green Lantern Corps.
The last time UK and Ireland audiences saw Clark Kent in a solo film was Zack Snyder’s Man Of Steel (2013), which opened to £11.2m and grossed £30m. Much has changed in the superhero ecosystem since and DC’s most recent single hero outing, The Flash (2023), grossed a more modest £8.8m in 670 locations.
Gunn’s previous DC effort, The Suicide Squad (2021), opened to £3.3m from 643 locations, while Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, debuted in 705 screens and grossed £9.1m on its opening weekend in 2023.
As other distributors give Superman a wide berth, the second biggest release of the week is CBeebies Musical: The Great Ice Cream Hunt, which will play in 348 cinemas via Vue Lumière.
Opening in 46 sites is Hindi action thriller Maalik, distributed by AA Films. The film follows Rajkummar Rao as 1980s mobster trying his luck in Uttar Pradesh.
Spanish comedy The Other Way Around opens in 19 sites via AX1 Films. Jonás Trueba’s eighth film tells the story of a director/actor couple, played by Itsaso Arana and Vito Sanz, who throw a party to celebrate their separation. The film opened Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight last year, where it won the Europa Cinemas Label, and also went on to screen at festivals including the BFI London Film Festival.
Johnny Depp’s second directorial effort, Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, is set to open in 12 locations for Miracle Communications. Riccardo Scamarcio stars as Italian artist Amadeo Modigliani with other cast including Stephen Graham and Al Pacino. The film premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival last year, and also played at Capri Hollywood, and the Rome Film Festival. Depp’s previous film as director was 28 years ago, 1997’s The Brave.
Following a different artist, documentary Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes will play in 10 sites, via Peccadillo Pictures. The doc rediscovers the work of Lynes, and his experience as a gay photographer working in the 20s and 30s between Paris and New York.
Continuing its summer re-releases, Curzon begins rolling out Argentinian director Fabián Bielinsky’s 2000 crime thriller Nine Queens in seven locations.
Also being revived on the big screen is Quatermass 2, via Icon Film Distribution. The 1950s UK sci-fi classic is being shown to tie in with the release of a Limited Collector’s Edition from Hammer Films.
Romantic drama Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan, through Zee Studios, Swedish alien thriller Watch The Skies via Signature Entertainment, and documentary Apocalypse In The Tropics, via Netflix.
Key holdovers this week include Jurassic World Rebirth, 28 Years Later and F1.