News

Warner Bros. and Legendary mined box office gold this weekend with the spectacular debut of “A Minecraft Movie,” which towered over the competition with £15 million ($19.1 million), according to Comscore.

The film, based on the beloved video game franchise, delivered the highest opening of 2025 so far in the U.K. and Ireland.

Landing in second place was Universal Pictures’ “Six The Musical” – the stage-to-screen adaptation of the West End hit that reimagines the six wives of Henry VIII as pop queens – which also posted a robust debut with $2.7 million.

Disney’s “Snow White” dropped to third place in its third weekend, earning $853,612 and bringing its cumulative total to $10.1 million. A new entry at No. 4, dark comedy “Death of a Unicorn,” distributed by Entertainment Film Distributors, opened with $621,275.

Warner Bros.’ Jason Statham vehicle “A Working Man” landed in fifth place with $422,325 in its second weekend, bringing its total to $1.7 million.

Rounding out...

Richard Burton never got around to writing an official set of memoirs before his untimely, alcohol-hastened death in 1984, though the star’s posthumously published diaries are among the great volumes of their kind in the showbiz library: sometimes brutally candid about himself, often savagely catty about others, and reflective of a wry, wicked mind behind the boorish antics that kept him in the headlines. There’s little of that wit or mischief to be found in Marc Evans’ quiet, earnestly soft-hearted biopic “Mr. Burton,” though that discrepancy is at least partly the point.

Dramatizing the Welshman’s formative early years as an actor, from his rough working-class adolescence to the brink of celebrity in his mid-twenties, Evans’ film intends to show us an unformed boy scarcely recognizable as the imposing, burgundy-voiced lead of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Look Back in Anger,” right down to his unfamiliar childhood name: Richie Jenkins.

Disney’s “Snow White” retained the top spot at the U.K. and Ireland box office for a second week, bringing in £2 million ($2.6 million) and pushing its total to £6.7 million ($8.7 million), according to Comscore.

Leading the newcomers was “L2: Empuraan,” the Malayalam-language action film distributed by Rft Films Ltd. The film, a sequel to 2019’s “Lucifer,” opened with $1.5 million, securing second place and marking one of the strongest regional Indian film debuts in the U.K. in recent years. Starring Mohanlal and from actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran, the film is the second part in a planned trilogy.

Warner Bros.’ “A Working Man,” starring Jason Statham, debuted at No. 3 with $850,180.

Universal’s “Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy” slipped to fourth but continued its phenomenal run, adding $726,295 in its seventh weekend. The film has now grossed $58.9 million, making it the highest-grossing U.K. release of the year.

In fifth, Paramount’s dark comedy “Novocaine,...

In new film Mr Burton, the Industry star plays a young Richard Burton, with Jones as the mentor who helped him find his acting chops. The duo discuss trying to understand a cultural icon – and how to nail that voice

Sandringham Road lies in the east of Cardiff; a quiet run of Edwardian terrace houses overlooking Roath Mill Gardens. On a late July day, when the air is warm and the park spills out over its railings, Toby Jones and Harry Lawtey sit on the pavement, wearing matching striped pyjamas. The pair are some way into the filming of Mr Burton, an account of the early life of Richard Burton. Lawtey plays the actor in his younger years, when he was known as Richard Jenkins, and Jones is Philip Burton, the teacher who fostered his young student’s talent. So close would their bond grow that Jenkins would become Burton...

The news that Harry Lawtey would not be returning for the fourth season of HBO’s “Industry” left fans of the show set in London’s ruthless world of finance feeling less than chuffed. For three seasons, Lawtey played Robert Spearing, the Pierpoint banker with working-class roots who evolves into one of the show’s most empathetic characters: a banker with a conscience.

Mickey Down, who created “Industry” with Konrad Kay, told TheWrap that scheduling conflicts and Robert’s arc reaching its natural end led to the decision for Lawtey not to reprise his role. Lawtey stars in the upcoming film “Mr. Burton,” in which he plays young Richard Burton, and as the actor noted in a recent piece in The Telegraph, he will soon shoot “The Billion Dollar Spy,” a Cold War thriller starring Russell Crowe and directed by Amma Asante. (Production on “Industry” Season 4 begins this week.)

“We love Robert as a character.

Blue Harbor Entertainment and Angel Studios have debuted the full-length trailer for ‘The King of Kings, the new, faith-based film animation.

A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice.

The King of Kings invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love, and redemption through the eyes of a child.

The movie features Oscar Isaac who will voice Jesus, Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas, Forest Whitaker as Peter, Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate and Roman Griffin Davis as Walter Dickens. Seong-ho ‘Jay’ Jang directs.

Also in trailers – Toby Jones & Lesley Manville star in trailer for the bio-pic ‘Mr Burton’

The animation is set for a U.

"This is the chance to establish yourself as a classical actor in the most prestigious theater in the world." Icon Films has revealed an official UK trailer for an indie drama titled Mr Burton, made by filmmaker Marc Evans and set for an April release in UK + Ireland cinemas. Not to be confused with the painter biopic Mr. Turner. The film tells of the early days of Welsh actor Richard Burton, and how a teacher helped inspire him to be the talented artist he became. Based on a remarkable true story, discover how the poor son of a miner became one of the greatest actors the world has ever known, with the help of an unlikely mentor. Mr Burton tells the story of the wild school boy Rich Jenkins, son of a boozy miner and an English teacher who recognized his talent. A moving, untold story of how Rich Jenkins...

Icon Film has debuted a trailer for the early-life bio-pic ‘Mr Burton,’ based on the early-life of the legendary iconic actor and husband of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton.

Based on a remarkable true story, discover how the poor son of a miner became one of the greatest actors the world has ever known, with the help of an unlikely mentor.

In the Welsh town of Port Talbot, 1942, Richard Jenkins lives as a wayward schoolboy, caught between the pressures of his struggling family, a devastating war, and his own ambitions. However, a new opportunity arises when Richard’s natural talent for drama catches the attention of his teacher, Philip Burton.

Taking Richard under his wing, the young man thrives thanks to Philip’s strict tutelage and the guidance of kindly landlady, Ma Smith. However, as the acting world comes within Richard’s reach, the burden of his past risks holding him back forever.

Exclusive: Sky has reset its awards team with Charlotte Mardon-Heath upped to become Head of Awards & Original Brands Lead and Elisa Christophe joining this week as Senior Awards Manager across film and TV.

Comcast-owned Sky is coming off hit TV Original The Day Of The Jackal, with Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, while Kate Winslet-starring feature Lee was BAFTA longlisted in four categories last week including Outstanding British Film and Leading Actress. Redmayne was Golden Globe-nominated.

As we revealed late last year, Lee also became Sky’s best performer at the UK box office.

Mardon-Heath, who joined Sky in 2022 having previously worked at Netflix and Entertainment One, was promoted to lead the awards team late last year and is responsible for setting the overall awards strategy for Sky’s series and films, including campaigning, submissions and talent relations, while continuing to work across original brands for Sky Studios titles.

Richard Burton was one of the most celebrated actors of the mid-20th century. Mr. Burton is an upcoming film that will trace some of his earliest days before he rose to prominence. Deadline reveals that Harry Lawtey has been cast to play a young version of the character. Toby Jones and Lesley Manville are also part of the film, set in Wales, where Burton was born and raised. Production will begin sometime in July, with a 2025 release date in mind to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Burton's birth he was born on November 10, 1925.