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Rank Film (origin)DistributorFeb 21-23 gross Total Week 1 Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (UK-Fr-us) Universal £6.9m £27.3m 2 2 Captain America: Brave New World (US) Disney £2.9m £13.2m 2 3 Dog Man (US) Universal £2m £11m 3 4 The Monkey (US) Black Bear £1m £1.1m 1 5 Mufasa: The Lion King (US) Disney £585,083 £32.3m 10

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.26

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy has topped £27m after just two weekends at the UK-Ireland box office; as Black Bear’s The Monkey climbed into the top five on its first outing.

Universal’s Mad About The Boy added £6.9m on its second session – a relatively slim...

Jason Statham’s upcoming film Mutiny has now been given a release date, according to Deadline. Lionsgate has given the new action thriller an opening on January 9, 2026. That weekend is currently not sporting competition from any other films, but it will be following up the opening week of Universal’s M3GAN spin-off Soulm8te, which could be its only formidable challenge at the box office after the popularity of the original M3GAN.

Lionsgate, MadRiver, and Punch Palace are teaming up to release the film in theaters. Lindsay Michel and J.P. Davis wrote the screenplay for Mutiny, with principal photography beginning last September in the UK. Statham produces through his newly-founded Punch Palace Productions, with Marc Butan via his MadRiver Pictures studio.

In Mutiny, after his billionaire industrialist boss is murdered in front of him, Cole Reed is set up to take the fall for the crime— leaving him on the run...

BAFTA weekend is upon us, and with it the annual flurry of pre- and post-awards cocktail receptions, dinners and swanky soirées to celebrate nominees, winners and the industry as a whole. (Scroll down for a list of events.)

The BAFTA Film Awards will be handed out on Sunday evening in London at a ceremony hosted by David Tennant and beginning at 5pm local time – Deadline will be on the red carpet and inside Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall to cover the proceedings. The ceremony will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 7pm local. In the U.S., Britbox is airing the Film Awards from 11am Pt/2pm Et.

On the road to Sunday, and through the wee hours of Monday morning, there will be champagne flowing in Central London with oodles of talent expected in town for a well-heeled weekend party crawl.

There was unsettling news on...

Noah Segal, co-founder and co-president of Canadian indie powerhouse Elevation Pictures, is taking meetings in Berlin as the company ramps up an ambitious production slate to make between three to five features and one series a year.

The slate is led by Jordan Tannahill’s Canadian-uk medieval horror Rapture, set in a remote English monastery and ready to shoot later this year with a significant portion of production taking place in Hungary. It is being made with US outfit 2Am, producer of Babygirl and Past Lives,both of which Elevationdistributed in Canada.

Backed by Teddy Schwarzman’s Black Bear, Elevation...

Exclusive: Bill Nighy is in talks to star in Clifftops, a Hugo Blick series for the BBC set in a nostalgia-soaked 1970s trailer park overlooking the English Channel.

Deadline hears that The English writer has teamed with Drama Republic, the producer behind Netflix’s One Day, to create the six-part series, which sources said has the wit of The Royle Family and the emotional clout of The Grapes of Wrath.

Clifftops centers on a mother and daughter who escape an abusive husband to set up a home away from civilization. On the clifftops, Lela is reunited with her Bradford-born parents in a community of outcasts, set to the soundtrack and TV culture of its day.

The BBC declined to comment on the series. Nighy’s agent at Independent Talent has been contacted for comment. Blick is also repped by Independent Talent.

Nighy, Oscar-nominated for his role in Living, is currently...

Screen International is keeping track of the key packages launched before and during the 2025 European Film Market, which runs February 13-19.

Refresh the page for latest updates. Listed in alphabetical order.

Arctic Skies

Morfydd Clark and Ariyon Bakare star in this UFO thriller, to be shot at Steven Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham. Writer-directors Elliot and Zander Weaver. Their Elliander Pictures are producing with Lowkey Films.

Int’l sales: Independent Entertainment

Bad Boy

From the producers of Longlegs and M3gan comes a serial killer project financed by C2 in which a dog is the hero. Ke Huy Quan...

Statham would recently get promoted to the lead in the fourth Expendables film, which was directed by Scott Waugh. Now, Deadline reports that Statham will be working with the director’s brother, Ric Roman Waugh, whose credits include Greenland, Snitch and Angel Has Fallen. The film will be an action thriller that is currently untitled, but the film is now being said to be underway in the U.K. and Ireland for Black Bear. The company introduced the film to the Cannes market, co-representing the U.S. rights with Range Select, and plans to take it to the European Film Market.

The untitled action-thriller is based on a script by Ward Parry with revisions by Christian Contreras. Not much is known about the film, but the description of the movie’s plot says Statham “will play a man pulled back towards the ghosts of his violent past.” Statham will be...

Exclusive: Black Bear is underway in the UK and Ireland on their untitled Jason Statham action-thriller, which is confirmed today as being directed by Ric Roman Waugh (Greenland).

Joining Statham are newcomer Bodhi Rae Breathnach (upcoming Hamnet), Oscar nominee Bill Nighy (Living), BAFTA winner Naomi Ackie (Blink Twice), and BAFTA nominee Daniel Mays (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).

Based on a script by Ward Parry with revisions by Christian Contreras and Parry, we broke news of the project back in Cannes where Black Bear introduced it to the market, co-representing the U.S. rights with Range Select. Baltasar Kormakur was previously attached to direct but had to exit. Black Bear will continue sales at the EFM.

Producers on the picture include Statham (The Beekeeper) for Punch Palace Productions, John Friedberg (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) for Black Bear, Brendon Boyea (Kandahar) for Cinemachine, and Jon Berg (Wonder Woman) and...

As the European Film Market kicks off Feb. 13 in Berlin with a new market head, Tanja Meissner, at the helm, this year’s buzziest titles suggest the industry will be looking toward tried-and-true genre fare and splashy, star-driven packages to thaw the winter chill.

Bankable stars are expected to heat things up in Berlin, with Ari Aster and A24’s “Eddington”, Guy Ritchie’s “Wife & Dog”, Ernest Dickerson’s untitled hitman thriller and Kantemir Balagov’s “Butterfly Jam” showcasing how marquee names remain a safe bet as uncertainty continues to reign in the theatrical market.

On the genre side of things, horror is still expected to scare up sales, with buyers looking to sink their fangs into Isabelle Huppert’s 16th-century vampire mystery “The Blood Countess” and Jacob Chase’s killer canine genre-bender “Bad Boy,” starring Ke Huy Quan and Lili Reinhart. Meanwhile, comedy could be making a comeback,...

UK-Ireland box office for January 2025 was up 10% on the same period from the previous year, boosted by new releases Nosferatu and A Complete Unknown.

The five-week period from January 3 to February 6, 2025 brought in £94.1m, compared to £85.2m in 2024, according to figures from Comscore. This was pushed by an especially strong start to the month, that saw the first week up 36% and second week up 22%.

This is the third consecutive month when takings have been up on the year before, having been up a huge 95% in November 2024, then 21% up in December.

UK-Ireland January 2025 top 10 Title (origin) Distributor Release date 3/1/25-6/2/25 total...

Good afternoon Insiders, Max Goldbart here penning the newsletter after another busy week. Read on. And sign up here.

‘Emilia’s Awards Chances…

A week is a long time: Last time I penned this very newsletter we led with the headline ‘Emilia’s Oscar March’. Not the same story this week. An unprecedented situation has played out over the past seven days during which the initial frontrunner for multiple (and possibly record-breaking) Oscar wins has been seeing its chances go up in smoke. This is due to Emilia Pérez lead Karla Sofía Gascón’s highly offensive and frankly vile tweets unearthed from several years back, which first emerged late last week. You’ve likely all seen the tweets, but what has happened since is the film’s maker, co-stars and crew trying to tout the film in spite of, not because of, its lead. At the same time, Gascón’s...

James Norton, Paddy Considine and Pip Torrens have joined the cast of Guy Ritchie’s ‘Wife & Dog’ for Black Bear.

The trio join the previously announced cast of Cosmo Jarvis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins.

Plot details are thin on the ground but the project will explore the colourful and backstabbing world of the British upper classes.

Also in news – Jake Gyllenhaal set to star in M. Night Shyamalan thriller

Ritchie has penned the screenplay and will also serve as a producer alongside long-time producing partner, Ivan Atkinson and Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Executive producers include Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler for Black Bear, and Louise Killin.

The post James Norton & Paddy Considine join Guy Ritichie’s ‘Wife & Dog’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

On Super Bowl Sunday, February 9th, horror fans will have their own halftime show dedicated to the genre. Osgood Perkins, the writer and director of Neon’s upcoming horror film The Monkey, and star Elijah Wood, will join the Dead Meat hosts James A. Janisse and Chelsea Rebecca for the first-ever Horror Halftime Show.

Taking inspiration from John Madden, the late legendary football coach and sports commentator, Dead Meat’s Horror Halftime Show will be the ultimate twisted event for horror fans to celebrate the past year of exceptional horror filmmaking.

Just as Madden would analyze replays, Perkins, Wood, Janisse and Rebecca will review top horror films, kills, and scares complete with slow-motion, frame-by-frame commentary. The inaugural show promises to deliver a bloody good time with the gnarliest horror scenes and plenty of comedy.

Dead Meat’s Horror Halftime Show will air live on Sunday, February 9th on the Dead...

James Norton, Paddy Considine and Pip Torrens have joined the ensemble cast for Guy Ritchie’s Wife & Dog, which has started production for Black Bear.

Cosmo Jarvis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins were earlier announced for the movie that sees Ritchie return to the colorful, back-stabbing world of the British aristocracy. Ritchie also wrote the screenplay and he produces alongside long-time partner Ivan Atkinson (The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man) and Black Bear’s John Friedberg.

Norton as a diverse film and TV actor appeared in the BAFTA-nominated role as Tommy Lee Royce in the BBC series Happy Valley. Considine had a breakthrough role in the 1999 film A Room for Romeo Brass, by director Shane Meadows and also has credits like Dead Man’s Shoes, The Bourne Ultimatum and Hot Fuzz. Torrens played Tommy Lascelles in Netflix’s The Crown.

Ritchie is best known as a director for credits like...

A trio of U.K. stars have joined Guy Richie’s “Wife & Dog,” rounding out the cast of the director’s next adventure into the colourful and backstabbing world of the British upper classes (which he recently explored in “The Gentleman” film and TV series).

James Norton, Paddy Considine and Pip Torrens will star in the feature, now in production, joining the previously announced Cosmo Jarvis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins.

“Wife & Dog” — first announced by Variety — was written by Ritchie, who also produces alongside long-time producing partner, Ivan Atkinson and Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Executive producers include Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler for Black Bear, and Louise Killin. Black Bear launched sales on the title in Cannes last year, and the film marks the company’s third collaboration with Ritchie and Atkinson following “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and “In the Grey.”

The film...

Wife & Dog, the next film from Guy Ritchie (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare), has added four to round out its principal cast: Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun), James Norton (Bob Marley: One Love), Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon) and Pip Torrens (The Crown).

Details as to the film’s plot remain under wraps, though the project is described as a “return to the colourful, back-stabbing world of the British aristocracy” explored by Ritchie in his film and TV series, The Gentlemen. As previously announced, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins lead the ensemble. Production kicked off in the UK today.

Script is by Ritchie, who is also producing alongside long-time producing partner, Ivan Atkinson, and Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Exec producers include Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler for Black Bear, as well as Louise Killin. Black Bear...

Netflix is buying the Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones drama Train Dreams out of the Sundance Film Festival. Sources tell us that the deal is in the high-teen millions. The pic made its debut in the Premieres section of the fest.

Train Dreams is based on the 2011 Denis Johnson novella and directed by Oscar nominee Clint Bentley, who co-adapted the script with Greg Kwedar. It follows Robert Grainer, an average man living in extraordinary times who works as a day laborer in the American West at the beginning of the 20th century. Battered by the death of his family, he struggles to adjust to this new environment.

Deadline first told you about the first deal out of Sundance: Neon’s $15 million global pickup of Michael Shanks’ horror movie Together starring Dave Franco, Alison Brie and Damon Herriman. Both deals were brokered by WME Independent.

Black Bear and Kamala Films produced Train Dreams with Marissa McMahon,...

Richard J. Bosner has been a producer on several films over the years, including Fruitvale Station, Black Bear, and Paint, and now he has made his feature directorial debut with the horror film Devoted, based on a short film called Devotee, which he made last year. Variety reports that Bosner assembled a strong cast for the film, including Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Skeet Ulrich (Scream), Elizabeth Marvel (Helstrom), Lin Shaye (Insidious), Alicia Sanz (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series), and Nick Stahl (Carnivale).

Now making its way through post-production, Devoted is produced by Bosner, along with Robert Ogden Barnum, Eric Binns, and Carissa Knol. Danny Chan, Dana Guerin, John Frank Rosenblum, Matt Rhodes, Tyler Transki, Michael Sklut, and Sam Maydew serve as executive producers.

The story centers on a woman (Suvari), who takes guardianship of her estranged sister (Marvel), the only survivor of a recent mass cult suicide. Yet her...

Richard J. Bosner is making his directorial debut with Devoted, a new horror film featuring a strong cast. Mena Suvari, Skeet Ulrich, Elizabeth Marvel, Lin Shaye, Alicia Sanz, and Nick Stahl have all signed on for the project.

The movie tells the unsettling story of a woman, played by Suvari, who takes in her estranged sister (Marvel). Her sister is the only survivor of a mass cult suicide, and what starts as a hopeful reunion quickly turns into a nightmare. As her sister’s dark influence grows, the woman and her husband (Ulrich) find their lives spiraling into terror.

Bosner, known for producing Fruitvale Station and Black Bear, is directing and writing Devoted, which is based on his short film Devotee. The short premiered at the 2024 HollyShorts Film Festival and was also featured at Beyond Fest.

Related: 12 Best Antichrist Movies & Why You Should Watch Each

Bosner shared his vision for...

Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Skeet Ulrich (Scream), and Elizabeth Marvel (“House of Cards”) will star in the upcoming horror film Devoted, Variety reports.

Lin Shaye (Insidious), Alicia Sanz (“From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series”), and Nick Stahl (Sin City) round out the cast.

The plot follows a woman (Suvari) who takes guardianship of her estranged sister (Marvel), the only survivor of a recent mass cult suicide. Yet her happiness at their reunion soon turns to terror as her sister’s influence turns her and her husband’s (Ulrich) life into a savage nightmare.

Fruitvale Station, Black Bear, and The Manor producer Richard J. Bosner writes and directs in his feature debut.

Bosner helmed a proof-of-concept short titled Devotee to generate interest in the feature. It premiered at HollyShorts Film Festival last year.

“Devoted weaves my passion for classic horror and the occult into a suspenseful exploration of fear and the...

Cosmo Jarvis, star of FX’s smash hit period series “Shōgun,” has landed a role in Guy Ritchie’s next film, “Wife & Dog.”

The Brit joins a heady lineup of names already confirmed for the feature, first announced by Variety last year and set to see Ritchie return to the colourful, backstabbing world of the British upper classes (doubling down on a subject he recently explored in “The Gentleman” film and TV series). Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins have been announced as leading the feature and, while plot details remain under wraps, Jarvis is understood to be to playing Hopkins’ son and Pike’s sister.

The “Wife & Dog” screenplay is written by Ritchie, who also produces alongside long-time producing partner, Ivan Atkinson and Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Executive producers include Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler for Black Bear.

After breaking out alongside Florence Pugh and...

Neon has released the official Red Band trailer for The Monkey, which is an upcoming comedy horror film based on the 1980 short story of the same name by Stephen King.

The Monkey is a new trip from Longlegs writer and director Osgood Perkins. It was produced by James Wan.

After stumbling upon their father’s vintage toy monkey in the attic, twin brothers Hal and Bill witness a string of horrifying deaths unfolding around them. In an attempt to leave the haunting behind, the brothers opt to discard the monkey and pursue separate paths over time.

However, when the inexplicable deaths resurface, the brothers are compelled to reconcile and embark on a mission to permanently eliminate the cursed toy.

The Monkey has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) for strong bloody violent content, gore, language throughout and some sexual references.

Based on the 1980 short story from Skeleton Crew,...

The trailer for The Monkey doesn’t monkey around. The two-minute trailer shows the creepy toy banging its little drum, leading to gruesome deaths.

Theo James (The White Lotus) leads a cast that includes Tatiana Maslany (She–Hulk: Attorney at Law), Elijah Wood (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency), and Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth). Colin O’Brien (Wonka), Rohan Campbell (The Hardy Boys), and Sarah Levy (Schitt’s Creek) also star.

“When twin brothers Hal and Bill discover their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths starts occurring all around them. The brothers decide to throw the monkey away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years,” reads Neon’s synopsis. “But when the mysterious deaths begin again, the brothers must reunite to find a way to destroy the monkey for good before it takes the lives of everyone close to them.”

Theo James...

Bafta has unveiled the nominations for its 2025 Film Awards, which will take place in London on Sunday, February 16.

Below are the lists of feature film nominationsby distributor, and for each film.

Nominations by distributor

Universal Pictures & Focus Features – 32

The Brutalist – 9

Anora – 7

Wicked – 7

Nosferatu – 5

The Wild Robot - 3

Monkey Man - 1

Netflix – 16

Emilia Perez - 11

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – 3

Daughters – 1

Will & Harper – 1

Black Bear – 15

Conclave – 12

Sing Sing – 3

Disney - 10

A Complete Unknown – 6

A Real Pain – 2

Inside Out 2 - 1

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – 1

Curzon Artificial Eye – 8

Kneecap – 6

Flow – 2

Warner Bros - 8

Dune: Part Two – 7

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story...

Universal is absolutely towering over the studios and streamers when it comes to this year’s BAFTA nominations.

Thanks to “The Brutalist” (nine nominations), “Anora” and “Wicked” (seven each), plus “Nosferatu” (five), “The Wild Robot” (three) and “Monkey Man” (one), Universal and its offshoot label Focus Features have amassed an astonishing 32 nominations in total, twice that of its nearest competitor, Netflix. The streamer landed 16 overall, led by the 11 from “Emilia Pérez.”

But Universal could have had five more had it not offloaded Coralie Fargeat’s body-horror “The Substance” before Cannes.

Further down, the nascent distributor Black Bear U.K. had a phenomenal year thanks to the 11 nominations for “Conclave”, and three for “Sing Sing.” Black Bear’s total of 12 was two up on Disney, which earned 10, most coming from Searchlight’s “A Complete Unknown.”

See the list of top-performing distributors below:

Universal Pictures & Focus Features (32)

“Anora” 7

“The Brutalist” 9

“Monkey Man...

The 2025 BAFTA Film Awards nominations are in, and Netflix’s Emilia Pérez is among the films leading the way with 11 nods, just behind Black Bear’s Vatican drama Conclave, directed by Edward Berger, with 12. In the animated and kids area, Netflix’s Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl was also one of the top nominations earners with three.

But it was a different name that topped a list of most-nominated studios/distributors, provided by BAFTA on Wednesday: Universal Pictures and Focus Features, which scored noms for the likes of Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, Jn M. Chu’s Wicked, Sean Baker’s Anora, and Robert Eggers’s Nosferatu.

Smaller and emerging players also feature on the list of companies whose movies are in BAFTA contention.

“It’s such an exciting, really rangy year,” Anna Higgs, chair of BAFTA’s Film Committee told THR. “It’s such an amazing field of players – big studios,...

The BAFTA Film Awards nominations were revealed this afternoon in London, with a mix of titles from studios (and their specialty labels), indies and streamers spread out across the field again this year. All nominations are led by Edward Berger’s Conclave which scored 12 total. In the UK, the papal election thriller is released by Black Bear which nabbed a total 15 nods (including three for Sing Sing). Conclave is a Focus title in North America. (Scroll down for scorecards by film and distributor.)

Combined, Focus and parent studio Universal landed a leading 32 nominations as distributor for such movies as The Brutalist (nine), Anora (seven), Wicked (seven), Nosferatu (five), The Wild Robot (three) and Monkey Man (one).

Related: 2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More

Netflix had a better showing this year than last, with Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez the second most nominated feature at 11, including...

Edward Berger’sConclaveand Jacques Audiard’sEmilia Perezlead the films nominated for the 2025 Bafta Film Awards, with 12 and 11 nominations respectively.

Papal dramaConclaveis nominated for awards including best film, outstanding British film, director, leading actor for Ralph Fiennes and supporting actress for Isabella Rossellini.

Mexico-set musicalEmilia Perezis up for best film, director, leading actress for Karla Sofia Gascon and supporting actress for both Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana.

Scroll down for the full list of nominations

Forty-two films are nominated across the 23 feature categories, with nine nominations for Brady Corbet’sThe Brutalistincluding best film, director, leading actor for Adrien Brody and supporting...

Blumhouse's Wolf Man follows Blake (Christopher Abbott), who inherits his estranged father's farmhouse after he has disappeared and is presumed dead. It doesn't take long before a terrifying ordeal occurs, which causes him to be bitten by a wild animal. He then starts acting strangely himself, putting his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) at risk.

Wolf Man is directed by Leigh Whannell, who has previously impressed audiences with Blumhouse's take on Universal Monsters thanks to The Invisible Man. The new movie's star, Abbott, is a Golden Globe nominee who made his feature film debut in Martha Marcy May Marlene. His other notable films include Hello I Must Be Going, The Sleepwalker, Poor Things, It Comes at Night, and Black Bear. Wolf Man comes to theaters on January 17.

Related Wolf Man Reboot: Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know About The Blumhouse Monster Movie

Blumhouse's Wolf Man reboot has been a long-gestating project,...

UK and Ireland box office takings in 2024 hold steady, but sequels dominate the top ten chart for the year. More here.

The official numbers are in for UK cinema takings in 2024, and for the second time since the first lockdowns of 2020, the total number eclipsed the £1bn mark. This is still a fair way down from the £1.35bn of 2019, but a fair way up from the £597m of 2021.

According to official numbers released by Comscore in the UK, the number of new cinema releases increased over 2023, from 1015 to 1114, and the number of what are declared ‘saturation’ releases (think: shedloads of screens) was up from 176 to 200 (higher even than 2019).

The total take in cinemas was a smidge down on 2023, falling around £3m, which in the grand scheme of things is negligible when the overall number is measured in billions. Very cautious optimism might even be allowed.

Furthermore, the official top ten...

In December, the UK and Ireland box office made £115.5 million ($143.5 million), a good end to 2024. This number is a big 21% rise compared to December 2023. The region kept its annual total of £1.06 billion ($1.31 billion), 8% more than in 2022, thanks to a strong performance in December.

Jon M. Chu’s version of “Wicked” was the biggest hit at the box office in December, making £23.2 million to stay on top for the second month. With this win, the movie made a total of £55.6 million, making it the third most successful movie of 2024. Only “Inside Out 2” ($59.2 million) and “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($57.8 million) have made more. “Wicked” is now the third most successful musical ever in the region, after “Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!” (£65.6 million) and “Wonka” (£63.5 million).

Disney also showed its strength at the box office with “Moana 2,” which came in second place in December and made £21.8 million. The total lifetime gross...

A strong December boosted the total UK-Ireland box office for 2024 to £1.06bn – almost exactly level with that of 2023 and 8% up on 2022.

December 2024 was 21% up on the year before, with a £115.6m total (up from £95.5m).

Overall for 2025, the UK and Ireland was down just £3m (0.2%) down. This represented an impressive recovery from the start of August, when year-on-year box office was down 15%; and was still 10% down as recently as the start of November.

Universal’s Wicked provided around one-fifth of the December total, with £23.2m across the month. Starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the musical blockbuster is now up...

Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” raced to the top of the U.K. and Ireland box office with a £11.7 million ($14.7 million) opening weekend, according to numbers from Comscore.

In its second weekend, Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” continued to draw audiences, adding £4.2 million for a cumulative total of £12.6 million.

Universal’s “Wicked” stayed in third place with a solid £2.7 million in its sixth week. The musical adaptation has now reached £53 million. Meanwhile, Disney’s “Moana 2” earned £2.2 million in its fifth frame, bringing its total to £33.7 million.

“Better Man,” the Robbie Williams biopic from Entertainment Film Distributors, debuted in fifth place with £1.5 million, marking a respectable start for the music-centered drama. Studiocanal’s “Paddington in Peru” added £819,038 in its eighth week, pushing its total to more than £33 million.

Paramount’s “Gladiator II” followed in seventh with £561,662, for a cumulative total of £30.3 million after seven weeks. Black Bear’s...

Screenis listing the 2024 release dates for films in the UK and Ireland in the calendar below.

For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch withScreenhere.Screenis also running a calendar for festival and market dates throughout 2025here.

January

Wednesday, January 1

Nosferatu(Universal),2073(Altitude),Vanangaan(DJ Tech),Game Changer(Dreamz),We Live In Time(Studiocanal)

Friday, January 3

Nickel Boys(Curzon),Rocco And His Brothers(BFI),Diabel(Magnetes)

Wednesday, January 8

A Real Pain(Disney)

Friday, January 10

Babygirl(Efd),The Girl With The Needle(Mubi),Maria(Studiocanal),The Damned(Vertical/Miracle),It’s Raining Men...

Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Dec 6-8) Total gross to date Week 1. Moana 2(Disney) £6.9m £21.5m 2 2. Wicked(Universal) £5.3m £37.7m 3 3. Gladiator II(Paramount) £1.6m £26.6m 4 4. Paddington In Peru(Studiocanal) £1.2m £29m 5 5. André Rieu’s 2024 Christmas Concert: Gold and Silver(Piece of Magic) £1m £1m 1

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.28

Tentpoles continued to dominate the UK and Ireland box office this weekend with Moana 2 leading the charge while Andre Rieu’s latest event release cracked the top five.

Moana 2dropped 43% in its second weekend with £6.9m, meaning the Disney sequel has so far taken £21.5m. Despite opening ahead ofInside...

Rank Film (distributor) Three-day gross (Dec 6-8) Total gross to date Week 1. Moana 2(Disney) £6.9m £21.5m 2 2. Wicked(Universal) £5.3m £37.7m 3 3. Gladiator II(Paramount) £1.6m £26.6m 4 4. Paddington In Peru(Studiocanal) £1.2m £29m 5 5. André Rieu’s 2024 Christmas Concert: Gold and Silver(Piece of Magic) £1m £1m 1

Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.28

Tentpoles continued to dominate the UK and Ireland box office this weekend with Moana 2 leading the charge while Andre Rieu’s latest event release cracked the top five.

Moana 2dropped 43% in its second weekend with £6.9m, meaning the Disney sequel has so far taken £21.5m. Despite opening ahead ofInside...

Black Bear has debuted a new trailer for ‘The Salt Path,’ the adaptation based on the bestselling memoir of the same name by Raynor Winn.

The film follows the true story of husband and wife, Raynor and Moth Winn’s 630-mile trek along the beautiful but rugged Cornish, Devon and Dorset coastline. After being forcibly removed from their home, they make the desperate decision to walk in the hope that, in nature, they will find solace and a sense of acceptance. With depleted resources, only a tent and some essentials between them, every step along the path is a testament to their growing strength and determination.

Directed by Marianne Elliott, the cast includes Jason Isaacs (the Harry Potter film series, The Death of Stalin, Operation Mincemeat) and Gillian Anderson (Sex Education, The Crown, The X-Files).

Also in trailers – Rachel Zegler & Gal Gadot star in trailer for Disney’s ‘Snow White...

"People here fight the elements... But when its touched you, when you let it be – you'll never be the same again." Black Bear has revealed an official UK trailer for an indie film called The Salt Path, adapted from the memoir of the same name. Set for release in UK cinemas in early 2025 - though no details yet on the US release. Based on Raynor Winn's bestselling book of the same name, The Salt Path tells the emotional and life-affirming story of a couple whose connection with the natural world helps them overcome challenges and ultimately reconnect with one another. After losing everything, Moth Winn and Raynor Winn decide to trek along all 630 miles of the South West Coast Path – the longest uninterrupted path in England, from Minehead to Poole around the coast of Devon, Cornwall, and Dorset. This is their story. Starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. We've...

Moana 2 takes to the seas at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend as the Disney sequel launches in 630 cinemas.

The sequel opens wider than the 533 venues of its predecessor back in 2016. That title debuted with a mild £2.2m but had a solid run overall, surpassing £20m.

Moana 2sees the eponymous islander, voiced by Auli‘i Cravalho, embark on a journey to find a mythical, lost island. Dwayne Johnson also returns to the voice cast while new additions include comedian Rose Matafeo and Hualalai Chung.

It will have fierce competition from Wicked, fresh from having the UK’s biggest...

"Agatha All Along” actress Aubrey Plaza, poses for a special holiday edition of “V Magazine”, photographed by Blair Getz Mezibov:

Plaza first starred as 'April Ludgate' on the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation" (2009–2015), and was featured in the FX drama series "Legion' (2017–2019).

She also appeared in the films "Mystery Team" (2009), "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010), "Life After Beth" (2014), "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" (2016), "The Little Hours" and "Ingrid Goes West" (2017), "An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn" (2018), "Child's Play" (2019), "Happiest Season" and "Black Bear” (2020).

Plaza also produced and starred in the film "Emily the Criminal", appeared in the feature "Spin Me Round" (2022) and Season 2 of the HBO TV series "The White Lotus".

Plaza can currently be seen in the 2024 feature “Megalopolis”.

Click the images to enlarge...

The fall festivals may be in the rearview, but there is still plenty of wheeling and dealing to be done. The latest: Bleecker Street announced Monday it has picked up the U.S. rights for David Mackenzie’s sharp and very entertaining TIFF premiere, “Relay.”

Starring Riz Ahmed, Lily James, and Sam Worthington, the “high-concept contemporary thriller” is a throwback to clever, classy films of yore. Even better: the distributor is planning a 2025 theatrical release for the film. Bleecker has purchased two fall premieres that did well on the fest circuit and beyond, with “Relay” joining Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s “The Friend” as a recent purchase.

Per Bleecker, the film follows Riz Ahmed as “a world class ‘fixer’ who specializes in brokering lucrative payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten their ruin. He keeps his identity a secret through meticulous planning and always follows an exacting set of rules.

Bleecker Street has picked up the U.S. rights to Relay, a gritty corporate whistleblowing thriller from director David MacKenzie that stars Riz Ahmed, Lily James and Sam Worthingon.

Written by Justin Piasecki, Relay stars Ahmed as a fixer who specializes in brokering deals between whistleblowers and endangered corporations. He keeps his identity a secret and follows an exacting set of rules, only to see a message from a potential client, played by James, have him seek protection as the rules of the game quickly change and a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase involving his latest client escalates.

After a world bow in Toronto, Bleecker Street has set a 2025 theatrical release for the film.

Relay was financed by Black Bear, which produces alongside Thunder Road Pictures and Sigma Films. Producers include Basil Iwanyk, Gillian Berrie, Teddy Schwarzman and MacKenzie. Executive producers are Michael Heimler, John Friedberg, Erica Lee and Charlie Morrison.

The...

Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins have joined the cast of Guy Ritchie’s forthcoming feature ‘Wife & Dog.’

Although plot details are firmly shut away in the top-secret vault, it is said that Ritchie will return to the colourful, backstabbing world of the British upper classes.

Also in news – Paramount Pictures & Scuderia Ferrari Hp partner for ‘Gladiator II’

Ritchie wrote the screenplay and produces alongside long-time partner Ivan Atkinsonand Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Executive producers for Black Bear include Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler.

The film marks the company’s third collaboration with Ritchie and Atkinson following “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and “In the Grey.”

The project will start principal photography in February 2025 in the UK.

The post Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike & Anthony Hopkins join Guy Ritchie’s ‘Wife & Dog’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.

The stars of Guy Ritchie‘s new movie have been announced!

On Tuesday (November 12), it was revealed that two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins and Oscar nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Rosamund Pike will be leading the 56-year-old Oscar-nominated filmmaker’s new movie Wife & Dog.

Keep reading to find out more…While plot details are being kept under wraps, Variety reports that the movie will see Guy “return to the colourful, backstabbing world of the British upper classes, doubling down on an subject he recently explored in The Gentleman film and TV series.”

The Wife & Dog screenplay is being written by Guy, who will also produce alongside long-time producing partner Ivan Atkinson and Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Executive producers include Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler for Black Bear.

In an interview from earlier this year, Benedict seemingly teased his return to Marvel!

Taron Egerton has joined Charlize Theron in Apex, a thriller that Baltasar Kormákur is directing for Netflix.

Details are being kept deep in the woods but the script centers on a rock climber and adrenaline junkie, played by Theron, who finds out that nature isn’t the only dangerous element out to get her when she sets out on an expedition in the wild.

Egerton will play a psychopath stalking his human prey (Aka, Theron).

Jeremy Robbins wrote the script, which Netflix picked up as spec project, before bringing on board Theron and Kormákur (Everest, Adrift).

Theron is producing the feature along with Dawn Olmstead, Beth Kono and Aj Dix via their recently-launched Secret Menu banner. Other producers include Ian Bryce; and Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and David Ready.

Egerton broke out on the big-screen with Matthew Vaughn’s comic book adaptation The Kingsman: The Secret Service...

Guy Richie has assembled an Oscar winner and two Oscar nominees to lead his next film, “Wife & Dog.”

Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins have been cast in the feature, which was first announced by Variety in May. While the plot is remaining under wraps, “Wife & Dog” will see Ritchie return to the colourful, backstabbing world of the British upper classes, doubling down on an subject he recently explored in “The Gentleman” film and TV series.

The screenplay is written by Ritchie, who also produces alongside long-time producing partner, Ivan Atkinsonand Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Executive producers include Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler for Black Bear.

Black Bear launched sales on “Wife & Dog” in Cannes earlier this year, and the film marks the company’s third collaboration with Ritchie and Atkinson following “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” and “In the Grey.” The picture will...

Guy Ritchie’s next feature, Wife & Dog, is set to star Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch, Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike and two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins.

Plot details are being kept under wraps on the movie, but it’s described as a “return to the colourful, back-stabbing world of the British aristocracy Richie explored in The Gentlemen film and TV series.”

Filming is due to start in February 2025 in the UK.

The screenplay is written by Ritchie, who also produces alongside longtime producing partner Ivan Atkinson and Black Bear’s John Friedberg. Executive producers include Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler for Black Bear.

Black Bear launched sales on the titles in Cannes earlier this year, and the film marks the company’s third collaboration with Ritchie and Atkinson following The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and In the Grey.

The movie was part of Black Bear’s busy AFM lineup alongside new...

$700 dollars to rent a coffee machine?

There were many topics of conversation at this year’s AFM, not least the market’s seismic switch from Santa Monica to Las Vegas and the (slightly more) seismic matter of the U.S. presidential elections, which just so happened to coincide with the first day of the event (in the swing swate of Nevada) on Nov. 5.

But there was also the matter of the various costs involved, including the somewhat eye-watering amount companies were being asked to pay should they want to offer guests coffee in their already expensively rented office rooms in the Palms.

Few sales companies Variety spoke made the splurge. Several — which shall not be named here — snuck their own machines in. Others stuck to water (a small bottle of which was going for about $6.50 in one hotel lobby).

But hideously expensive beverages are all well and good if buyers...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a man potentially becoming hoodwinked by unconventional spiritual practices at a "new-age retreat" in the upcoming horror movie Pendulum, to be written and directed by Black Swan writer Mark Heyman, reports Variety.

Pendulum revolves around a couple, Patrick (Gordon-Levitt) and Abigail, who attend a spiritual retreat in New Mexico after a traumatic event. Abigail finds herself drawn to the group's mysterious leader.

More details on the synopsis: "Patrick is willing to do anything to help his wife, but becomes distrustful of the retreat’s enigmatic leader even as Abigail falls under her spell. As paranoia builds, the couple must determine if the group’s unconventional spiritual practices offer genuine healing – or mask a terrifying truth that threatens to consume them both."

Gordon-Levitt has starred in many comedies and thrillers throughout the year, but Pendulum appears to be his first full-on horror movie. As for Heyman, he's best...

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is set to lead the horror feature “Pendulum,” written and directed by “Black Swan” scribe Mark Heyman.

The film will be produced by Darren Aronofsky for Protozoa, Jacob Jaffke (“MaXXXine,” “Dream Scenario”) for Motel Mojave and Dave Caplan (“Longlegs”) for C2, who will also fully finance. The picture will start principal photography in March 2025 in New Mexico, with Black Bear launching the project to buyers internationally.

In “Pendulum,” young couple Patrick (Gordon-Levitt) and Abigail journey to a new-age retreat in New Mexico, drawn by the possibility of healing after a traumatic event. Patrick is willing to do anything to help his wife, but becomes distrustful of the retreat’s enigmatic leader even as Abigail falls under her spell. As paranoia builds, the couple must determine if the group’s unconventional spiritual practices offer genuine healing – or mask a terrifying truth that threatens to consume them both.

A long-time collaborator of Aronofsky,...