Sony horror 28 Years Later and Disney animation Elio will hope to lure audiences into UK and Irish cinemas over what is expected to be a heatwave
Sony horror 28 Years Later and Disney animation Elio will hope to lure audiences into UK and Irish cinemas over what is expected to be a heatwave weekend.
Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later leads the charge in 707 sites for Sony.
The third film in the post-apocalyptic horror franchise comes 23 years after Boyle’s 28 Days Later, which opened on £1.5m and grossed £6.4m at the box office in 2002 as well as being a surprise hit internationally, taking $83m worldwide. In 2007, the Juan Carlos Fresnadillo-directed sequel 28 Weeks Later debuted in the UK with £1.6m from 401 screens for a cume of £5.4m.
As a director, Boyle has a forceful track record in the territory. His previous feature, 2019’s Yesterday, opened on £2.1m and went on to take £13.7m while his biggest hit remains 2009’s Slumdog Millionaire (£1.8m opening, £31.7m total).
Laying the groundwork for an expected trilogy – the second of which, The Bone Temple, arrives in January 2026 – 28 Years Later stars Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a couple living in an isolated community on an island off the coast of England. Alex Garland penned the screenplay, having written the original. Further cast includes Ralph Fiennes and newcomer Alfie Williams.
Can Disney continue its winning streak?
Next up is Disney’s latest Pixar title Elio, which launches in 599 locations.
The family animation will have a tough act to follow after last year’s Inside Out 2 opened on £11.3m from 684 sites, going on to become the highest-grossing film of the year in the territory with £59.2m.
There’s also fellow Disney sequel Moana 2, which debuted with an even bigger £12m in December 2024, while live-action remake Lilo & Stitch is still riding high at the box office with £33.2m after just four weeks.
Elio will have the disadvantage of not being a sequel or adapted IP as the original story centres on an 11-year-old boy who is abducted by aliens and mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe. Zoe Saldana is among the voice cast. Directors are Adrian Molina, Madeline Sharafian and Domee Shi.
Elsewhere, Indian sports drama Sitaare Zameen Par launches in 181 cinemas via AA Films.
Curzon continues its Michael Haneke season with 2005 neo-noir Hidden out in 16 venues. The thriller centres on a Parisian family who receive tapes showing their house is under surveillance.
Sovereign Films is rolling out Tunisian drama Red Path. Directed by Lotfi Achour, the film follows a 14-year-old who is forced to carry home the head of his cousin after being attacked by jihadists. Festival screenings include Locarno, Vancouver and Thessaloniki.
Further releases include food and drink documentary A Sip Of Irish via Swipe Films; female prison doc Holloway through Beehive Films; and Indian thriller Kuberaa via Dreamz Entertainment.
Key holdover titles include How To Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.
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