Paramount’s animated feature Smurfs leads this week’s releases in the UK and Ireland, opening in 596 sites today. Smurfs reboots the blue creat
Paramount’s animated feature Smurfs leads this week’s releases in the UK and Ireland, opening in 596 sites today.
Smurfs reboots the blue creature universe after Sony’s final Smurfs film: 2017’s Smurfs: The Lost Village, which opened to £1.4m and ended on £6.1m. Paramount will be aiming to reverse the diminishing returns across the franchise: 2013’s The Smurfs 2 started with £3.2m and closed on £12.4m, while first title The Smurfs opened with £3.8m and closed on £17.4m in 2011.
The modern Smurfs voice cast includes Rihanna as Smurfette, John Goodman as Papa Smurf, James Corden as ’No Name’ Smurf, and Nick Offerman as Ken (also a Smurf). The musical film follows the Smurfs attempting to rescue Papa from Gargamel’s brother and fellow wizard, Razamel.
Another franchise reboot, horror feature I Know What You Did Last Summer, launches in 502 cinemas via Sony. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson directs the 21st-century update of the 1997 slasher of the same name, which opened to £691,166 and closed on £4.4m. Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders and Jonah Hauer-King star in the modern version.
By way of comparison, fellow 90s horror reboot Scream started with £2.5m from 622 sites in 2022; while sequel Scream VI opened to £2.4m across 624 sites a year later. Robinson’s previous directorial feature, Do Revenge, was released on Netflix in 2022.
In addition to Smurfs, Paramount is also distributing comedy Friendship, which will play in 161 sites. Writer-director Andrew DeYoung’s feature debut stars Tim Robinson from US sketch show I Think You Should Leave, alongside Paul Rudd, Kata Mara and Jack Dylan Grazer. Rudd plays Austin, a suburbanite trying to live an fascinating life, who is drawn into a strange friendship with his awkward neighbour Craig (Robinson).
Polly Steele’s romantic drama Four Letters of Love opens in 145 locations through Vertigo Releasing. Led by 2021 Screen Star of Tomorrow Ann Skelly alongside Helena Bonham-Carter, Pierce Brosnan, Fionn O’Shea and Gabriel Byrne, the film tells the story of two people destined to fall in love, and the vicissitudes of fate that bring them together. Set on both Irish islands and the mainland, this is the third fiction feature from director Steele, after 2001’s Women Talking Dirty, and 2017’s Let Me Go.
Harvest time
Mubi is releasing folk-mystery Harvest in 30 cinemas from today. Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari’s English-language debut premiered in competition at Venice last year, going on to play Toronto and Mumbai. Producers include Nickel Boys producer and co-writer Joslyn Barnes; and Rebecca O’Brien of the UK’s Sixteen Films.
This week also sees the re-release of Kubrick’s 1975 historical epic Barry Lyndon in 63 sites by Park Circus; and a BFI re-release of 1999 UK comedy Human Traffic, which opened on Wednesday 16th and will play in 72 sites over the weekend.
Punjabi comedy Sarbala Ji opens in 65 locations through AA Films. Gippy Grewal and Ammy Virk star in the story of a confused wedding. Courthouse comedy Flask starts in 11 locations via Berkshire Dreamhouse, and father-son drama Junior opens in eight sites, distributed by DreamZ Entertainment.
The Ballad of Suzanne Cesaire opens in three sites today through Tape Collective. The experimental biopic pieces together stories from the life of the titular French artist, re-examining not only her artwork but the role she played in her community in Martinique.
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is conducting a circumscribed release for Portuguese romantic drama Gold Songs.
Key holdovers this week include Superman, Jurassic World Rebirth, and F1.
COMMENTS