UK-Ireland Box Office Set for Exciting Week with ‘The Wild Robot’, ‘Smile 2’ and ‘The Apprentice’

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Film Releases this Weekend

Universal Animation Leads the Way at the Box Office

Universal’s animation feature The Wild Robot is opening in 675 locations, and it’s set to lead the new releases at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend, alongside Paramount’s Smile 2 and Studiocanal’s The Apprentice.

Chris Sanders’ The Wild Robot is a service robot who forms relationships with the local wildlife after being shipwrecked on an uninhabited island. The film features a star-studded voice cast, including Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Stephanie Hsu, Mark Hamill, and Catherine O’Hara.

The film has already proven a box office hit abroad, topping the global charts last week to bring its total up to $150m. Its biggest competition will be fellow Universal title Despicable Me 4, which is still going strong after 14 weeks of release.

Crack a Smile

Paramount’s Smile 2 is also out this weekend, creeping its way into 606 cinemas. The sequel to 2022 horror Smile centres around a popstar, played by Naomi Scott, who begins experiencing escalating horrors and must confront her past.

The 2022 title opened in 518 locations with £1.5m and went on to top nearly £12m. This second instalment will hope to build on its success and the Halloween release window.

Other Releases

• Studiocanal’s The Apprentice, starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, premieres in 527 UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend.
• Japanese animation My Hero Academia: You’re Next opens in 270 venues, based on Kōhei Horikoshi’s manga series.
• Trafalgar Releasing has a host of titles, including Grounded – Met Opera 2024, Taeyong: TY Track In Cinemas, and Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers Beach Party.
• Magnetes Pictures is releasing Polish boxing drama Kulej. Dwie Strony Medalu in 79 locations.
• French comedy The Crime Is Mine opens in 54 venues, produced by François Ozon.

Documentaries

• TAPE Collective is opening documentary Milisuthando in nine cinemas, which explores the filmmaker’s relationship with South Africa and the apartheid.
• Other documentaries include Since Yesterday: The Untold Story Of Scotland’s Girl Bands, Studio One Forever, T
  

  he Remarkable Life Of Ibelin, and The Rubber-Keyed Wonder.

Classic Re-Release

• Park Circus is re-releasing the 1976 horror classic Carrie.
• Family film Hey Duggee is 10 is also out this week.
• Irish drama Kathleen Is Here premieres via Break Out Pictures.

Holdover

• Paramount’s Transformers One remains the key holdover title.