ONSCREEN Magazine December 2022/February 2023

Things don’t get bigger than the sequel to the biggest film of all time so buckle up and go back to Pandora for an all-new adventure in Avatar: The Way Of Water. But that’s only where the unmissable experiences begin! Join Puss in Boots on his most epic quest yet to find The Last Wish and enter the Quantum Realm with Ant-Man and the Wasp as they kick-start Phase Five and a whole new era for the MCU.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody brings music legend Whitney Houston’s life story to the big screen and M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock At The Cabin follows a family facing an impossible choice. The cinema is the place to meet M3GAN, a creepy A.I. doll that will do anything to protect her BFF, and also where you’ll fall in love with the meanest man in the world, with Tom Hanks starring as A Man Called Otto.

More winter warmers await with culture-clashing instant-classic British romcom What’s Love Got To Do With It? and Channing Tatum’s erotic dancer turns up the heat for Magic Mike’s Last Dance. There’s even some love for cinema itself with a trio of great directors’ love letters to film and filmmaking. Start 2023 with a celebration of cinema in Sam Mendes’ Empire Of Light, Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. Until next time Lee Curtis Editor

MediCinema is a UK charity which builds and runs cinemas inside NHS hospitals. Our cinemas give patients the magical escape and power of a big screen movie, helping them to leave the reality of the wards and their medical conditions behind. And they can visit in their beds, wheelchairs and with medical equipment.

Emerging from the past two years, many more of us understand what it is like to feel isolated, both at work, home, and away from friends and family. But for hospital patients, it has been really hard. They have been more isolated on the wards than ever before with few or no visits from loved ones.

A visit to a MediCinema brings a sense of connection, shared experience, joy, and distraction – just like it does in your local cinema.

Lee & Max:

We were completely blown away when we walked into the MediCinema for the first time and saw that it was like any other cinema – just with additional spaces for hospital beds! I think it’s sheer madness that there’s a cinema like that within a hospital – it’s brilliant! ”

Tom:

I’ve been in and out of hospital receiving physical and mental health treatment Having the MediCinema is something that saved me from the very dark days. To be able to be taken away from the ward and drift into the depths of a film is invaluable. ”

Once Upon A Time

Puss in Boots is back! Pouncing into cinemas for a new adventure to find The Last Wish and restore his nine lives. As you prepare for a swashbuckling new chapter from the storybook of Shrek, we challenge you to identify the fairytale creatures from the clues below.

This fear-defying feline is a real fanfavourite, but his luck might be about to run out as he discovers he’s used eight of his nine lives.

A gigantic, green-skinned, terrifying ogre who is really quite the gentle giant.

A fearsome golden-haired bounty hunter who makes her debut in Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. Florence Pugh is voicing her, a casting decision that’s just right.

After giving up his dream of becoming a real boy, this puppet is content with a life with no strings attached.

Puss in Boots’ former nemesis turned partner in crime. She’s cute and cuddly when she wants to be, but watch out, this cat’s got claws!

Shrek’s always-upbeat and ohso talkative sidekick is the perfect companion for any quest from here to Far Far Away.

Cameron Diaz voices one of the most eligible bachelorettes in all the land who lifts her curse and becomes the fairestand fiercest - wife, mother, and princess of them all.

The Muffin Man broke the mould when he baked this one-of-a-kind creature who has a golden-brown body, frosting features, and gumdrop buttons.

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH

IN CINEMAS 3 FEBRUARY

Everyone’s favourite leche-loving, swashbuckling, feardefying feline returns. For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation presents a new adventure in the Shrek universe as daring outlaw Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for peril has taken its toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives and getting them back will send Puss on his grandest quest yet.

Puss embarks on an epic journey into the Black Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss will have to ask for help from his former partner and nemesis Kitty Soft Paws and a ratty, chatty, relentlessly cheerful mutt Perro. Together, our trio of heroes must stay ahead of Goldilocks and the Three Bears Crime Family, “Big” Jack Horner, and The Big Bad Wolf.

Antonio Banderas returns as the voice of the notorious PiB and leads an all-star comedic cast that includes Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, Anthony Mendez, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

IN CINEMAS 16 DECEMBER

Set more than a decade after the events of Avatar, the sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time continues the story of Jake Sully and Neytiri as they raise their family on Pandora. Explore previously unseen parts of the fantastical world in a visually stunning sequel that follows the family and the trouble that follows them, the lengths they must go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

From director James Cameron, Avatar: The Way Of Water stars Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Kate Winslet.

Directors Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado / Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone / Genre Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

Director James Cameron / Starring Zoe Saldaña, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver / Genre Adventure, Sci-Fi

KNOCK AT THE CABIN

IN CINEMAS 3 FEBRUARY

Director

While on holiday at a remote cabin, a young girl and her parents are taken hostage by four armed strangers who demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. With limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.

Based on the bestseller The Cabin At The End Of The World by Paul Tremblay, the new mind-bending mystery horror from visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan stars Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Nikki AmukaBird, Kristen Cui, Abby Quinn, and Rupert Grint.

Plane IN CINEMAS 27 JANUARY

Gerard Butler stars in a white-knuckle action thriller that sees pilot Brodie Torrance save his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. When most of his passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels, he turns to Louis Gaspare, an accused murderer who was being transported by the FBI, for help. Discovering there’s more to Gaspare than meets the eye, the unlikely allies team up to get everyone off of the island alive.

Till IN CINEMAS 6 JANUARY

A profoundly emotional and cinematic retelling of Mamie Till Mobley’s relentless pursuit of justice for her fourteen-year-old son, Emmett Till, who, in 1955, was lynched while visiting his cousins in Mississippi.

Missing IN CINEMAS 24 FEBRUARY

The sequel to the hit Screenlife thriller Searching follows a new set of characters who are caught in a mystery that unfolds on the screens of their devices.

M. Night Shyamalan / Starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Rupert Grint / Genre Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Violent Night

IN CINEMAS 2 DECEMBER

The Fabelmans

IN CINEMAS 27 JANUARY

IN CINEMAS 20 JANUARY

The bare-knuckle producers of John Wick, Deadpool 2, Nobody, and Bullet Train are back with a coal-dark Christmas action-comedy that says you should always bet on red. When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.

Inspired by Spielberg’s own childhood, this deeply personal portrait of twentiethcentury American adolescence tells the coming-of-age story of a sixteen-year-old aspiring filmmaker and his discovery of a shattering family secret. Co-written by Spielberg and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, and featuring an ensemble cast, the film explores how the power of movies helps us see the truth about each other and ourselves.

From

director

La

I Wanna Dance With Somebody

IN CINEMAS 26 DECEMBER

BAFTA-winner Naomi Ackie stars in a powerful and triumphant celebration of the incomparable Whitney Houston. The new musical biopic from the writer of Bohemian Rhapsody is a no-holds-barred portrait of the complex and multifaceted woman behind The Voice. From New Jersey choir girl to one of the best-selling and most awarded recording artists of all time, audiences are taken on an inspirational, poignant, and so emotional journey through Houston’s life and career, with show-stopping performances and a soundtrack of the music icon’s most beloved hits as you’ve never heard them before.

comes

original epic set in 1920s Los

Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania

IN CINEMAS 17 FEBRUARY

Superhero partners Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and the Wasp in the film that kicks off Phase Five of the MCU. Together, with Hope’s parents, they find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures, and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought possible. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer all return, with Kathryn Newton debuting as Scott’s daughter Cassie and Jonathan Majors

Director Kasi Lemmons / Starring Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie / Genre Biography, Drama

Director Peyton Reed / Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors / Genre Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

joining the adventure as Kang.

Director Steven Spielberg / Starring Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle / Genre Drama

Director Tommy Wirkola / Starring David Harbour, Alexis Louder, John Leguizamo / Genre Action, Comedy

Director Damien Chazelle / Starring Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt / Genre Comedy, Drama, History

the

of

La Land,

an

Angeles featuring an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, Babylon traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

MEET THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULES

ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL

IN CINEMAS 25 NOVEMBER

Director Matthew Warchus / Starring Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Emma Thompson, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Sindhu Vee / Genre Family, Fantasy, Musical

Matilda Wormwood is a little girl with big curiosity, a sharp mind, and a vivid imagination – and the worst parents in the world. While they’re loud, selfish, and unkind, and content themselves with trashy TV and dodgy moneymaking schemes, Matilda’s a quiet observer who loves to lose herself in the pages of her beloved books, thinking up cheeky and small acts of rebellion.

On meeting her inspirational teacher Miss Honey, Matilda is encouraged and begins conjuring her own fantastical tales, but is surprised to find her school is an ominous and oppressive place led by the villainous Miss Trunchbull.

Aided by the bright lights among the meanness and filled with an overwhelming sense of justice, Matilda dares to take a stand for what’s right and teach Trunchbull a lesson she won’t forget in a brand-new take on the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical based on Roald Dahl’s beloved story about an extraordinary young girl with an incredible gift.

True Haunting

IN CINEMAS 20 JANUARY

After unwittingly buying a haunted house, Ed and Marsha Becker are desperate for help so agree to an exorcism that will be shown live to millions of people across America. While the broadcast is a success, the exorcism isn’t and only makes things worse in a horror based on the true story of the world’s first televised exorcism.

Cocaine Bear

IN CINEMAS 24 FEBRUARY

Elizabeth Banks directs a bizarre caper inspired by the true story of a drug runner’s 1985 plane crash, missing cocaine, and the black bear that ate it. An oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converge in a Georgia forest where a five-hundred-pound predator has ingested a staggering amount of cocaine and gone on a coke-fuelled rampage for more blow...and blood.

Distant IN CINEMAS 10 FEBRUARY

Anthony Ramos and Naomi Scott star in a sci-fi comedy that sees an asteroid miner crash land on an alien planet and set out across the harsh terrain to find the only other known survivor, a woman trapped in her escape pod.

Tár

IN CINEMAS 13 JANUARY

The Whale

IN CINEMAS 3 FEBRUARY

Magic Mike’s Last Dance

IN CINEMAS 10 FEBRUARY

World-renowned composer/conductor Lydia Tár is the first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra. But, buried under her genius is a dark secret that threatens her career. As the tension builds, Tár begins to unravel in Todd Field’s compelling psychological drama set in the international world of classical music that examines the changing nature of power, its impact, and its durability in our modern world.

From the acclaimed director of Requiem For A Dream, The Wrestler, and Black Swan comes The Whale, the story of a reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity who tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last shot at redemption. Based on the acclaimed Samuel D. Hunter play, Aronofsky’s latest psychological drama features a powerful and transformational performance from Brendan Fraser.

Channing Tatum,

Soderbergh, and

Reid Carolin reunite for the third and final instalment of the blockbuster film franchise set in the world of exotic male dancing. Tatum returns to the leading role, that’s inspired by his own experiences, to continue the story of male stripper Mike Lane as he enters a new chapter in his life now he’s in a committed relationship.

LET LIFE IN FIND SOMEBODY TO LOVE

A Man Called Otto

IN CINEMAS 6 JANUARY

Discover what can happen when you let life in with the story of Otto, a crotchety, irritable, and fiercely strict widower. He holds his whole neighbourhood bound to his principles as he judgmentally observes them all every day. Just as this isolated – and deep-down lonely – man who’s still grieving the loss of his wife seems to have completely lost the spark for life, he strikes an unlikely friendship with his new neighbours. Slowly but surely, Otto begins to change. But the road to change is not an easy one when old habits die hard. From the director of Finding Neverland and based upon the comical and moving best-selling novel, A Man Called Otto stars Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

IN CINEMAS 27 JANUARY

The cross-cultural romcom from the producers of Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually asks: how do you find lasting love in today’s world? For documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe, swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath’s dismay. For Zoe’s childhood friend and neighbour Kaz, the answer is to follow his parents’ example and opt for an assisted marriage to a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films his hopeful journey from London to Lahore to marry a stranger, chosen by his parents, she begins to wonder if there’s something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.

Director Marc Forster / Starring Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo / Genre Comedy, Drama

Director Shekhar Kapur / Starring Lily James, Shazad Latif, Emma Thompson / Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance

Director Darren Aronofsky / Starring Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Samantha Morton, Ty Simpkins / Genre Drama

Director Todd Field / Starring Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Mark Strong / Genre Drama, Thriller

Director Steven Soderbergh / Starring Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek / Genre Comedy, Romance

director Steven

writer

IN CINEMAS 9 JANUARY

Unwelcome

IN CINEMAS 27 JANUARY

Women Talking

IN CINEMAS 10 FEBRUARY

Set in an around a faded old seaside cinema in the early 1980s, a cinema manager and new employee, who both long for an escape, find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship. Together, they experience the healing power of cinema in a moving drama about the strength of human connection during turbulent times from

A young couple from London, Maya and Jamie, escape their urban nightmare to the tranquillity of rural Ireland only to discover murderous goblins lurking in the ancient wood at the foot of their new garden. Irish folklore says the Redcaps will help any soul in dire need of rescue, so when Maya’s relationship with a local family turns sour, she’s forced to take desperate measures and discovers that there’s a dear price for the Redcaps’ aid.

In 2010, a group of women in an isolated religious colony grapple with reconciling their reality with their faith following a series of horrendous sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men. Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Frances McDormand, Jessie Buckley, and Ben Whishaw feature in a fierce ensemble cast for Sarah Polley’s empowering story of strength, courage, and hope based on the best-selling

PLAY

M3GAN

IN CINEMAS 13 JANUARY

From the most prolific minds in horror comes a fresh new face in terror. M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll who’s programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma, M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes best friend, teacher, playmate, and loyal protector for the child she’s bonded to. When Gemma becomes the caretaker of her recently-orphaned eight-year-old niece, Cady, Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Now under intense pressure, Gemma decides to pair her prototype with Cady – a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.

Allelujah

IN CINEMAS 17 FEBRUARY

Allelujah is a warm and deeply moving story about old age. When the geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital is under threat of closure, the whole hospital decides to stand up and fight back by galvanising the local community to “save the Beth.” They invite a news crew to film their preparations for a concert in honour of the hospital’s most distinguished nurse. What could go wrong? Allelujah celebrates the spirit of the elderly patients whilst paying tribute to the deep humanity of the medical staff battling with limited resources and evergrowing demand. Richard Eyre’s all-star adaptation of Alan Bennett’s acclaimed play stars Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, Russell Tovey, David Bradley,

Director Sarah Polley / Starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, Frances McDormand / Genre Drama

novel by Miriam Toews.

Director Richard Eyre / Starring Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, David Bradley, Russell Tovey, Judi Dench / Genre Drama

Derek Jacobi, and Judi Dench.

BASED ON THE ALAN BENNETT

Director Jon Wright / Starring Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth, Colm Meaney / Genre Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Director Sam Mendes / Starring Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones / Genre Romance

Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes.

Director Gerard Johnstone / Starring Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Jenna Davis / Genre Horror

MEOW OR NEVER

When Puss in Boots discovers he’s on the last of his nine lives, he sets out on a mythical quest to find The Last Wish and restore them before it’s too late. WORDS HARRY FAINT

IN CINEMAS 3 FEBRUARY

Directors Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado / Starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Florence Pugh / Genre Animation, Adventure, Fantasy

Your favourite feline adventurer is back, leaping onto the big screen for another swashbuckling ride. But it looks like the reckless escapades have taken their toll on this fearless kitty when it’s revealed that Puss has burned through all but one of his nine lives. Luckily, fortune favours the brave and opportunity presents itself when he becomes aware of the mythical Last Wish.

Joining Puss on his exciting adventure to wish for more lives is his old frenemy Kitty Softpaws and a new cuddly puppy companion called Perro. With a bounty on his head from his previous antics, the trio must stay ahead of Big Jack Horner, The Big Bad Wolf, and Goldilocks and her three bears, who are hot on their tails, as they race to The Last Wish before our hero’s last life runs out.

Antonio Banderas returns to voice his famous feline Zorro-esque lead and is joined by Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, John Mulaney, Ray Winstone, Wagner Moura, Olivia Colman, and Florence Pugh – who voices a much meaner Goldilocks to the one we remember from fairytales.

Co-directing this time is Joel Crawford, who recently made his directorial debut with family favourite The Croods: A New Age, so get your claws into another epic animated adventure for the ages.

A Purr-fect Fairytale

Shrek 2

Puss in Boots pounces onto screens as an assassin hired to eliminate Shrek but soon becomes a loyal ally to our heroes and reveals that it was Shrek’s father-in-law, King Harold, who hired him.

Shrek The Third

When Shrek states that an ogre wouldn’t make a great king, Puss sets off with Shrek and Donkey to find Prince Arthur so he can take his place on the throne.

Shrek Forever After

In an alternate timeline conjured by Rumpelstiltskin, the heroic Puss has retired and become an overweight house pet who can no longer fit his boots.

Puss In Boots

Puss’ standalone spin-off reveals his origin story and his adventures once upon a time before Shrek and Donkey.

As Phase Four ends, the next begins. But Marvel’s scope goes beyond that having dubbed these next three phases set in the aftermath of the Infinity Saga and the rise and fall of Thanos as the Multiverse Saga.

With No Way Home bringing us three generations of Spider-Men, Multiverse Of Madness throwing Doctor Strange through multiple dimensions, and Loki’s time-travelling exploits on the small screen, it’s certainly living up to this bold endeavour so far. But audiences haven’t seen anything yet!

The next adventure for Ant-Man isn’t only kicking off Phase Five, it’s a pivotal moment in the new Marvel

era that promises to be bigger than the Infinity Saga and introduces a villain who’s far more powerful than the Mad Titan.

In the comics, Kang the Conqueror is a classic enemy of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, travelling through time and harnessing several alternate timeline versions of himself to maintain his control over every universe. Our best look at the new Marvel Big Bad came in Loki, where Jonathan Majors portrays one of these alternate Kangs called He Who Remains. Whether it’s this iteration of Kang or something far, far more fearsome that they encounter, Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne will have certainly met their match in this incredibly ambitious threequel.

Now equipped with far greater knowledge of the Quantum Realm after saving Earth in Endgame, Ant-Man and the Wasp must use everything they’ve learnt as they venture further into it to defend the universe.

Scott Lang

After orchestrating the Time Heist and saving the world, Scott Lang has (almost) found the fame he’s always craved, but he still has lots of work to do as Ant-Man.

Hope Van Dyne

Back from the blip, Hope is quickly thrust back into action as the Wasp. The Quantum Realm awaits!

Hank Pym

Michael Douglas returns as the former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and creator of the Ant-Man suit. Finally reunited with his long-lost wife, maybe now he’ll finally get off of Scott’s back and give our hero a break.

Janet Van Dyne

Having recently been freed from her thirty-year imprisonment in the Quantum Realm, Janet’s intimate knowledge of this space is sure to come in handy.

Cassie Lang

Kathryn Newton steps in as Scott Lang’s now-grown-up daughter. If the comics are anything to go by, she may have a key role in the future of the MCU.

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

CINEMAS 17 FEBRUARY

Director Peyton Reed / Starring Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors / Genre Adventure, Sci-Fi

Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly once again prove that big things come in small packages as Ant-Man and the Wasp enter the Quantum Realm and prepare to take on the all-conquering Kang. WORDS AARON POTTER

ONE MOMENT IN TIME

Two hundred million record sales. Six Grammys. One iconic voice. Celebrate the life of the greatest female R&B star of all time in this ultimate cinematic ode to Whitney Houston. WORDS AARON POTTER

WhitneyOnscreen

BAFTA-winning rising star Naomi Ackie, of Master Of None and Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker fame, steps into the role of a lifetime with uncanny ease for an all-new biopic based on the life of the legendary Whitney Houston. A voice of a generation, the film tracks Houston’s entire musical journey from relative obscurity growing up in New Jersey all the way to her global stardom and eventual struggles with fame.

Penned by the same screenwriter behind biographical box-office smash Bohemian Rhapsody, could Anthony McCarten have another hit on his hands? The ensemble cast would suggest so as Tamara Tunie and Clarke Peters take the roles of Houston’s parents, Black Lightning’s Nafessa Williams plays close friend and confident Robyn Crawford, Ashton Sanders portrays fellow singer I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY

and husband Bobby Brown, and Stanley Tucci takes on the role of Clive Davis – Whitney’s first record producer who also serves as a producer on the film. Expect to be toe-tapping your way through the late eighties onwards in this story of a true cultural icon. Featuring the titular track as well as How Will I Know, I Will Always Love You, and many more Houston hits in the soundtrack, it’s the ultimate celebration of Whitney Houston’s life, legacy, and music.

The Bodyguard

In her first film role, Houston stars alongside the dashing Kevin Costner in a classic tearjerker. Despite being panned by contemporary critics, the soundtrack was Houston’s greatest ever hit and remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.

The Preacher’s Wife

Both at the peak of their commercial power, Houston and Denzel Washington team up in a comedy-drama about an angel who comes to a church family’s aid. Houston was paid $10 million to star – the highest ever for a black actress at the time.

Sparkle

Centred on three singing sisters moving through the music industry in the 1950s, Sparkle marks Whitney Houston’s fifth and final film role. It released sixth months following her death and was dedicated to her memory.

IN CINEMAS 26 DECEMBER

Director Kasi Lemmons / Starring Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders / Genre Biography, Drama

MR NICE GUY

IN CINEMAS 6 JANUARY

From Forrest Gump to Mister Rogers, Tom Hanks has stolen hearts so many times that he’s left audiences believing he himself would make a dream neighbour. But, not Otto...he’s a nightmare!

The nicest man in Hollywood turns type to star as a miserable and curmudgeonly old man who greets you with little more than a grunt, argues with anyone over every little thing, and holds general loathing for people and their pets.

But there’s good reason for such a mean spirit: he’s lonely.

Otto has recently lost his wife and spends his days taking his anger out on his local community.

A MAN CALLED OTTO

But when impossibly cheery new neighbours move in next door, Otto’s world is turned upside down. Believing she can warm even the coldest of hearts, relentlessly jubilant mother of two Marisol refuses his rejection and her persistence leads to the unlikeliest of friendships. After reluctantly accepting her request to help with her children, Otto’s barriers begin to come down as he rediscovers a love for life.

Finding Neverland and Christopher Robin director Marc Forster heads the new adaptation of the New York Times bestseller and collaborates again with Finding Neverland screenwriter David Magee, who also penned Life Of Pi and Mary Poppins Returns, to capture the heart and humour of a feel-good story that’s sure to brighten anyone’s day with its sweet reminder that reaching out rather than pushing people away is the key to happiness.

T.Hanks For The Memories

Before we meet Otto, we look at our favourite Tom Hanks’ characters we’re pleased we’ve got a friend in.

Sleepless In Seattle

Perfectly matched with Meg Ryan, Hanks charms in a quintessential romcom that sees a recently-widowed single father travel across America to start a new life for himself and his eight-year-old son.

Forrest Gump

Hanks’ heartwarming hero is the perfect companion on a sweet, endlessly quotable ride through the biggest events of the twentieth century as seen through the eyes of the kindest, most innocent man who ever lived.

The Terminal

In Steven Spielberg’s feel-good fishout-of-water comedy-drama, Hanks is the man we’d all wish to meet: Viktor Navorski, a tourist trapped in New York City’s JFK Airport who changes lives with his relentless optimism.

Director Marc Forster / Starring Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo / Genre Comedy, Drama

Tom Hanks is the grumpiest man in the world in a new adaptation of the best-selling book. WORDS LEE CURTIS

A COASTAL AFFAIR

Christmas can be a joyful time of year, but it can be very lonely for some. In 1980, Hilary is finding just that, working daily in a movie palace in a quiet seaside town. However, this loneliness is solved by the arrival of a new face, Stephen, who’s killing time before going off to university.

Hilary is instantly hooked on Stephen’s youthful energy, but they also find comfort in the comparative isolation of each other’s situation. Stephen is secluded because he’s a black man in a prejudiced town, and Hilary discloses that she feels alone in her struggle with her mental health. Together, their relationship blooms softly into a meaningful and lasting encounter in a cinema that once boomed with light and energy.

EMPIRE OF LIGHT

At the helm of this story is Sam Mendes, the award-winning director of American Beauty, Skyfall, and 1917. Returning to work with him again is frequent collaborator and visual genius Roger Deakins who lights up cinema screens with some of the most richly detailed and spectacular visuals you’re likely to ever see. Joining Colman and Ward onscreen are the supreme talents of Colin Firth and Toby Jones for a best-of-Britain affair both behind and in front of the camera. This touching, visually stunning story is not to be missed, a love letter to cinema and a sure-fire awards season contender that may just be Sam Mendes’ best yet.

A Perfect Match

Sam Mendes is back with his latest cinematic outing, working with Devonborn cinematographer Roger Deakins for the fifth time. Here are some of their finest cinematic endeavours.

Revolutionary Road

Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet reunite in a story about the breakdown of a relationship set against the backdrop of a picture-perfect 1950s suburban America.

Skyfall

In Daniel Craig’s third outing as James Bond, he investigates a series of data leak attacks against the MI6, featuring some beautifully shot sequences on location in Shanghai, China.

1917

Two soldiers must deliver important information in a race against the clock that could stop thousands of their comrades from a fatal end. This film was choreographed extensively to give the effect of two continuous takes.

IN CINEMAS 9 JANUARY Director Sam Mendes / Starring Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth / Genre Drama, Romance

Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward star as two lonely cinema employees at different points in their lives who make an unexpected connection against the backdrop of the beauty of the big screen. WORDS HARRY FAINT

WHAT’S

LOVE (CONTR) ACTUALLY

IN CINEMAS EARLY 2023

Director Shekhar Kapur / Starring Lily James, Shazad Latif, Emma Thompson / Genre Comedy, Romance

In a fresh take on the best friend’s wedding trope, a childhood friendship teeters on the brink of breaking or becoming something more when Lily James’ filmmaker decides to document her lifelong friend’s “assisted” or arranged marriage.

Together on a journey from London to Lahore, will love blossom behind the lens? Or is this documentarian about to discover that she’s spent too much time simply watching? Find out in this slice of pure escapism.

Fresh from her transformative role in telling the tragic love affair of Pam & Tommy, James is as endearing as ever as Zoe, a young woman who forgoes long-term relationships in favour of furthering her filmmaking career while Star Trek: Discovery’s Shazad Latif is sure to charm as her friend, Kaz, who has an opposing outlook on love. Add an exciting support cast that includes Britcom

royalty Emma Thompson and People

Just Do Nothing’s always-funny Asim Chaudhry and this is an arrangement that you’re sure to be happy with.

They, and the rest of the showstealing supporting cast starring as Kaz’ family, are a great source of laughs and the beating heart of this cross-cultural comedy from director Shekhar Kapur and the producers who stole our hearts with Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually.

This is classic will-they-won’t-they territory, but with sensitive soulsearching, reflections on modern romance, generation-gap gags, and culture clash comedy, it promises to be much more relevant than your run-of-the-mill romcom.

Rearranged Marriage Coming To America

Cultures clash as Eddie Murphy’s African prince has to find his Queen-tobe in New York rather than accepting the marriage his lineage insists upon. Between Big Mick burgers and an early Samuel L. Jackson appearance, there’s a lot to love.

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

Matthew McConaughey takes a wager that he can woo any woman and Kate Hudson has a deadline to put off any guy. Love and laughs are in the air in a romcom classic that’s alright, alright, alright.

The Proposal

Sandra Bullock needs citizenship to stay in her high-powered job so drags Ryan Reynolds’ subordinate staffer into the fray as her makeshift fiancé. Will the boss become bae?

Two friends take very different paths while looking for romance in a brand-new British romcom that reveals that, in our modern, multi-cultural world, there’s no right way to find love. WORDS ROBB SHEPPARD

LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

SpotlightCinemaOn

Some of cinema’s most successesrecent tell stories about cinema itself. Make up some popcorn and take your seat as we look at the best of onscreen.cinema

Birdman

It’s the roaring 1920s, silent movies have had their day and the talkies are becoming all the rage. So begins the Golden Age of cinema, where a new wave of actors attempt to make a name for themselves starring in films with sound that introduce a whole new meaning to acting.

As silent film declines, so too does the career of experienced silent star Jack Conrad. On the flipside, stardom is only just beginning for young talkies sensation Nellie LaRoy. Babylon chronicles both of their contrasting journeys as they navigate this new age and showcases the fragility of film careers in this time of great change for the industry, but don’t expect it to hold back on the frantic excitement that came with it.

Academy Award-winning director Damien Chazelle takes a further step back through the ages of cinema after his critically acclaimed La La Land became an instant classic. Margot Robbie takes the spotlight

as aspiring actress Nellie LaRoy, alongside Brad Pitt as high-rolling Jack Conrad, Diego Calva as Manny Torres, Jean Smart as Elinor St. John, and Tobey Maguire as James McKay. Indulge yourself in a party that never ends as we’re thrust back into a world of glamour, fame, and fortune in this rollercoaster ride through the biggest transition cinema has ever experienced.

Alejandro G. Iñárritu inspired many with his one-shot masterpiece that sees a washed-up superhero star, played emphatically by Michael Keaton, trying to revive his career by writing, directing, and starring in his own Broadway show.

La La Land

Damien Chazelle made viewers want to learn to tap dance with his love letter to 1950’s cinema, a wondrous musical tale of love, film, and jazz music.

Empire Of Light

In his forthcoming film, another Academy Award-winning director, Sam Mendes, pays homage to cinema through a love story set in a cinema on the South Coast of 1980’s England.

IN CINEMAS 20 JANUARY

Director Damien Chazelle / Starring Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt / Genre Comedy, Drama, History

Stars learn how to shine in Damien Chazelle’s latest love letter to La La Land that bears witness to the rise and fall of the talkies’ early breakthrough names. WORDS ADAM MATULEWICZ

TRISTAR PICTURES PRESENTS A WORKING TITLE / ROALD DAHL STORY COMPANY PRODUCTION A FILM BY MATTHEW WARCHUS “ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL” ALISHA WEIR LASHANA LYNCH STEPHEN GRAHAM ANDREA RISEBOROUGH AND EMMA THOMPSON SUPERVISOR BECKY BENTHAM MUSIC PRODUCER CHRISTOPHER NIGHTINGALE

SCORE BY CHRISTOPHER NIGHTINGALE EDITED MELANIE ANN OLIVER PRODUCTION DAVID HINDLE CHRISTIAN HUBAND PHOTOGRAPHY TAT RADCLIFFE, BSC PRODUCERS SARAH-JANE ROBINSON AMELIA GRANGER

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MUSIC

WISH I COULD BE… PART OF THAT WORLD

THE LITTLE MERMAID

IN CINEMAS 26 MAY

Visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall’s live-action reimagining of Disney’s Oscar-winning animated musical classic tells the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.

Singing sensation and emerging acting star Halle Bailey takes the lead role as Ariel, starring alongside an ensemble cast that includes Daveed Diggs as the voice of Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as the voice of Flounder, Awkwafina as the voice of Scuttle, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Art Malik as Sir Grimsby, Noma Dumezweni as Queen Selina, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula.

IN CINEMAS 31 MARCH

Directors Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic / Starring Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Seth Rogen, Jack Black / Genre Animation, Adventure, Fantasy

From Nintendo and the creators of Despicable Me, Minions, Sing, and The Secret Life Of Pets comes a new animated adventure based on the world and characters of Super Mario Bros. Illumination’s new film features an all-star cast that includes Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.

Directors Rob Marshall, Januel Mercado / Starring Halle Bailey, Javier Bardem, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina / Genre Adventure, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

IN CINEMAS 17 MARCH

Four years after gaining the ability to transform into an adult superhero by reciting the magic word “Shazam!”, teenage Billy Batson and his adopted super-family face the wrath of the vengeful daughters of Atlas. Shazam! Fury Of The Gods sees Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, and Jack Dylan Grazer return alongside the rest of Billy’s foster family and their respective super-selves for a supercharged sequel that sees Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, and West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler join the cast.

Scream 6

IN CINEMAS 10 MARCH

The Scream saga continues with a sixth instalment that follows the four survivors of the latest Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.

Creed III

IN CINEMAS 3 MARCH

Director Michael B. Jordan / Starring Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Phylicia Rashad / Genre Drama

The third instalment in the Rocky spin-off series sees world heavyweight champion Adonis Creed contend with fresh battles in and out of the ring as he prepares to fight his latest opponent.

Guardians

Of

IN CINEMAS 5 MAY

The Galaxy Vol. 3

Director James Gunn / Starring Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, Will Poulter / Genre Action, Sci-Fi

Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his new-look team for a dangerous mission where failure could possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

John Wick: Chapter Four

IN CINEMAS 24 MARCH

Director Chad Stahelski / Starring Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada / Genre Action, Crime

With the price on his head ever increasing, John Wick faces his most lethal adversaries yet as he takes his fight against the High Table global and seeks out the most powerful players in the underworld. Keanu Reeves returns for an action-packed fourth film and leads an exciting ensemble cast that includes Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Rina Sawayama, Scott Adkins, Lance Reddick, Laurence Fishburne, and Ian McShane.

Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves

IN CINEMAS 3 APRIL

Directors Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley / Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Sophia Lillis, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant / Genre Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy

A band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary role-playing game to the big screen in a hilarious and actionpacked adventure starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Chloe Coleman, Daisy Head, and Hugh Grant.

Director David F. Sandberg / Starring Zachary Levi, Rachel Zegler, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu / Genre Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett / Starring Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown / Genre Horror

GOOD GOD! GOOD GOD!

The sequel to the superhero smash-hit brings the bodyswapping, powered-up teenager back for more and attempting to prove he’s in the same league as DC’s heaviest hitters as he and his super-powered foster family face the daughters of Atlas. WORDS ROBB SHEPPARD

IN CINEMAS 17 MARCH

Shazam! gave audiences plenty to shout about, but the eagerly-awaited sequel sees Billy Batson’s superhero alter-ego struggling with a severe case of imposter syndrome in a world where he’s surrounded by superspeedy, super-strong, super-cool Justice Leaguers. However, the arrival of ancient, all-powerful enemies does for our hero what no psychiatrist could as he’s forced to find his feet and fight for his family.

Joining the original returning cast, led by Zachary Levi as “The World’s Mightiest Mortal,” real-life goddesses Helen Mirren and Lucy Liu star as Hespera and Kalypso, the daughters of Greek God Atlas who are more than miffed that Billy and his brood have made off with God-like abilities that don’t belong to them.

The sinister sisters make a refreshing change for the two screen legends as the main antagonists of an epic encounter that not only puts the lives of Master Batson et al on the line, but the entire world, too. West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler is also along for the ride as the youngest of Atlas’ daughters, though it’s still to be seen which side she’ll take when the battle lines are drawn.

This “fate of the world” stuff sounds serious, but there’s still plenty to laugh about in the side-splitting, smack-talking Shazam! sequel that, much like the first, proves it’s best to embrace the silliness, especially when you’re battling a dragon with a truck as your only weapon.

BODY SWAPS

BIG

The fair may well be fun, but be careful what you wish for otherwise you might wind up as a young boy trapped in a grown man’s body like in this classic that launched Tom Hanks’ career and made floor pianos infamous.

FREAKY FRIDAY

A teenager body-swapping with her mom? Far from fun for the characters, but plenty for us as Jamie Lee Curtis is in her element turning back the clock while Lindsay Lohan squirms in disapproval at every turn.

SHE-HULK

Marvel’s newest addition has taken the small screen by storm. With her expandable outfit and fourth wall smashing, be sure you don’t make her angry when she eventually breaks onto the big screen.

SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS

Director David F. Sandberg / Starring Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren, Lucy Liu, Rachel Zegler / Genre Action, Sci-Fi

WIN

The brand-new all-star adaptation of the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical brings Roald Dahl’s beloved story of an extraordinary girl with a vivid imagination to the big screen like never before.

Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical is an inspirational musical tale of an extraordinary girl who discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny. Standing up for what’s right, she’s met with miraculous results. Directed by Tony award-winning director Matthew Warchus, the all-new musical adventure for all the family stars Academy Award-winner Emma Thompson as Miss Trunchbull, Lashana Lynch as Miss Honey, Stephen Graham as Mrs Wormwood, Andrea Riseborough as Mrs Wormwood, Sindhu Vee as Mrs Phelps, and newcomer

ON INDIE

The most exciting limited-release films coming to select cinemas from December to February.

The Silent Twins

IN CINEMAS 9 DECEMBER

Director Agnieszka Smoczynska Starring Letitia Wright, Tamara Lawrance, Jodhi May / Genre Drama

Based on the best-selling book, the film tells the astounding true story of twin sisters June and Jennifer Gibbons who only communicate with one another.

The Enforcer

IN CINEMAS 6 JANUARY

Director Richard Hughes / Starring Antonio Banderas / Genre Crime, Thriller

Miami’s top mob enforcer sacrifices it all to tear down the criminal organisation he’s helped build up when he discovers his boss is putting a young runaway’s life in grave danger. Can he find redemption before the mob hunts him down?

Joyland

IN CINEMAS 24 FEBRUARY

Director Saim Sadiq / Starring Ali Junejo, Alina Khan, Rasti Farooq, Sarwat Gilani / Genre Drama, Romance

The first film by a Pakistani director to win at Cannes follows a patriarchal family as they yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, while their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for an ambitious trans starlet. Their impossible love story begins to illuminate the entire family’s desire for a sexual rebellion.

Blue Jean

IN CINEMAS 10 FEBRUARY

Director Georgia Oakley / Starring Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes, Lucy Halliday, Lydia Page, Farrah Cave / Genre Drama

In 1988 England, an impending law stigmatising gays and lesbians forces PE teacher Jean to live a double life in Georgie Oakley’s award-winning debut.

Enys Men

IN CINEMAS 13 JANUARY

Director Mark Jenkin / Starring Mary Woodvine / Genre Horror, Mystery

On an uninhabited island off the Cornish coast in 1973, a wildlife volunteer’s daily observations of a rare flower take a dark turn into the strange and metaphysical in a mind-bending Cornish folk horror from the director of BAFTA-winning Bait.

Corsage

IN CINEMAS 26 DECEMBER

Director Marie Kreutzer / Starring Vicky Krieps, Jeanne Werner, Colin Morgan / Genre Biography, Drama, History

On the cusp of turning forty and being considered an old woman, Empress Elisabeth “Sisi” of Austria rebels against her public image and comes up with a plan to protect her legacy. Vicky Krieps stars as Sisi and her phenomenal portrayal of the rebellious monarch was awarded Best Performance in the Un Certain Regard competition at Cannes.

She Is Love

IN CINEMAS 3 FEBRUARY

Shot in his trademark improvisational style, BIFA-nominated filmmaker Jamie Adams’ intense and involving romantic drama stars Haley Bennett and Sam Riley as estranged lovers, who meet a decade after their split. When Patricia arrives at a country hotel in Cornwall, she encounters her ex-husband Idris, who manages the place with his new girlfriend Louise. Things are immediately awkward and the former couple reconnect over a long, messy night where they revisit the past while remaining open to new beginnings.

Director Jamie Adams / Starring Haley Bennett, Sam Riley, Marisa Abela / Genre Drama, Romance

ENYS MEN