Warner Bros’ Wuthering Heights prepares to dominate screens this weekend as Emerald Fennell’s gothic romance opens in 761 cinemas.
It is the second-widest release of all time, excluding event releases, behind only 2021’s No Time To Time which launched in 777 sites. It also sets a record for Warner Bros, beating out Barbie which opened in 727 sites in 2023.
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi star in the Emily Bronte adaptation which tracks the ill-fated love story between two childhood friends. Hong Chau, Alison Olvier, Martin Clunes and Shazad Latif also star.
Fennell’s previous feature Saltburn – also produced by Robbie’s LuckyChap and starring Elordi - started on £776,444 from 558 locations for Warner Bros in November 2023. It went on to finish with an impressive £5.6m despite being available on Amazon Prime Video for most of its run.
Warner Bros will be hoping Wuthering Heights comes closer to that of Barbie’s £18.5m opening in July 2023, a film with more demographic crossover that was also produced by and starred Robbie.
Animation dominates counter-programming
Children’s films dominate counter-programming as half-term in the UK begins. Sony is launching GOAT in 673 cinemas. The animation follows a small goat who gets a huge opportunity to play “roarball” professionally.
Elsewhere, Crime 101 opens in 525 venues for Sony. Chris Hemsworth stars as an elusive thief whose path intertwines with a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) and a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) hot on his heels.
Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up debuts in 518 locations for Vertigo Releasing. The latest entry in the semi-animated franchise sees Porky Pig and Daffy Duck team up to save Earth from an alien invasion.
Fellow animation Stitch Head is opening in 505 sites via Kazoo Films. The story centres on a mad scientist’s first creation, who makes it his purpose to look after all the other created monsters.
Black Bear is releasing horror title Whistle in 300 cinemas. Corin Hardy’s film centres on a group of high school students who stumble upon a whistle that summons their death.
Oscar-nominated animation Little Amelie launches in 234 sites for Vue Lumiere. The Cannes 2025 premiere follows a Belgian child living in Japan.
In Indian cinema, romantic action thriller O’Romeo opens in 124 locations for Bakrania Media while Funky and Seetha Payanam open via Dreamz Entertainment.
In event releases, music documentary It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley opens in 120 cinemas for Piece Of Magic while Woolf Works – ROH continues screening via Trafalgar Releasing.
Oscar-shortlisted Iraqi drama The President’s Cake opens in 31 venues via Curzon. Set in the 1990s, the story centres on two children tasked with baking a birthday cake for President Saddam Hussein.
Netflix is releasing war drama The Swedish Connection.
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