Ramadan has traditionally been a time of limited activity in UAE cinemas. Distributors and exhibitors hold back their biggest releases for Eid, in the belief that people do not want to visit the cinema during the holy month, preferring to spend time at home with family.
Last year, in a break from this tradition, for the first time a blockbuster, Finding Dory, was released during Ramadan, as was the smaller-scale Now You See Me 2. Both were a success, attracting double the audience projections, according to Novo Cinemas chief executive Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen.
While there is still a shortage of big releases planned during Ramadan this year, there are a few big-name, flagpole movies hitting screens in the next few weeks. The latest Pirates of the Caribbean film is out tomorrow, just before the start of the holy month, followed by DC’s Wonder Woman next week. Both are films that in previous years would have been kept back until Eid or after.
Here, then, are a few of the movie highlights to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Wonder Woman
June 1 There is a lot riding on the latest offering from DC Extended Universe. Previous movies, including Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad, received mixed reviews, but generated impressive box-office figures. Gal Gadot, who made her debut in the role in Batman v Superman, returns as the heroic Amazon princess in an origins movie directed by Patty Jenkins.
Django
June 1 This French biopic about legendary jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt sheds a fascinating light on the treatment of the Roma people in Nazi-occupied France.
A Family Man
June 1 Mark Williams directs Scottish actor Gerard Butler in this tale of a no-nonsense corporate headhunter forced to reappraise his priorities after finding out his son has leukaemia.
Fireman Sam: Alien Alert
June 1 One for the Ramadan family audience, the animated Brit favourite is called on to solve the mystery of a rash of UFO sightings in the sleepy Welsh village of Pontypandy.
The Mummy
June 8 There's an all-star cast in this reboot of The Mummy franchise, which also serves to kick-start "The Dark Universe", a shared universe featuring classic Universal Studios movie monsters, including Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, the Wolfman and more. Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella and Russell Crowe head the bill.
A Beautiful Planet
June 9 More family fare as Jennifer Lawrence narrates an impressive natural history documentary about the Earth, using exclusive footage shot from the International Space Station.
Overdrive
June 22 There is touch of the Fast and Furious about this action movie, which tells the story of a pair of car thieves forced to steal a Ferrari for a gangster. Scott Eastwood, Ana de Armas and Freddie Thorp star.
• All film release dates subject to change. Check cinema websites for the latest information
cnewbould@thenational.ae
