Wide Releases

Neon rolls out the Cannes-premiering South Korean sci-fi thriller Hope from director Na Hong-jin (known for The Chaser and The Yellow Sea) in 1,560 theaters. Opening Wednesday, the film has already garnered $1.1 million, plus $305k in previews. Set in the remote South Korean village of Hope Harbor, the story follows police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) and officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) as they investigate a mysterious creature. Meanwhile, hunters, including Sung-ki (Zo In-Sung), find themselves becoming the hunted. Hope was a significant hit in its home country, grossing $36 million.

From Focus Features, Paul Greengrass's The Uprising debuts on 2,055 screens. Andrew Garfield leads the cast as the orchestrator of a fierce 1381 rebellion against the tyrannical King Richard II. Inspired by the true events behind the Robin Hood legend, the film sees Garfield's character forge an army of common people in a fight for justice. The ensemble cast also includes Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston, and Sky Yang, with Jason Blum producing.

Angel Studios presents Runner, an Australia-set action thriller directed by Scott Waugh, across 2,581 screens. Alan Ritchson (Reacher) takes on the role of a former soldier and war hero-turned-courier who finds himself in a brutal race against time. A critical medical delivery makes him and his unlikely partner (Owen Wilson) targets of a ruthless cartel. Written by Miles Hubley and Tommy White, the mission escalates into a deadly manhunt as they strive to deliver their cargo and save a young girl's life.

Limited Releases

Rich Spirit, fresh from acquiring it at Sundance, opens Walter Thompson-Hernandez's If I Go Will They Miss Me for a special engagement at L.A.'s AMC Century City, with plans to expand to approximately 30 markets next week. The film, based on Thompson-Hernandez's 2022 Sundance short, stars Danielle Brooks (also an executive producer), J. Alphonse Nicholson, and newcomer Bodhi Dell. It centers on 12-year-old Lil Ant (Dell) in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, as he grapples with a distant father. Grammy and Oscar winner Jon Batiste serves as an executive producer and recorded a cover of Dinah Washington’s “This Bitter Earth” for the film. It earned the Best Narrative Award at the Bentonville Film Festival.

Musician-turned-comedian Isabel Hagen makes her feature directorial debut with On A String, the inaugural release from Joke Zero. The film opens at the Quad Cinema in New York, with five additional markets scheduled for next week. Winner of Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, the comedy is inspired by Hagen’s real-life experiences. She stars as a Juilliard-trained violinist navigating New York City's freelance classical music scene while living with her eccentric family. The cast features Dylan Baker, Eric Bogosian, Frederick Weller, and Jamie Lee.

Kino Lorber brings Canadian director Maya Annik Bedward’s SXSW-premiering documentary Black Zombie to New York (Quad) and Los Angeles (Nuart). Bedward will be in New York for opening weekend Q&As. Her debut feature traces the evolution of the zombie from its origins in colonial Haiti to its contemporary Hollywood depiction, delving into the creature's unsettling historical roots as a metaphor for slavery. The film features interviews with Yves-Grégory Francois, Slash, Tom Savini, Anderson Mojica, Erol Josué, Mambo Labelle Deese Bonica, Tananarive Due, and Zandashé Brown, and won the Northern Excellence Award at the Fantasia International Film Festival.

Outsider Pictures unveils TIFF 2025 Centerpiece film The Condor Daughter (La Hija Cóndor) at Cinema Village in NYC this week, followed by Laemmle L.A. next. Written and directed by Alvaro Olmos Torrico, Bolivia’s International Oscar entry tells the story of Clara (Marisol Vallejo Montañor), a teenager from a small indigenous community in the Andes. Taught ancient childbirth songs by her midwife adoptive mother Ana (María Magdalena Sanizo), Clara dreams of becoming a folk music star in the big city. The film was awarded Best Film at the Biarritz Latin American Film Festival, and Montañor received Best Actress honors at the Malaga and Guadalajara festivals.

Filmmaker and Olympic rower Mary Mazzio (I Am Jane Doe, A Hero for Daisy) partners with Skydance Sports for the documentary Mighty Mary, opening for a weeklong run at about a dozen AMC theaters, including the AMC Empire in NYC and AMC Town Center in L.A. Mazzio’s production company, 50 Eggs Films, handled distribution. Narrated by executive producers Elizabeth Banks and Hugh Jackman, the doc chronicles the inspiring journey of the first-ever all-women’s sailing crew to compete for the famed America’s Cup in 1995. Initially dismissed as a publicity stunt, these world-class and Olympic sailors defied expectations to become legitimate contenders in one of sports' most demanding competitions. The film premiered at the Nantucket Film Festival in June.