New to cinemas this week, a series of thrilling films with big-name stars and a tense horror.

Novocaine stars Jack Quaid as a man with a condition that means he feels no pain. This comes in handy when the girl of his dreams is kidnapped, but he must work smart to save her. A Working Man stars Jason Statham as a retired special ops agent chasing a quiet life with his daughter. However, the peace and quiet don’t last long before he is forced to put his skills to use. Finally, The Woman in the Yard is a tense psychological horror about grief, fear, and remorse. When a spectral woman dressed all in black appears in a family’s garden, tensions rise. As the figure edges closer, things get increasingly terrifying.

In addition to new releases, these are the unique listings for Preston’s local cinemas from Friday 28 March to Thursday 3 April.

Flow

The Arc Cinema – Book Here

All Week

Odeon – Book Here

All Week

Flow won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film over competitive entries like Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, from Preston’s own Nick Park. The film features a beautiful stylistic animated style and is free from any human speech. Instead, it features a wide variety of real animal sounds.

Bonhoeffer

The Flower Bowl – Book Here

Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday

Bonhoeffer is a period drama that centres on the extraordinary life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The German Lutheran pastor risked everything in an effort to take part in a plot to assassinate Hitler. The film depicts the true story of this account, with plenty of drama and thrills. Playing exclusively at The Flower Bowl.

National Theatre Live: Dr. Strangelove

Odeon – Book Here

Saturday, Monday, Tuesday

Vue – Book Here

Friday, Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday

Steve Coogan stars in a special stage adaptation of the famous Stanley Kubrick film, Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. A dark comedy film that is set during the height of the Cold War, the story has been adapted and brought to life once again with comedy legend Coogan as the lead. 

Tabby McTat + The Room on the Broom

Odeon – Book Here

All Week

Julia Donaldson’s popular stories for children have been adapted into animated short features that are beloved by kids. So, if you need something to keep the younger kids and toddlers entertained, this is the perfect listing.

Tiddler + The Snail & The Whale

Vue – Book Here

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

After several weeks with Vue and Odeon showing the same combination of Julia Donaldson stories, the lineup has been slightly altered. Now, while Odeon will play Tabby McTat paired with The Room on the Broom, Vue will be screening Tiddler and The Snail & The Whale – which means more options for families to bring their kids to see their favourite stories on the big screen. 

Bing & Friends: Birthday Celebration

Vue – Book Here

All Week

Continuing with this week’s offerings for younger audiences, Bing & Friends is a popular television series for toddlers and young children. This week, Vue will be putting on special screenings of Bing throughout the week, which means even more options for kids this week.

The Wild Robot

The Arc Cinema – Book Here

Saturday, Sunday

The Wild Robot is an incredible animated feature film based on the novel by Peter Brown. It’s a touching star that combines AI with nature in a wild setting that is sure to keep the entire family engaged. This week, it will be featured prominently at The Arc Cinema as part of their kids club offering.

Despicable Me 4

Odeon – Book Here

Saturday, Sunday

Despicable Me is an incredible family film franchise from Illumination that has quickly grown to be the studio’s largest IP. The fourth entry in the series came out back in July of 2024, but the popularity and fun endure to make it a great pick for a day out with the kids.

Ne Zha 2

Odeon – Book Here

Saturday, Sunday, Thursday

It’s very likely that you have never heard of Ne Zha or the sequel, both of which were released primarily in China. However, Ne Zha 2 has managed to shake up the global box office as it has rocketed to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time. The film has reportedly earned almost $2 billion (£1.5 billion), which puts it firmly in the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time.

Attack on Titan: The Last Attack

Vue – Book Here

Saturday

For all the anime fans in Preston, Attack on Titan is one of the most popular animes to be released in recent years. As the show has developed and expanded, it’s moved beyond the small screen and now includes a feature film that further adds to the franchise. This week, that film will be available in a dubbed version at Vue.

Imagine Dragons: Live From The Hollywood Bowl

Odeon – Book Here

Saturday

Vue – Book Here

Saturday

Imagine Dragons is an immensely popular pop-rock band that took the world by storm over a decade ago with songs like Radioactive. Now, as global superstars, the band is performing one of their biggest shows to date, which has been recorded in order to share it with fans here in the UK in local cinemas.

The Rock (1996)

Vue – Book Here

Saturday, Monday

This week, Vue is celebrating some of the early work of critically acclaimed actor Nicolas Cage. Kicking things off, the cinema will be hosting special screenings of the 1996 action thriller The Rock, where Cage starred opposite the incredible Sean Connery. This film was also one of the earliest feature films from director Michael Bay.

Con Air (1997)

Vue – Book Here

Sunday, Monday

In addition to The Rock, Vue will also be showing a number of screenings of Con Air, one of the films that launched Cage from a lesser-known star to a household name. Cage stars in this incredible action thriller about a wrongly convicted prisoner who finds himself in a precarious situation when a plane transporting him is hijacked.

Twiggy

The Flower Bowl – Book Here

Sunday

Twiggy was a huge fashion icon who became a household name in the 1960s. Now, director Sadie Frost leads a documentary exploring her life and rise to prominence, with interviews of famous figures such as Dustin Hoffman, Paul McCartney, and Joanna Lumley, who describe her influence and prominence at the height of her fame and in the decades since.

Billy Elliot The Musical Live

The Flower Bowl – Book Here

Sunday, Thursday

Odeon – Book Here

Sunday, Wednesday

Vue – Book Here

Sunday, Wednesday

Billy Elliot The Musical Live initially came out in 2014, however, the stage show continues to be incredibly popular, which has led to it getting another new release this week. While the show will be broadcast in three of Preston’s four theatres, tickets are selling fast, with The Flower Bowl’s Sunday showing already sold out. So, if you want to guarantee a seat, book now.

The Last Showgirl

Odeon – Book Here

Monday, Tuesday

The Last Showgirl stars Pamela Anderson in a touching drama about a 57-year-old showgirl whose show has just been cancelled after 30 years. The film was nominated for a BAFTA, but despite critical success, it has not received a widespread release. Despite this, Odeon is now showing the film in its spotlight slot for anyone who may have missed it.

The Brutalist

The Arc Cinema – Book Here

Monday, Thursday

The Brutalist won three Oscars in the most recent Academy Awards. The film has received widespread praise for the incredible storytelling and the performance of leading actors like Adrian Brody and Guy Pearce. The film is an epic period drama about a man leaving behind Europe following the war for a better life in America.

The Royal Ballet & Opera: Puccini’s Turandot

The Flower Bowl – Book Here

Tuesday

Odeon – Book Here

Tuesday

Vue – Book Here

Tuesday

For fans of the opera, the classic show from Puccini comes to theatres across Preston this week. Turandot follows the story of a princess who sets up a series of trials for potential suitors to face in order to have a chance of marrying her. However, if they fail, the penalty is death.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Vue – Book Here

Wednesday

Vue is putting on a showing of James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Arguably the best entry in the series, this film introduced the T-1000 and pushed what was possible with CGI in film. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s an action-packed sci-fi adventure.

A Minecraft Movie (MediCinema Charity Screening)

Odeon – Book Here

Thursday

Vue – Book Here

Thursday

Finally, A Minecraft Movie will be playing in both Odeon and Vue a day before general release in an effort to support MediCinema. The charitable organisation sets up special cinema shows in hospitals for patients and improves their overall quality of life by providing real cinematic experiences. So, if you want to support a great cause and catch the Minecraft film early, this is the time to book on.

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This story was made possible by you, our readers, and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an arts project or event in the city we should be covering, you can submit it for our event listings and/or send details to contactus@blogpreston.co.uk for us to cover it as a story on the Blog.