It has been a terribly tough time for cinemas over the course of the pandemic. Movie theatres have been forced to close, then have re-opened, only to find themselves having to shut their doors once more.
Not only that but long-awaited titles such as No Time to Die, Top Gun Maverick and Dune have been postponed from their intended release dates (in the case of No Time to Die, many, many times).
Happily, however, now that NSW has reached the magic 70% vaccination rate outlined in the government’s roadmap to freedom, cinemas will re-open on October 11 which means you have some serious (big) screen time to catch up on.
To help you prepare for the return of HOYTS movie theatres in New South Wales, we’ve rounded up all of the films that will be showing when everything opens back up.
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is not just the studio’s first superhero film to feature an Asian lead (Simu Liu), it is also a bonafide box office hit.
Starring Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu and Ronny Chieng, this movie tells the story of Shang-Chi, who has been trained as an assassin since childhood by the Ten Rings terror organisation.
Having escaped the clutches of the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi tries his best to assimilate back into society and live a normal life but finds himself being drawn back into the organisation.
Buy tickets, here.
Free Guy
You deserve a reward after 108 days of lockdown and Ryan Reynolds should be that reward.
In his latest movie Free Guy, Reynolds channels a little bit of Deadpool and a lot of his Canadian charm as he plays ‘Blue Shirt Guy’ who one day realises he has been living inside a video game his whole life — which might explain why the bank he works at is constantly being held up by armed robbers.
Blue Shirt Guy decides to step up to the plate and to become a hero of the game, rather than a background player, with the help of Molotov Girl/Millie (Jodie Comer from Killing Eve). Together, the pair seek to liberate Free City from the grasp of the money-hungry Antwan (Taika Waititi), who has turned the game into a soulless cash grab.
Buy tickets, here.
The Suicide Squad
In Jame Gunn‘s version of The Suicide Squad, Idris Elba joins Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and her crew of supervillains as Bloodsport who is blackmailed by Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller into joining the misfit crew.
It turns out that Waller has basically blackmailed Bloodsport, who is incarcerated for shooting Superman with a Kryptonite bullet, into joining the team by using his daughter’s trouble with the law as leverage.
Also getting on board are newcomers to the franchise John Cena as Peacemaker, comedian Pete Davidson as Blackguard and Sylvester Stallone as the voice of King Shark. Meanwhile, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flag are back for more antics.
This time around, the Belle Reve misfits have been tasked with a mission “more important than you could possibly imagine” — aka taking on Starro who is an alien in the shape of a starfish.
Buy tickets, here.
Black Widow
Black Widow takes place on the timeline between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, and explores the origin story of Natasha Romanoff who, we can all agree, should have had her own standalone film long before now.
The plot of Black Widow revolves around Romanoff (Scarlett Johannson) who, along with her “sister” Yelena (Florence Pugh) seek the help of their “parents” (David Harbour and Rachel Weisz) to dismantle the Black Widow program that made them assassins to begin with, while unpacking her past trauma.
Buy tickets, here.
Respect
Jennifer Hudson is the queen of soul in this sweeping biopic that tells the story of Aretha Franklin. It follows Franklin from her childhood singing gospel in Detroit, through her political activism and support of Angela Davis, to her chart-topping success with uncountable hits.
The biopic also delves into Franklin’s abusive marriage, the constraints of patriarchy and the singer’s involvement in the civil rights movement.
Buy tickets, here.
Space Jam: A New Legacy
LeBron James stars as himself in this zany action-comedy. James and his son are trapped in a virtual world by an evil AI (Don Cheadle) and must team up with the Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian, Tweety, Sylvester, Lola, and Speedy Gonzales to escape.
This one is both for fans of the original version who want to revel in the nostalgia and for new fans who want to get wrapped up in the fun of the wacky live-action animation hybrid.
Buy tickets, here.
Candyman
Jordan Peele brings us a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend that you probably remember from a childhood sleepover. The hook-handed supernatural killer who once haunted the projects now returns to the gentrified suburbs through word-of-mouth legend.
For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighbourhood were terrorised by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror.
Buy tickets, here.
Don’t Breathe 2
The Blind Man is back and he is more terrifying than ever in this follow-up to the 2016 original. In the sequel, the Blind Man has been hiding out for several years in an isolated cabin and has taken in and raised a young girl orphaned from a devastating house fire.
Their quiet life together is shattered when a group of criminals kidnap the girl, forcing the Blind Man to leave his safe haven to save her.
Buy tickets, here.
Paw Patrol: The Movie
When their biggest rival, Humdinger, becomes Mayor of nearby Adventure City and starts wreaking havoc, Ryder and everyone’s favourite heroic pups kick into high gear to face the challenge head-on.
While one pup must face his past in Adventure City, the team finds help from a new ally, the savvy dachshund Liberty. Together, armed with exciting new gadgets and gear, the PAW Patrol fights to save the citizens of Adventure City!
Buy tickets, here.
Jungle Cruise
Dr Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff’s (Dwayne Johnson) questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat.
Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate — and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.
Buy tickets, here.
HOYTS Cinemas across NSW will be open from October 11, 2021, in accordance with public health and safety guidelines. For more information, head to HOYTS Cinemas.
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