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UK CINEMA’S BIGGEST AUTUMN IS HERE –

50 MILLION CINEMA VISITS ANTICIPATED IN Q4 2015

NEW ‘SEASON TASTER’ TRAILER VOICED BY SIR JOHN HURT CBE

London, [19] October 2015 --- UK film distributors today unveil their latest ‘season taster’ compilation trailer,designed to highlight the extraordinary range, diversityand quality of the autumn’s line-up of new releases which cater for every taste.

Brilliantly voiced by Sir John Hurt CBE and compiled by Film Distributors’ Association (FDA), the trailer is a rapid-fire, U-certificatemontage of clips from 55 films in 75 seconds, including a brief opening sequence that depicts the uniquely immersive experience of the cinema itself.

FDA anticipates that – in between the eagerly awaitedSpectre (26 October) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (17 December) – 100 other feature films will be released forUK cinema audiences. Given the powerful line-up, FDA further anticipates approximately 50 million cinema visitswill be made in the October–December quarter, compared with an average of 43 millionin Q4 across the last five years.

Autumn at the movies is typically characterised by the release of family adventures and comediesfor the October half-term and in the build-up to Christmas; suspense thrillers for scary nights out around Halloween; and the public launch of annual award contenders (the awards season climaxes in February). Autumn 2015 also sees the digitally remastered revivals of classic favourites including When Harry Met Sally and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Pre-Christmas family fare includes the latest from Pixar, The Good Dinosaur (20 years after their original, ground-breakingToy Story); while Snoopy and Charlie Brown undertake epic quests in The Peanuts Movie.

The latest works from many of Britain’s leading filmmakers will be unveiled this autumn. They include: SteveJobs (directed by Danny Boyle), The Program (directed by Stephen Frears), The Lady in the Van(directed by Nicholas Hytner) and The Danish Girl (directed by Tom Hooper), as well as Spectre (directed by Sam Mendes) and the already launched Suffragette (directed by Sarah Gavron).

New films from international directors includingAngelina Jolie (By the Sea), Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies), Ron Howard (In the Heart of the Sea), Guillermo del Toro (Crimson Peak), Todd Haynes (Carol), John Wells (Burnt starring Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller, which was shot in London) and Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight) also make their UK debuts.

Jennifer Lawrence stars in two new releases – David O. Russell’s Joy and the climactic installment in The Hunger Games series, Mockingjay Part 2.Likewise Kate Winslet has leading roles in both Steve Jobs and The Dressmaker, shot in Melbourne.

Irish filmmaker John Crowley’s romantic drama Brooklyn, starring Saoirse Ronan and Domhnall Gleeson, also reaches cinemas; as does Scottish director Paul McGuigan’sVictor Frankenstein, made on locations around the UK, starring Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy.

FDA President, Lord (David) Puttnam of Queensgate CBE, said: “With cinemas offering uniquely memorable, pulse-quickening, out-of-home experiences, I sincerely hope audiences of every age will come out to enjoy the autumn’s eclectic and exciting line-up exactly as the filmmakers intended – on the big screen.”

Further information

Cathy Lorimer, FDA Tel: 020 7437 4383 or 07871 588300

Email:

FDA online: and

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FDA’s ‘Autumn 2015 at the Cinema’ trailer is available here:

In addition to the main trailer, 2 x 15-second cut-downs, focusing on female heroes and action/adventures are available here: xxx [INSERT LINK]

Notes to Editors

  • FDA’s ‘Autumn 2015 at the Cinema’ trailer comprises clips from: BajiraoMastani (released by Eros); Black Mass (Warner Bros); Black Panthers (Dogwoof); Bridge of Spies (20th Century Fox); Brooklyn (Lionsgate); Burnt (Entertainment); By Our Selves (Soda Pictures); By the Sea (Universal);Carol (StudioCanal); Christmas with the Coopers (eOne); Crimson Peak (Universal); Daddy’s Home (Paramount); The Danish Girl (Universal); The Divide (Dartmouth Films); The Dressmaker (Entertainment); The Fear of 13 (Dogwoof); The Good Dinosaur (Walt Disney); Goosebumps (Sony); The Hallow (eOne); The Hateful Eight (Entertainment); He Named Me Malala (20th Century Fox); Hotel Transylvania 2 (Sony); The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (Lionsgate); In the Heart of the Sea (Warner Bros); The Intern (Warner Bros); Joy (20th Century Fox); Kill Your Friends (StudioCanal); Krampus (Universal); The Lady in the Van (Sony); The Last Witch Hunter (eOne); Macbeth (StudioCanal); Mississippi Grind (eOne); Monty Python and the Holy Grail (Park Circus, original release 1975); Pan (Warner Bros); Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension (Paramount); Pawn Sacrifice (eOne); The Program (StudioCanal); Red Army (Curzon Artificial Eye); Regression (Entertainment); Scouts’ Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Paramount); Singh is Bling (Eros); Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie (20th Century Fox); Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Walt Disney); Steve Jobs (Universal); Steve McQueen: The Man and Le Mans (The Works UK); Suffragette (Pathé); Sunset Song (Metrodome); 3½ Minutes, Ten Bullets (Dogwoof); Trumbo (eOne); Unbranded (Dogwoof); Victor Frankenstein (20th Century Fox); The Walk (Sony); When Harry Met Sally (Park Circus, original release 1989); and Zarafa (Soda Pictures).
  • About FDA: Established in 1915, FDA celebrates the UK film distribution sector’s centenary year in 2015. Today distribution remains the lynchpin and locomotive of the entire film business – films only come to life when they are actually experienced and shared by public audiences. Films released by FDA’s 32 member companies generate 99% of UK cinema admissions. FDA’s President is Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE. Copies of the 120-page FDA Yearbook 2015 are available free on request, subject to availability.

Autumn favourites: The top 12 highest-grossing autumn film releases of all time in UK cinemas

Source: Rentrak/FDA, charting October/November/December releases by UK box-office

Film / UK film distributor / UK cinema release date / UK
box-office receipts
1 / Skyfall / Sony / 26 Oct 2012 / £103.2m
2 / Avatar / 20th Century Fox / 18 Dec 2009 / £94.0m
3 / Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone / Warner Bros. / 16 Nov 2001 / £66.1m
4 / The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring / Entertainment / 21 Dec 2001 / £63.0m
5 / The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King / Entertainment / 19 Dec 2003 / £61.0m
6 / The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers / Entertainment / 20 Dec 2002 / £57.6m
7 / Casino Royale / Sony / 16 Nov 2006 / £55.6m
8 / Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets / Warner Bros. / 15 Nov 2002 / £54.8m
9 / Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 / Warner Bros. / 19 Nov 2010 / £52.5m
10 / The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey / Warner Bros. / 14 Dec 2012 / £52.3m
11 / Quantum of Solace / Sony / 31 Oct 2008 / £51.2m
12 / Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire / Warner Bros. / 18 Nov 2005 / £49.2m

The current all-time top 12 largely comprises British stories and characters:

Three James Bond adventures (all starring Daniel Craig), four Harry Potter entries (the other four in the series were all released in June or July), four Tolkien adaptations from Sir Peter Jackson, and James Cameron’s fantasy adventure Avatar.

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