South Korean sci-fi thriller Hope joins actioner Runner, historical epic The Uprising and a handful of interesting limited releases this weekend, a few by new indie distributors. With fall festival season in full swing and eyes on the next crop of independent standouts, it’s slower for new entrants in the specialty space.
Wide: Neon is out with Cannes-premiering Hope by Na Hong-jin (The Chaser, The Yellow Sea) at 1,560 theaters. It opened Wednesday, grossing $1.1 million (plus previews of $305k). In the remote South Korea village of Hope Harbor, police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung- min) and fellow officer Sung-ae (Hoyeon) are called to find a mysterious creature that has wreaked havoc on the town. In the nearby forest, a coterie of hunters including Sung- ki (Zo In-Sung) set out to track the beast and find themselves hunted instead. The film was a massive hit its home territory of South Korea, where it was released in July, grossing $36 million. See Deadline review.
From Focus Features, The Uprising by Paul Greengrass is new on 2,055 screens. Andrew Garfield toplines as the leader of a ferocious 1381 rebellion against the tyrannical King Richard II. Set against the true events that inspired the legend of Robin Hood, he forms an army of the people in a fight for justice. With Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, Katherine Waterston and Sky Yang. Jason Blum produces. See Deadline review.
RELATED: How Paul Greengrass And Andrew Garfield Made ‘The Uprising’s 14th-Century History Into A Modern-Day Truth
Angel Studios debuts Australia-set action thriller Runner by Scott Waughon on 2,581 screens. Alan Ritchson (Reacher) moves to the big screen as a former soldier and war hero-turned-courier is thrown into a brutal race against time when a critical medical delivery makes him and his unlikely partner (Owen Wilson) the targets of a ruthless cartel. As the mission spirals into a deadly manhunt, they must survive the chase and deliver their cargo to save the life of a little girl. Written by Miles Hubley and Tommy White.
Limited: If I Go Will They Miss Me, written and directed by Walter Thompson-Hernandez opens at L.A.’s AMC Century City for a special engagement, expanding to about 30 markets next week. Distributed by Rich Spirit, which acquired it out of Sundance. Stars Danielle Brooks (also an EP), J. Alphonse Nicholson and newcomer Bodhi Dell. Set in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, the pic based on Thompson-Hernandez’s Sundance 2022 short film revolves around 12-year-old Lil Ant (Dell), who struggles to connect with a distant father. Grammy and Oscar winner Jon Batiste is an EP and recorded a cover of Dinah Washington’s song “This Bitter Earth” for the film. A strong festival runs includes Best Narrative Award at the Bentonville Film Festival.
Musician-turned-comedian Isabel Hagen’s feature directorial debut On A String, the first release from Joke Zero, opens at the Quad Cinema in New York with five more markets set for next week. Winner of Best Screenplay in a U.S. Narrative Feature at the 2025 Tribeca Festival, it’s the first foray into distribution for Joke Zero, filmmaker Brandon Tamburri’s comedy-focused production company. The pic is inspired by Hagen’s real-life experiences, and she stars as a Juilliard-trained violinist navigating the New York City freelance classical musician scene while living with her oddball family. With Dylan Baker, Eric Bogosian, Frederick Weller and Jamie Lee.
Kino Lorber’s SXSW-premiering documentary Black Zombie by Canadian director Maya Annik Bedward opens in New York (Quad) and LA (Nuart). Bedward is in NYC for opening weekend Q&As. Her feature directorial debut traces the evolution of the zombie from colonial Haiti to contemporary Hollywood, digging beneath the blood-soaked spectacle of modern horror to uncover the creature’s buried and unsettling origins. Long before it became associated with flesh-eating ghouls, the zombie was a living metaphor for slavery — not a monster, but the ultimate victim of colonial power. Featuring interviews with Yves-Grégory Francois, Slash, Tom Savini, Anderson Mojica, Erol Josué, Mambo Labelle Deese Bonica, Tananarive Due and Zandashé Brown. Took the Northern Excellence Award for the standout Canadian film at Fantasia International Film Festival.
Outsider Pictures debuts TIFF 2025 Centerpiece film The Condor Daughter (La Hija Cóndor) at Cinema Village in NYC this week, Laemmle L.A. next. Written and directed by Alvaro Olmos Torrico, Bolivia’s International Oscar entry is the story of Clara (Marisol Vallejo Montañor), a teenager growing up in a small indigenous community high in the Andes. Her adoptive mother Ana (María Magdalena Sanizo), a midwife, has taught her the ancient songs used to guide women through childbirth, melodies passed down for generations, but Clara dreams of becoming a folk music star in the big city. Awarded Best Film at Biarritz Latin American Film Festival. Montañor took Best Actress at the Malaga and Guadalajara fests.
Mighty Mary documentary from filmmaker and Olympic rower Mary Mazzio (I Am Jane Doe, A Hero for Daisy) in partnership with Skydance Sports opens 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. The doc narrated by Elizabeth Banks and Hugh Jackman (also EPs) follows the first-ever all-women’s sailing crew to vie for the famed America’s Cup in 1995. The doc premiered at the Nantucket Film Festival in June, with many of the sailors from the Mighty Mary in attendance. Widely dismissed at the time as a publicity stunt, the women — a group of world-class and Olympic sailors, rowers and trailblazing women athletes from across the country — defied expectations to become legitimate contenders in one of the most demanding competitions in sports. See Deadline interview with Mazzio.