UK film release dates: What new movies are coming to British cinemas?

The year may be drawing to a close but there's no shortage of exciting new titles coming to UK cinemas.

January and February always see a deluge of new prestige pictures released in time for awards season as we build up towards the Oscars.

Here’s an overview of all the new releases hitting British screens over the coming months.

Out now

Creed II

Michael B Jordan returns as Adonis Creed in this sequel to Ryan Coogler’s triumphant Rocky reboot/spin-off.

Creed II trailer

Sylvester Stallone and Tessa Thompson are also back for Creed’s bout with Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Soviet boxer Ivan Drago, who killed Creed’s father Apollo way back in Rocky IV (1985).

Sorry to Bother You

Atlanta star Lakeith Stanfield leads this absurdist comedy from first-time director Boots Riley, about an African-American telemarketer who adopts a white voice on the phone to advance his career, only to be drawn into dark conspiracy.

One of the most keenly awaited debuts in years, the film stars Terry Crews, Danny Glover, David Cross and Armie Hammer.

Aquaman

Following supporting appearances in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017), Jason Mamoa finally get his chance to impress as Arthur Curry, DC Comics’ answer to King Neptune.

Aquaman has a job on its hands if it hopes to rival the success of Wonder Woman (2017) but Saw (2004) director James Wan knows how to get a reaction from an audience and it certainly looks spectacular.

Mary Poppins Returns

In potentially the biggest box office smash of the season, Disney returns to the lamp-lit London of PL Travers’ magical nanny and Emily Blunt take on the role Julie Andrews made her own in 1964.

Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer are the grown up Banks children, Hamilton author Lin-Manuel Miranda co-stars and Dick van Dyke returns at the age of 92, the latter beaten only by 93-year-old Angela Lansbury cameoing in honour of Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).

Papillon

Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek appear as the legendary French prison escapee Henri Charriere and his accomplice Louis Dega, their story previously told in 1973 with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.

26 December

Bumblebee

The first spin-off feature from the wildly popular Transformers franchise, Travis Knight’s film takes place 20 years before the events of the 2007 original and features Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena among its human contingent.

Holmes and Watson

Will Ferrell and John C Reilly follow in the footsteps of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore in offering a comedic spin on Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved detective duo.

Holmes And Watson - Trailer

Etan Cohen's film looks agreeably ludicrous and features supporting turns from Ralph Fiennes, Rebecca Hall, Kelly Macdonald, Hugh Laurie, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. The plot concerns an assassination threat against Queen Victoria.

1 January

The Favourite

Olivia Colman stars as Queen Anne and Rachel Weisz is Lady Sarah, the aristocrat who comes to rule early 18th century England in the sickly monarch’s stead. This handsome costume drama is the latest from the ever-unpredictable Greek surrealist Yorgos Lanthimos.

The leads have been tipped for awards season recognition, as has Emma Stone for her supporting role as Abigail, a new servant intent on exploiting her position to her advantage.

Welcome to Marwen

Veteran director Robert Zemeckis returns with this drama about a man so traumatised after being violently assaulted that he builds a complete Second World War-era village in miniature to focus his recovery.

Steve Carrell stars with Leslie Mann, Janelle Monae and Gwendoline Christie making up an interesting supporting cast.

11 January

Stan and Ollie

Steve Coogan and John C Reilly are ideally cast as beloved slapstick comedians Laurel and Hardy in this biopic from Jon S Baird, recounting the duo’s tour to England in 1953 with their fame dwindling and health failing.

Colette

Kiera Knightley stars in this prestige biopic of the eponymous French novelist from Wash Westmoreland, director of the Oscar-nominated Still Alice (2014).

The Front Runner

The new film from Jason Reitman – Juno (2007), Up in the Air (2009) – is this biopic of 1988 Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman).

Vera Farmiga, JK Simmons and Alfred Molina make up an enviable supporting cast and Jackman received early Oscar buzz after its premiere at Telluride in August.

18 January

Beautiful Boy

Belgian filmmaker Felix Van Groeningen makes his English language debut with this acclaimed drama about a father (Steve Carrell) attempting to improve relations with his teenage son (Timothee Chalamet), addicted to methamphetamines.

Glass

M Night Shyamalan unites characters from his films Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016) for this new supernatural horror, bringing together Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson from the former and James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy from the more recent thriller. Sarah Paulson also joins the mini-cinematic universe.

Mary, Queen of Scots

Saorise Ronan and Margot Robbie star as Mary Stuart and Queen Elizabeth I respectively in Josie Rourke’s historical biopic, focusing on the rival between the distant cousins sparked when the former returns from France, a widow at 18, to claim her birthright.

Mary Queen of Scots trailer

25 January

Vice

Christian Bale reunites with director Adam McKay after The Big Short (2015) for what promises to be an eccentric biopic of Dick Cheney, George W Bush’s influential vice president.

In addition to Bale’s latest Method transformation, look out for Sam Rockwell as Bush, Steve Carrell as Donald Rumsfeld and Tyler Perry as Colin Powell.

Destroyer

Karyn Kusama, who made waves with the dinner party horror The Invitation (2015), returns with this crime starring a near-unrecognisable Nicole Kidman as an LAPD detective forced to pursue a criminal gang with whom she has a history.

The Mule

Clint Eastwood, still at it at 88, directs, co-produces and stars in this extraordinary true story about a 90-year-old Korean War veteran working as a drug mule for the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.

Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Pena are the DEA agents on his tail.

1 February

Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Melissa McCarthy stars in this black comedy as a failed writer who tries to revive her career by forging letters from famous authors in the hope of selling them on.

Already out in the US, McCarthy and co-star Richard E Grant have received huge acclaim for their bittersweet performances.

Green Book

An improbable comedy from one-time “gross out” king Peter Farrelly, Green Book stars Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortenson as a black concert pianist and the New York night club bouncer he hires to drive him across the Deep South in the 1960s. Based on a true story.

8 February

Boy Erased

Actor Joel Edgerton makes his directorial debut with this drama inspired by the memoir of Garrard Conley, the son of strict Baptists who is subjected to gay conversion therapy against his wishes.

Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe round out a superb cast.

If Beale Street Could Talk

Barry Jenkins returns after (eventually) taking home the Best Picture Oscar in 2016 for Moonlight.

His new film, an adaptation of James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name, is no compromised bid for the mainstream, offering instead an intimate account of one woman's quest for justice after her husband is falsely accused of rape.

The Kindergarten Teacher

Maggie Gyllenhaal stars in this Netflix drama about a teacher who goes too far in her fight to ensure a child prodigy has the chance to realise his true potential.

The LEGO Movie 2

Warner Brothers seek to repeat the unexpected critical and commercial hit of the first outing with this return to Bricksburg after the events of Taco Tuesday.

Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett return among the voice cast while original creators Phil Lord and Christopher Miller this time write and produce but hand over directorial duties to Mike Mitchell and Trisha Gum.

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15 February

The Kid Who Would Be King

Joe Cornish - once of Channel 4 comedy duo Adam and Joe - returns with his second feature as director following the superb British sci-fi caper Attack the Block.

A modern update of the Arthurian legend of the Sword and the Stone, the film stars Louis Ashbourne Serkis (son of Andy) with support from Rebecca Ferguson and Sir Patrick Stewart.