School holidays are arriving at Limelight Cinemas with a packed line-up ranging from a fresh reinvention of Resident Evil to Shaun the Sheep, classic Looney Tunes chaos and a friendship adventure that comes with its own special event screening.
Speaking on the Limelight Cinemas Podcast, Lex said the new Resident Evil would provide one of the major options for adult audiences as the cinema shifts into its school holiday program.
Rather than continuing the previous film series, the new movie is described as a completely fresh interpretation of the popular video game franchise.
“This is a reinvention of Resident Evil. So it’s not a sequel to any other films that we’ve already seen,” Lex said.
“This is an all-new take of the Resident Evil game franchise.”
The film comes from filmmaker Zach Cregger, known for Barbarian and Weapons, and follows medical courier Bryan as he finds himself caught in an increasingly dangerous fight for survival.
While retaining the horror and survival elements audiences associate with Resident Evil, Lex said the movie represented Cregger’s own take on the franchise.
Shaun the Sheep gets spooky
Families can expect a very different type of fright with Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom.
The latest adventure from the world of Aardman takes Shaun and the flock into Halloween territory after the farmer destroys their pumpkin patch.
Shaun responds by becoming something of a mad scientist in an attempt to fix the problem before Halloween — and, in classic Shaun the Sheep fashion, things don’t exactly go according to plan.
“The farmer who they live with has destroyed their pumpkin patch,” Lex said.
“Shaun the Sheep transforms or becomes a bit of a mad scientist and finds a way to remedy the situation in time for Halloween.”
The result is another chaotic adventure for fans of Shaun and the distinctive stop-motion style associated with the creators behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run.
Lex said Limelight was particularly excited about the beginning of the school holiday period following a busy run that included Spider-Man and Practical Magic.
Coyote takes ACME to court
Another familiar face is returning to the big screen with Coyote vs. Acme, bringing Wile E. Coyote and the Looney Tunes universe back for audiences young and old.
This time, Coyote isn’t simply trying another elaborate scheme to catch the Road Runner — he’s taking the ACME Corporation to court over the countless products that have spectacularly failed him over the years.
Lex said early audience tracking in the United States suggested the film was appealing both to adults who grew up watching the characters and younger viewers discovering them for the first time.
“We love Looney Tunes. We love all the fun of these classic films,” she said.
Alongside Shaun the Sheep, she said the movie offered families the chance to enjoy a style of cartoon comedy that many parents grew up watching themselves.
“It’s so good to get back to just traditional cartoons — going back to the stuff we grew up with.”
Friendship at the heart of Forgotten Island
A more emotional school holiday adventure arrives with Forgotten Island, which Lex recently had the opportunity to see at an advance screening.
She recommended the movie particularly for children aged around seven or eight and above, noting that one of its mythical creatures could be a little frightening for very young viewers.
At the heart of the story are two friends who discover a mythical portal leading to the magical island they had heard about in childhood stories.
Once there, they encounter extraordinary creatures and discover the island they had imagined is real.
But the adventure also becomes a test of their friendship.
As the characters grow older and begin heading in different directions — including one preparing for university while the other isn’t quite ready to venture into the wider world — they must confront what growing up means for their relationship.
“It is a fantastic story of friendship and really understanding that we grow in different ways, but we can still be friends,” Lex said.
The magical adventure also comes with a catch: the longer visitors remain on the island, the more of their memories they begin to lose.
Besties screening adds bracelets, nails and glitter
Limelight is turning Forgotten Island’s friendship theme into a special Besties Screening this Sunday.
Activities begin with a 2pm arrival ahead of the 3pm movie, giving guests an hour to get into the spirit of the event.
Moviegoers will be able to make friendship bracelets with whoever they bring along — whether that’s their best friend, sibling, cousin, mum, dad or another special person.
There will also be a nail colour bar where guests can do each other’s nails and a glitter hair station before settling in for the film.
The event has been designed as a school holiday variation on Limelight’s Mini Girls Night Out concept, although without the traditional gift bag.
Transformers celebrates 40 years
The nostalgia continues with another major anniversary screening, as The Transformers: The Movie returns to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Lex said there had already been significant interest in seeing the animated classic back on the big screen.
Limelight will screen the movie in both its traditional and Gold cinemas, giving long-time fans the option of settling into the premium cinema experience for the anniversary.
“We completely understand that we do have a huge nostalgic audience for this who will want to be able to sit back and relax while they get to experience this nostalgia unfold on the big screen,” Lex said.
With Resident Evil providing the scares, Shaun the Sheep delivering Halloween laughs, Wile E. Coyote finally seeking legal revenge on ACME and Forgotten Island putting friendship at the centre of a magical adventure, Limelight’s latest line-up offers plenty of choice as the September school holidays get underway.
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