PREVIEW: H is for Hawk (2026 Film) - Stars Claire Foy, Brendan Gleeson, Lindsay Duncan, Denise Gough and Sam Spruell

Preview by Jon Donnis

Lionsgate UK has set 23 January 2026 as the UK and Ireland cinema release date for H Is for Hawk, Philippa Lowthorpe's anticipated adaptation of Helen Macdonald's acclaimed memoir. A striking new trailer and artwork have also been released, offering a first look at the film's deeply emotional tone and its windswept landscapes.

Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe (Misbehaviour, The Crown) and co-written with novelist Emma Donoghue, the film stars Claire Foy as Helen, alongside Brendan Gleeson, Lindsay Duncan, Denise Gough, and Sam Spruell. Produced by Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, the project brings together an impressive creative team, promising a poignant and visually rich experience.

At its heart, H Is for Hawk follows Helen, a young academic whose life collapses after the sudden death of her father. Lost in grief and memories of their shared passion for birdwatching, she throws herself into the daunting task of training a goshawk named Mabel. What begins as a distraction soon becomes an all-consuming journey of survival, solitude, and spiritual renewal.

As Helen isolates herself in the quiet edges of Cambridge life, she fills her freezer with hawk food, silences her phone, and immerses herself in the raw world of predator and prey. Through her attempts to tame the fierce bird, she begins to confront her own wildness, exploring how love, loss, and nature intertwine in unexpected ways.

Both an elegy and a celebration, H Is for Hawk promises to be one of early 2026's most emotionally resonant releases, a meditation on the untidy beauty of grief, the power of nature, and the courage it takes to live again.

PREVIEW: Tinsel Town (2025 Film) - Starring Kiefer Sutherland

Image Sky TV

By Jon Donnis

Sky Cinema has revealed the first trailer and poster for its festive family comedy Tinsel Town, giving audiences an early look at the Christmas story starring Emmy Award winner Kiefer Sutherland (Designated Survivor, 24) and multi-talented Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids, Pitch Perfect, JoJo Rabbit) ahead of its Sky Cinema release on 5th December.

Sutherland plays Bradley Mack, a washed-up Hollywood action star who finds himself in a quaint, snow-covered village to headline the town's quirky production of Cinderella. There, he meets a cast of eccentric locals who gradually win a place in his heart, including the determined choreographer Jill, played by Wilson.

Comedian Katherine Ryan (The Duchess) appears as Mack's long-suffering agent, while the villagers are brought to life by an impressive ensemble including Derek Jacobi (Gladiator II), Mawaan Rizwan (Juice), Maria Friedman (Unforgotten), Jason Manford (Waterloo Road), Asim Chaudhry (People Just Do Nothing), Danny Dyer (Rivals), Ray Fearon (Barbie), Alice Eve (Star Trek Into Darkness), Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris) and James Lance (Ted Lasso). Meera Syal (The Wheel of Time) plays the production's director. Rising talents Savannah Lee Smith (Cruel Intentions), Theodora Williams, Matilda Firth (Wolf Man) and Eden Hamilton (The Railway Children Return) also feature.

Written by Frazer Flintham, Adam Brown and Piers Ashworth, with additional material by Jake Brunger, the film is directed by Chris Foggin (Bank of Dave) and produced by Matt Williams and Pascal Degove of Future Artists Entertainment, alongside Ava Aashna Chopra, with executive producers Laura Grange, Piers Tempest, Martin Owen and Julia Stuart.

Sky Original Film Tinsel Town will arrive on Sky Cinema on 5th December, 2025.

PREVIEW: The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2025 Film) - A Bloody Good Christmas

Preview by Jon Donnis

It's beginning to look a lot like murder. The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge is here to turn Christmas cheer into festive fear, bringing a sinister twist to Dickens' classic tale. The film arrives on UK digital platforms on 3 November, just in time to kick off the season with something far more chilling than tinsel and eggnog.

Written, directed and produced by Jake Helgren (Dashing in December, Bad Connection), this gruesome holiday slasher takes a group of old college friends and traps them in a snow-dusted nightmare. Their cosy reunion turns macabre when memories of a friend's death a decade earlier resurface. The mood darkens further with the arrival of an uninvited guest wearing an Ebenezer Scrooge mask and a taste for vengeance.

What follows is a wild mix of festive nostalgia and blood-soaked terror, as the killer methodically crosses each victim off his "naughty list". The film balances knowing wit with grisly creativity, leaning into its Christmas setting with twinkling lights, dark humour and enough jump scares to make even the hardiest horror fan flinch.

Early praise from genre outlets hints at a cult hit in the making. Hysteria Lives calls it "a future Christmas slasher classic", while Macabre Daily describes it as "a present you definitely want to open". Between the sharp script, stylish cinematography and committed performances, The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge looks set to become a must-watch for horror fans who prefer their Christmas stories blood-red.

So, pour the mulled wine, lock the doors and prepare for a frightfully festive night in. The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge is one Christmas gift that bites back.

The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge on digital 3 November from Miracle Media

PREVIEW: M: Beyond the Wasteland (2025 Film) - Starring Matej Sivakov and Sasko Kocev

By Jon Donnis

In a world overrun by the undead, two young boys form an unlikely bond as they struggle to survive a brutal post-apocalyptic society in the award-winning sci-fi thriller M: Beyond the Wasteland.

Directed by Vardan Tozija (Amok), this haunting and deeply moving fable follows a boy's desperate search for what remains of humanity amid a landscape ravaged by plague-ridden creatures.

After an acclaimed festival run, including a screening at Grimmfest 2024, the celebrated Macedonian survival drama is set for its UK digital release on 10 November, courtesy of GrimmVision.

In a desolate future where zombies, known as the Evil Ones, have wiped out much of civilisation, a lonely boy named Marko (Matej Sivakov) lives deep in the forest under the strict care of his mysterious father (Sasko Kocev). His world changes when he meets Miko (Aleksandar Nichovski), a gentle boy with Down syndrome, whose kindness sparks both friendship and curiosity about the world beyond their secluded home.

When fate intervenes and Marko's wish for freedom is suddenly granted, his journey becomes one of peril, discovery, and the faint hope that humanity might still endure.

Set against a stark and chilling backdrop, M: Beyond the Wasteland is a powerful and emotional tale of connection and resilience, reminding us that even in ruin, hope can still survive.

Available on digital from 10 November via GrimmVision.

NEWS: MUBI and Film4 Begin Production on Andrew Haigh’s ‘A Long Winter’

MUBI and Film4 have confirmed that principal photography is now underway in Alberta, Canada on Andrew Haigh's latest feature, A Long Winter. The BAFTA-nominated filmmaker directs from his own script, adapted from Colm Tóibín's short story of the same name.

Set high in the mountains as autumn fades, the story follows a family preparing for the long, isolating winter ahead. The film stars Fred Hechinger (Thelma, Gladiator II), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear, The Fantastic Four: First Steps), Caitríona Balfe (Belfast, Ford vs Ferrari), Kit Connor (Warfare, Rocketman), and D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Warfare, Reservation Dogs). The cast also features Manuel Garcia Rulfo (Jurassic World: Rebirth) and David Furr (The Gilded Age).

Production is led by Tristan Goligher for The Bureau, alongside Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev of Calgary-based Nomadic Pictures, and Michael Elliott. MUBI holds distribution rights across the US, UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and India, while The Match Factory handles global sales. The film, co-financed by MUBI and Film4, was developed by MUBI, with Farhana Bhula and Max Park overseeing for Film4.

The creative team includes cinematographer André Turpin (Mommy, Incendies), production designer Emmanuel Fréchette (Wayward, The North Water), and editor Jonathan Alberts (All of Us Strangers, 45 Years).

Haigh's recent film All of Us Strangers (Searchlight Pictures and Film4) earned six BAFTA nominations, including Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, along with multiple Gotham and Independent Spirit Award nominations. His earlier works include Lean on Pete (2017), 45 Years (2015) – which won Charlotte Rampling an Academy Award nomination – and his breakout Weekend (2011).