Diverse Slate of New Releases Hits Spanish Box Office in Bid to Boost Attendance

The Spanish box office is undergoing a major refresh this weekend, with a diverse mix of films aimed at drawing in a wide range of viewers. By balancing European art-house cinema with big-budget commercial hits, distributors are looking to diversify their offerings as the industry continues its push to return to pre-pandemic attendance levels.

Horror takes center stage with the latest film from director Lee Cronin, who returns to the genre to explore the myth of the mummy. Starring Laia Costa, Jack Reynor, and Natalie Grace, the story follows the discovery of a girl who reappears after being missing in Egypt for eight years. On the comedy front, La familia Benetón +2 continues the multicultural story of the first film. Directed by Joaquín Mazón and filmed across Madrid and the Canary Islands, the sequel brings new family challenges for Toni Benetón, played by Leo Harlem, alongside cast members El Langui and Pepe Viyuela.

International cinema also has a strong presence. Gus Van Sant’s Prime Crime dramatizes the first live-broadcast kidnapping in U.S. history, featuring a star-studded cast including Al Pacino, Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, and Colman Domingo. French cinema offers two distinct perspectives: Thierry Klifa’s satire on power and wealth, starring Isabelle Huppert as a character reminiscent of Liliane Bettencourt, and Emmanuel Finkiel’s Mariana's Room, a historical drama based on Aharon Appelfeld’s novel about a child surviving the Nazi occupation of Ukraine.

Several new releases also tackle significant social issues. The Italian film The Boy with Pink Pants, directed by Margherita Ferri, has already drawn over 1.5 million viewers at home with its poignant look at a teenager’s suicide following school bullying. Domestically, Fernando González Molina and producers "Los Javis" present a remake of the 1972 classic My Dearest Señorita, starring Elisabeth Martínez. Finally, the Colombian tragicomedy A Poet, directed by Simón Mesa Soto and starring Ubeimar Ríos, rounds out the selection. Having already earned acclaim at the Cannes and San Sebastián film festivals, it stands out as one of the season’s most unique releases.