You can tell it’s the school holidays the moment the rain hits: queues get longer, faces get more stressed, and the same question keeps coming up at the counter. Will we get in. We kick things off with the moviegoing advice we wish every family heard before jumping in the car, from when to visit during peak holiday crowds to why booking ahead saves your whole day.

From there we zoom out into the New Zealand box office and what it reveals about timing. Why do some kids’ movies start slow and then surge. Why do holiday releases pop immediately. And why can a franchise like Super Mario pull massive numbers even when critics are grumpy. We also share the trailers that feel like genuine events, including the Michael Jackson docudrama and why it could be a true crowd magnet.

We then dig into the “nice surprise” corner of the schedule: You Me And Tuscany as a light Italy-set rom-com that people may need to discover, plus why we’re making space for language films like Adu 3 with English subtitles when locals request them. Finally, we preview what’s coming next, including Fuse, Solomio, and The History of Sound, a music-rich drama that deserves a proper cinema run.

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Book your tickets to the movies at Cathay Cinemas Kerikeri here - or at Lido Cinema Hamilton here!