Friday 1 May 2026 brings a lively mix of fashion-world sequel sparkle, animated satire, survival thrills, supernatural horror, and big-screen anime to cinemas across the UK and US.
From the long-awaited return of The Devil Wears Prada to Andy Serkis’ animated take on Animal Farm, this week’s cinema slate offers a surprisingly varied start to May. Below is your Movieversalfilm guide to the key new theatrical releases, including wide openings, limited releases, and notable platform rollouts.
Wide Cinema Releases:
The Devil Wears Prada 2
- UK Release Date: 1 May 2026
- US Release Date: 1 May 2026
- Distributor: 20th Century Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- Rating / Certificate: PG-13 in the US / 12A in the UK
- Runtime: 119 minutes
- Premium Formats: Not confirmed
The Devil Wears Prada 2 reunites Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci nearly two decades after the original fashion-world phenomenon. This sequel returns to Runway magazine as Miranda Priestly faces a shifting media landscape, while Emily Charlton has risen into a powerful new role within the luxury industry.
Expect glossy style, sharp dialogue, career anxiety, and a legacy sequel designed for audiences who grew up with the original and are now facing their own reinvention era.
Animal Farm
- UK Release Date: Not confirmed
- US Release Date: 1 May 2026
- Distributor: Angel Studios
- Rating / Certificate: PG in the US / UK certificate not confirmed
- Runtime: Approximately 95–96 minutes
- Premium Formats: Not confirmed
Andy Serkis directs this animated adaptation of George Orwell’s famous allegory. While the film is positioned as accessible animation, the story’s themes of power, control, corruption and revolution remain central to its appeal.
This is one for families with older children, animation fans, and viewers who enjoy stories with a sharper political edge beneath the surface.
Deep Water
- UK Release Date: 1 May 2026
- US Release Date: 1 May 2026
- Distributor: Magenta Light Studios
- Rating / Certificate: R in the US / UK certificate not confirmed
- Runtime: 106–110 minutes depending on source
- Premium Formats: Not confirmed
Directed by Renny Harlin, Deep Water sends a group of passengers into shark-infested danger after a flight is forced into an emergency landing. Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley star in a survival thriller built around panic, pressure and the fight to stay alive.
For fans of disaster thrillers, shark movies and stripped-back survival suspense, this could be the week’s most straightforward genre ride.
Hokum
- UK Release Date: 1 May 2026
- US Release Date: 1 May 2026
- Distributor: Neon in the US / Black Bear Pictures in the UK and Ireland
- Rating / Certificate: R in the US / 15 in the UK
- Runtime: 101–107 minutes depending on source
- Premium Formats: Standard theatrical
Hokum is a supernatural horror film from Damian McCarthy, starring Adam Scott as a writer who retreats to a remote Irish inn and becomes entangled in folklore, grief and something far darker than local legend.
With its haunted setting, folk-horror atmosphere and psychological dread, this is aimed squarely at horror fans looking for something moodier and more unnerving than a jump-scare machine.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea
- UK Release Date: 1 May 2026
- US Release Date: 1 May 2026
- Distributor: Sony Pictures / Crunchyroll
- Rating / Certificate: PG-13 in the US / UK certificate not confirmed
- Runtime: Approximately 104–114 minutes depending on source
- Premium Formats: Standard theatrical / anime event-style release
The latest big-screen adventure from the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime franchise brings Rimuru and company back to cinemas for another fantasy quest packed with magic, action and anime spectacle.
This is a clear fan-focused release, best suited to existing followers of the series and anime audiences looking for a theatrical event.
Notable US Limited Releases:
The Last One for the Road
- US Release Date: 1 May 2026
- UK Release Date: Not confirmed
- Distributor: Music Box Films
- Runtime: Approximately 100 minutes
- Release Type: Limited
A limited US release listed for 1 May 2026, positioned for audiences interested in smaller-scale comedy, crime and drama storytelling.
Our Land
- US Release Date: 1 May 2026
- UK Release Date: Not confirmed
- Distributor: Strand Releasing
- Runtime: Approximately 123 minutes
- Release Type: Limited documentary
A limited documentary release opening in the US, adding a quieter non-fiction alternative to the week’s studio and genre-heavy slate.
Movieversalfilm Verdict:
This week’s cinema releases are led by one major mainstream sequel, several genre-friendly counter-programming options, and a notable anime event release.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is the clear headline attraction for both UK and US audiences, bringing back a beloved cast and a recognisable brand. Animal Farm gives the US market a family-accessible animated title with literary weight, while Deep Water and Hokum serve thriller and horror audiences respectively. Anime fans also get a targeted theatrical release with Tears of the Azure Sea.
It is a varied May opener: glossy studio comedy-drama, political animation, shark survival thrills, supernatural horror and franchise anime all arriving together on the big screen.