Eid Al Fitr is a time of family gatherings after a month of fasting. It also marks a resurgence in cinema attendance as moviegoers return following the holy month, when home entertainment takes precedence.
This Eid Al Fitr, film enthusiasts can enjoy a diverse line-up of major releases, ranging from family entertainment to action-packed experiences. With the holiday expected to fall on April 1, here’s a look at the biggest films coming to UAE cinemas.
Sikandar
Salman Khan continues his streak of releasing a big blockbuster film on Eid with Sikandar. Directed by AR Murugadoss, the film also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Sathyaraj and Kajal Aggarwal.
Sikandar is about the fight against corruption and giving power back to the people. The film runs for 140 minutes and features songs by Pritam Chakraborty.
A Minecraft Movie
Director Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) has brought one of the world's most beloved video games to life. A Minecraft Movie stars Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Coolidge and Kate McKinnon. It follows a group of people who end up in the world of the game and need to escape before they are hurt, or worse.
A perennial hit with children, the game was always going to get the big-screen treatment eventually. The cube-like design of the characters and objects in the game have been carried over for the film, with added details to give it a more organic look.
The Monkey
Osgood Perkins surprised horror fans last year with his supernatural crime procedural Longlegs. Many wondered what his next project would be, before it was announced that it would be an adaptation of Stephen King’s short story, The Monkey.
The film stars Theo James, Tatiana Maslany and Elijah Wood and follows a set of twins who find a toy monkey that causes elaborate deaths. Perkins himself appears in the film and has promised horror fans an experience full of gruesome scenes and buckets of blood.
Novocaine
Jack Quaid, the son of Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid, shot to fame due to his star turn in the Amazon Prime Video series The Boys. This year, as his series winds to a close, he has finally become a legitimate leading man in film. In January, he appeared in the hit sci-fi thriller Companion. This Eid, fans can see him in the action-comedy film Novocaine.
In Novocaine, Quaid plays a man who cannot feel pain, using this superpower to go after the kidnappers of the girl of his dreams.
A Working Man
Jason Statham has become the modern equivalent of beloved 1980s action film stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone and Chuck Norris. His name alone can sell a film, regardless of the plot.
Last year, fans were treated to The Beekeeper, a rambunctious action film starring Statham and directed by David Ayer. The duo return this year with A Working Man, a film about a construction worker who hides his combat-trained past.
L2: Empuraan
This political thriller is a follow-up the record-breaking 2019 Malayalam film Lucifer. Superstar Mohanlal leads an ensemble star cast including Prithviraj Sukumaran (who returns as director), Tovino Thomas, Indrajith Sukumaran and Manju Warrier, who reprise their roles in Lucifer.
Set in the high-stakes world of crime syndicates and political power plays, L2: Empuraan once again follows Mohanlal's crime lord Stephen Nedumpally as he seeks to expand his global empire while old enemies try to stop him. L2: Empuraan will screen in five languages: Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada.
Shabab El Bomb 2
The Saudi television series Shabab El Bomb is a smash hit with young people in the Gulf. Having started in 2012, the series moved to the big screen in 2024. Starring Faisal Al-Eisa, Mohammed Al-Dosari and Abdulaziz Al Furajiji, the second feature film is set for release this Eid.
The series, and the films, follow a group of friends who call themselves Shabab El Bomb, or “the bomb young men”, as they navigate everyday life, getting themselves out of ridiculous and comedic situations.
Absolution
Liam Neeson’s late-period action star phase continues. His newest film is Absolution, directed by Hans Petter Moland. In this film, Neeson plays an ageing gangster who hopes to reconnect with his distant children despite being told not to do so by his criminal crew.
Absolution also stars Daniel Diemer, Javier Molina, Jimmy Gonzales and Ron Perlman.
Night at The Zoo
Titled Night of the Zoopocalypse in some regions, this animated film features the voices of David Harbour, Gabbi Kosmidis, Bryn McAuley and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Directed by Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro, the film follows a wolf and a mountain lion who team up when a meteor unleashes a virus that turns zoo animals into zombies. The film is executive produced by Clive Barker who wrote and directed Hellraiser and wrote Candyman.
