Inspired in part by a lyric from The Beatles’ “I Am The Walrus”, Semolina Pilchard is a darkly comic British crime drama set in Liverpool. After five years away from Liverpool, Clara is unexpectedly summoned home by her dying father, Gerry, a once-feared gangster whose legacy still casts a long shadow over both his family and his past criminal empire. Her younger sister Danika has remained by their father’s side, deeply involved in his affairs and quietly positioning herself as the natural successor to his estate and influence. Clara’s return threatens that fragile balance, fuelling suspicion, resentment, and a growing fear that everything Danika believes she has earned may be taken away. What begins as an uneasy reunion gradually evolves into a tense psychological and emotional battle between the sisters, where grief, ambition, loyalty, and inheritance collide. Balancing laugh-out-loud moments with serious dramatic stakes, Semolina Pilchard is ultimately a story about family, legacy, and the complicated ties that bind people together, even in the face of betrayal, loss, and ambition. Co-writer Daina Ann Smith is a Connecticut-based screenwriter and a key creative voice behind the film.
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In “Moana,” Disney’s live-action reimagining of the beloved Oscar-nominated animated adventure, Moana (Catherine Lagaʻaia) answers the Ocean’s call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the infamous demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) on an unforgettable journey to restore prosperity to her people. The film is directed by Emmy and Tony Award winner Thomas Kail (“Hamilton”); produced by Dwayne Johnson, p.g.a., Beau Flynn, p.g.a., Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, p.g.a. and Lin-Manuel Miranda; and executive produced by Scott Sheldon, Charles Newirth, Kail and Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the animated films “Moana” and “Moana 2.” “Moana” features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foaʻi and Mark Mancina, and an original score composed by Mancina. Audiences can experience the brilliant cinematic sights, sounds and songs of “Moana” exclusively in theaters July 10, 2026.
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We are celebrating animals and community with Sidewalk Angels Foundation and Paws Crossed during Bedford’s Sidewalk Sale. From 11am–1pm we have an adoption pop-up outside the Playhouse. At 1pm is a special screening of The Secret Life of Pets introduced by Rob Thomas and Marisol Thomas of Sidewalk Angels Foundation. SAF supports animal rescue, welfare, and advocacy nationwide, funding no-kill shelters and grassroots organizations dedicated to protecting animals in need. In partnership with Paws Crossed, this special event highlights the importance of rescue, adoption, and compassionate care.
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The toys are back in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” and this time it’s Toy meets Tech. Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), Jessie (voice of Joan Cusack) and the rest of the gang’s jobs are challenged when they come face-to-face with Lilypad (voice of Greta Lee), a brand-new tablet device that arrives with her own disruptive ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. Will playtime ever be the same? “Toy Story 5” is directed by Academy Award winner Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Kenna Harris, produced by Lindsey Collins and written by Stanton and Harris. The film features an original score by Oscar winner Randy Newman, who returns to score his fifth “Toy Story” feature. “Toy Story 5” releases exclusively in theaters June 19, 2026.
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Fresh off the worldwide blockbuster success of summer 2024’s funniest comedy, Despicable Me 4, Illumination expands its joyful animated universe with a riotous new chapter, featuring all-new characters, in the biggest global animated franchise in history: Minions & Monsters. This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.
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In this witty, new breed of mystery, George (Hugh Jackman) is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can’t possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.
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A Q&A with writer and star Jill Kargman precedes the film. Renowned social media influencer Dzanielle navigates fake friendships among the Black card–swiping, workout-obsessed Upper East Siders of New York. In her comedic quest for a million followers, she unexpectedly finds her first real friend—and her true self. INFLUENCED is a sharp, foul-mouthed, and warm-hearted satire of New York City’s Upper East Side influencer culture from writer/star Jill Kargman (Odd Mom Out) and director Rachel Israel (Keep the Change). Kargman is joined by a standout supporting cast including David Krumholtz, Justin Bartha, Christine Taylor, Laura Bell Bundy, Jessica Capshaw, Eugene Cordero, and Dan Hedaya.
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In Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s beloved romantic comedy, Amélie, a shy Parisian waitress finds purpose in secretly improving the lives of those around her. But when she becomes intrigued by the mysterious Nino, Amélie must decide whether she’s ready to take a chance on her own happiness. Presented in French with English subtitles. Part of our Cult Classic series, introduced by Programming Associate Eliana Choi.
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A mainstay of the London art scene since his starry breakout in the creative explosion of the 1960’s, Julian Sklar (Ian McKellen) has drifted into a cluttered, self-imposed seclusion. His two estranged children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) enlist Lori (Michaela Coel), a young painter and sometime-forger, to pose as a prospective assistant and gain access to a fabled series of unfinished canvases Julian has buried deep in his home studio, in a deceptive bid to secure an inheritance for themselves.
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Presenting the first true Rom-Com film – 100 years later, still one of the finest ever made. Inspired by a story by Elinor Glyn who specialized in risqué fare, Clarence Badger’s “It” is a frothy romantic comedy transformed by the incandescent Clara Bow—who indeed had “it”. Bow’s shopgirl Betty Lou sets her sights on her handsome boss (Antonio Moreno), wooing him with her sheer animal magnetism. Can he resist?… A Q&A with film restorer and Playhouse Board member Robert Harris follows the film. “Clara Bow is the quintessence of what the term ‘Flapper’ signifies as a definite description: pretty, impudent, superbly assured, as worldly-wise, briefly-clad and ‘hard-berled’ as possible.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald
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