This weekend, Friday 21st April 2023, there are 9 new films released in North America and where available looking to hit the box office chart, but can they challenge last weekends top movie, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, for the number 1 spot?

Check out other new releases from around the world.

• Beau Is Afraid
• Exhibition On Screen: Vermeer the Blockbuster Exhibition 2023
• Ghosted
• Chevalier
• Spirited Away Live On Stage
• The Covenant
• Evil Dead Rise
• Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan
• Other Peoples Children

Beau Is Afraid

• The movie is directed by Ari Aster, it is the directors 3rd movie.
• Ari Aster also directed Midsommar in 2019.
• It stars Joaquin Phoenix who also starred in The Sisters Brother's (2019).
• The film also stars Patti LuPone who was last seen in The School For Good and Evil (2022).
• This movie is released in movie theatres.
• The MPAA age rating is

Exhibition On Screen: Vermeer the Blockbuster Exhibition 2023

• The movie is directed by David Bickerstaff, it is the directors 13th movie.
• David Bickerstaff also directed Exhibition On Screen: Van Gogh and Japan 2019 in 2019.
• It stars Robert Lindsay who also starred in Hawkins (2001).
• The film also stars who is making a feature film debut.
• This movie is released in movie theatres.

Ghosted

• The movie is directed by Dexter Fletcher, it is the directors 5th movie.
• Dexter Fletcher also directed Wild Bill in 2012.
• It stars Ana de Armas who also starred in Wasp Network (2019).
• The film also stars Amy Sedaris who was last seen in Somebody I Used to Know (2023).
• This movie is released on streaming platforms.
• The MPAA age rating is

Chevalier

• The movie is from director Stephen Williams.
• This movie is a directorial debut.
• It stars Lucy Boynton who also starred in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018).
• The film also stars Samara Weaving who was last seen in Scream VI (2023).
• This movie is released in movie theatres.
• The MPAA age rating is

Spirited Away Live On Stage

• The movie is from director John Caird.
• This movie is a directorial debut.
• It stars Kotaro Daigo who also starred in The Battle: Roar to VIctory (2019).
• The film also stars Kanna Hashimoto who was last seen in Nemesis The Movie: Mystery of Golden Spiral (2023).
• Kotaro Daigo and Kanna Hashimoto have starred in 2 other movies together.
• They also appeared together in Karada Sagashi in 2022 and Remember Member in 2022.
• This movie is released in movie theatres.

The Covenant

• The movie is directed by Guy Ritchie, it is the directors 15th movie.
• Guy Ritchie also directed The Gentlemen in 2020 which grossed $36.5 Mil. in the US and grossed $115.2 Mil. globally.
• It stars Jake Gyllenhaal who also starred in End of Watch (2012).
• The film also stars Alexander Ludwig who was last seen in Night Teeth (2021).
• This movie is released in movie theatres.
• The MPAA age rating is

Evil Dead Rise

• The movie is directed by Lee Cronin, it is the directors 3rd movie.
• Lee Cronin also directed The Hole In the Ground in 2019.
• It stars Mirabai Pease who is making a feature film debut.
• The film also stars Richard Crouchley who is making a feature film debut.
• This movie is released in movie theatres.
• The MPAA age rating is

Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan

• The movie is directed by Farhad Samji, it is the directors 4th movie.
• Farhad Samji also directed Its Entertainment in 2014.
• It stars Salman Khan who also starred in Chal Mere Bhai (2000).
• The film also stars Pooja Hegde who was last seen in Cirkus (2022).
• Farhad Samji directed Pooja Hegde in Housefull 4
• This movie is released in movie theatres.

Other Peoples Children

• The movie is directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, it is the directors 3rd movie.
• Rebecca Zlotowski also directed Grand Central in 2014.
• It stars Virginie Efira who also starred in Other Peoples Children (2022).
• The film also stars Roschdy Zem who was last seen in The Innocent (2022).
• This movie is released in movie theatres.

Check back on Monday to see what new movies made it onto the Weekend Box Office Chart.

Next week there are 5 new movies released

• Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - Friday, 28th April
• Peter Pan & Wendy - Friday, 28th April - streaming
• Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World - Friday, 28th April
• Polite Society - Friday, 28th April

You can call it a victory if you like but the simple fact is that in the home movie market there is only room for one format, and in the high definition future if movie watching in the home we will be doing that on a Blu-ray device.

Toshiba has today (Tuesday) announced that it will discontinue production of all things HD-DVD which basically kills the format dead. It's been a long fought battle but in the end what is widely considered the best format won.

Was it the Playstation 3 which won the battle, I doubt it, but clearly Sony had learned a lesson with the Playstation 2, which was accounted for part of the success of DVD, and delaying the launch of the PS3 to include the high definition player has certainly helped the format along.

So what now of HD-DVD, Universal have also announced that they will switch to Blu-ray and Paramount will follow suit as well that’s a given. Those who bought an HD-DVD player will be able to pick up some bargains but the releases will cease very soon and their players are destined to join the Betmax grave of home entertainment.

Blu-ray is the future of High definition disks, but some at Toshibas think that there will be no physical future for home movies, a thought shared by Microsoft who were a backer of the HD-DVD format, it'll all be downloads soon, but I’m not ready for that future but I'm sure happy that Blu-ray has won this battle.