What’s Coming to the Big Screen? Inside Vue Poole’s Summer Preview

There’s something about watching a trailer on the big screen that you simply don’t get from seeing it on your phone.

This week, we were invited to Vue Poole at Tower Park for an exclusive Summer Preview, giving us an early look at some of the biggest films still to come in 2026, alongside a few exciting teasers for 2027.

The timing was particularly fitting, with this month marking the first anniversary of Vue opening at Tower Park. Since arriving in Poole, the cinema has undergone a major refurbishment, bringing new seating, screens, food and drink options and a completely different feel to the venue.

So, before settling into our seats to find out what we'll all be watching over the coming months, we had the chance to take a proper look around...

Walking through the doors, our first impression was just how different the cinema felt.

The interior is dark and atmospheric, with colourful lighting and a modern finish giving it a more premium feel, while still keeping that familiar excitement of arriving at the cinema.

And, of course, there's the smell of popcorn. The main snack bar is packed with everything you'd expect for a trip to the pictures, from popcorn and hot dogs to sweets, M&M's and Tango Ice Blasts.

But what soon became clear is that Vue Poole has been designed to offer two slightly different kinds of cinema visit. You can grab your snacks, find your screen and enjoy a film or you can make much more of an evening out of it. That's where Ultra Lux comes in.

Vue Poole is currently home to the only full Vue Ultra Lux Screen Experience in the UK, and we were able to explore it during our visit.

Before even entering the screen, there's the Ultra Lux Bar.

With comfortable seating and a menu of cocktails, beers, wine and snacks, it's somewhere you could easily meet for a drink before a film rather than arriving just as the trailers start.

A cinema trip can suddenly become the whole evening. Drinks beforehand, the film itself, and perhaps another drink afterwards while everyone debates what they've just watched.

We were also told about ideas being explored to develop this further, including table service in the lounge and potentially within the screen itself. It's still something to look out for, but it was interesting to hear how Vue is thinking about the experience beyond what's happening on screen.

Eventually, it was time to head inside for the Summer Preview.

Every screen at Vue Poole now features reclining leather Lux seating, but the Ultra Lux seats take comfort another step further. They're wide, spacious and give you considerably more room than the cinema seats many of us grew up with. The back and leg rest can be adjusted independently, and a personal table beside you means there's no awkward balancing act between popcorn, drinks and everything else you've brought in.

Then there's probably our favourite little detail. Built into the Ultra Lux seating is a temperature-controlled drinks cooler, keeping your drink chilled while you watch the film.

Once we'd reclined the seats and settled in, the auditorium itself felt surprisingly intimate. The laser projection kept the picture sharp and bright, while the Dolby sound filled the room as the preview began.

Over the next part of the event, we were taken through a packed line-up of films heading to cinemas over the remainder of 2026, before getting an early taste of 2027 too. What surprised us most was the variety.

There were huge blockbusters, darker thrillers, family films, animation and the return of some very familiar franchises. We were honestly excited by everything we were shown, but a few immediately found their way onto our watchlist.

Avengers: Doomsday was naturally one of the big ones. With another enormous Marvel story heading for cinemas, seeing it teased with the full cinema sound behind it was a reminder that some films simply feel made for a screen like this.

Verity, based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel and starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, offered something completely different with its darker psychological-thriller atmosphere.

Then came The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, taking audiences back to Panem and the story of a young Haymitch Abernathy. As fans of the previous films will know, there's something about that world that feels particularly at home on the big screen.

We also got a glimpse further ahead into 2027...

Pixar's Gatto, set among the streets and canals of Venice, immediately caught our attention, while Ice Age: Boiling Point brought a definite wave of nostalgia with the return of a franchise many of us grew up watching.

As impressive as the technology and Ultra Lux experience were, one of the moments we remembered most actually happened before we'd even taken our seats.

When we arrived, we noticed a customer speaking to a member of the Vue team who was worried that the film they were seeing might be too loud. The team member took the time to listen and recommend seating that could better suit their needs, while also suggesting some alternative films they might enjoy. It was that level of attention and willingness to help that really stood out to us when it came to the customer experience.

We found the same friendly approach throughout our own visit. The team were welcoming from the moment we arrived and happy to explain the different parts of the cinema and what Vue has been developing in Poole.

With so much investment clearly going into the screens, seats and surroundings, it was good to see attention being paid to the customer experience too.

Streaming has completely changed the way we watch films.

With hundreds of choices available from the sofa, going to the cinema now needs to offer something that watching at home can't quite recreate.

Our visit to Vue Poole was a good reminder of what that can be.

Yes, there are the obvious things like a huge screen, powerful sound and a seat considerably more comfortable than traditional cinema seating. But there are the smaller things too.

Arriving early for a drink. The smell of popcorn as you walk through the doors. Reclining your seat as the lights go down. Hearing a room full of people react when a long-awaited film suddenly appears on screen.

Those are the things that still make going to the cinema feel like an occasion.

Vue's Summer Preview gave us plenty to look forward to over the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, but it also gave us the chance to properly experience what has changed at Tower Park over the past year.

And we left impressed. The Ultra Lux experience certainly brings the luxury, but it was the combination of comfortable surroundings, immersive technology, plenty of choice and a genuinely welcoming team that made the biggest impression on us.

Although with Avengers, The Hunger Games, Verity, Gatto and Ice Age now firmly on our radar, we don't think it'll be too long before we're settling back into those recliners again.

Disclosure: We were kindly invited by Vue to attend its Summer Preview event at Vue Poole. Our experience was complimentary; all views and experiences shared are our own.

Tower Retail Park

Poole

BH12 4NY

For more information, and to make a booking, click HERE

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Last Updated: August 2026