If you are a film fan then this weekend has a treat in store as cinemas are offering £3 tickets.

Today (September 3) is National Cinema Day and cinemas across the country, including plenty in south Essex, will be opening up their auditoriums to show films at the cut price rate.

Whereas a standard ticket for Cineworld in Basildon normally costs £12.99 for adults and £6.99 for children, a family of four will be able to catch a flick for just £12 on Saturday compared to the normal price of almost £40.

The £3 is for any film in any format- eg, 2D or 4DX-, and any time, night or day.

However, if you are booking online you’ll be slapped with 95p per ticket booking fee, but if you go to the cinema in person to get your tickets you’ll only pay the £3.

The day is being organised in a bid to boost the cinema industry which has struggled to bounce back since the Covid pandemic.

So where in south Essex can you watch a film for just £3?

Cineworld, based at the Festival Leisure Park in Basildon, is set to show a bumper crop of titles, from new releases such as Jordan Peele’s latest offering Nope, to Idris Elba’s survival thriller, Beast, to eighties classics such as Star Trek II the Wrath of Khan and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Current films including Brad Pitt’s Bullet Train and Top Gun Maverick starring Tom Cruise will also be showing, as will Elvis, Spiderman No Way Home, The Forgiven and psychological horror prequel Orphan: First Kill.

For children there will be plenty of showings throughout the day of Minions the Rise of Gru, Tad The Lost Explorer And The Curse Of The Mummy as well as DC League of Super-Pets.

Southend’s Odeon Cinema is also taking part in the scheme and will be showing a number of old and new films for £3 as will Thurrock’s VUE cinema at Lakeside.