By Isla Robertson

INVERCLYDE'S popular Pictures in the Park open-air cinema returns to Battery Park this weekend with a great lineup of movies - all chosen by local people.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, Disney’s Encanto and Matilda the Musical will all be playing on the big screen on Saturday.

Sunday's triple bill is made up of Trolls World Tour and The Goonies, with Top Gun: Maverick bringing the two-day silver-screen special to a thrilling finale.

The event for all the family - brought to you by Inverclyde Leisure and Inverclyde Council - is back for a third year in a row.

Council depute leader Natasha McGuire is pleased that Pictures in the Park is making a welcome return.

She told the Tele: “I hope that it's going to be a great success like every other year we have had.

“Previously we have seen loads of families come down and just enjoy the ability to watch a free film.

“People tend to be quite engaged when it’s something like this because they want to see the newest releases and with prices going up, and the cost of living crisis, things like this are really important to people.”

Movies on both days are scheduled to run at 12pm, 4pm and 8pm in the order listed.

Funding of £58,000 was provided by the Scottish Government for a range of initiatives with £14,000 of that being used by the council for Pictures in the Park.

Other funding has been reinvested in anti-poverty programmes.

Councillor McGuire said: "We are trying to make sure that the people have activities that are accessible and affordable for them.

"Inverclyde Council decided that this was one of the things that the money should be used towards."

Callum Robb, of Inverclyde Leisure, said: ""Hopefully, if the weather behaves itself there will be a few hundred people for each movie.

"There will be bean bags and deck chairs, people can bring their own chairs to sit in front of the big cinema screen."

All screenings are free to attend.