Each week on Atom Insider, we’re giving you the heads up on the biggest and most talked about films arriving in theaters. This year’s Oscar winners will be announced this Sunday, but that doesn’t mean Hollywood is holding back on what’s hitting theaters this weekend, releasing two high-profile films that might be worth your time.
How To Train Your Expectations
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise started with a series of kids novels by Cressida Cowell, which were already successful in their own right before the DreamWorks Animation films came along in 2010. The initial two films were huge successes, despite the first one switching from Paramount to Fox for the sequel, and now the third one is being distributed by Universal. It’s not a reach to worry that the conclusion to what has so far been a well-received trilogy may fall short of what we’re hoping to see, especially since it’s been nearly five years since the last one.
That’s why it’s heartening to see so many early reviews praising the film as perhaps the best of the trilogy and a perfect way to wrap this story up. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World has been out for over a month in Australia, and some preview screenings were held in theaters across the country just a few weeks ago. So far, it’s basically unanimous that The Hidden World is more than worth seeking out if you’ve been a fan of these movies and are anxious to see what happens next to Hiccup, Toothless, and the rest of the dragon-riding gang in Berk.
A True Story About An Extraordinary Fighting Family
When I watched Fighting with My Family at Sundance last month, I was amazed to discover that this love letter to WWE culture was, in fact, a true story. I’ve never kept up with the professional wrestling scene, so I had no idea who former WWE Diva Paige and her family were and why it might work as a terrific movie about fighting for your dreams and making room for new ones.
The film hit limited release last week and expands this Friday, so you’ll soon get your chance to see this sports dramedy for yourself, which stars Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Nick Frost, Stephen Merchant (who also directs), Lena Heady, Vince Vaughn, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It’s unclear how well the film will fare financially despite its glowing reviews and positive reactions from audiences so far. It’s the sort of feel-good, crowd-pleasing, four-quadrant film that will easily win people over if they give it a chance. I’m certainly hoping a lot of people will do just that.
The Oscars
Not much else is hitting release schedules this weekend, but that’s probably because you’ll be too busy putting the finishing touches on your neighborhood Oscar party…right? Either way, the ceremony begins this Sunday (February 24) at 5:00 p.m. PST on ABC. You’ll be able to stream the event on ABC’s website, but you’ll need to sign in with your cable or satellite provider. Otherwise, be sure to seek out a Live TV alternative, and this weekend you’ll still be able to check out a wealth of Oscar content—like the shorts and some re-releases—in theaters.
Stay tuned next week for our recap of how these movies fared at the box office. To get tickets to these movies and more, head to the Atom Tickets homepage.
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