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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A parent-kid take on seeing 'How to Train Your Dragon': Bring stuffies, snacks and tissues
Hello, Yahoo Entertainment readers. I'm Suzy Byrne, and I've been covering entertainment in this space for over a decade. I'll be the first to tell you that I'm no hardcore cinema buff. Since I had a child, though, I've made it a point to see as many kid-friendly movies as possible. Maybe it's because I'm a big kid ✔ and I love a cheerful ending ✔. But also, as a busy working parent, is there greater joy than getting two hours to turn off your phone and put up your feet while your child is fully entertained?! So that's what this is — one entertainment reporter + her 10-year-old child + usually friends seeing family-friendly fare, indulging in film-themed treats and replying all, to you, about the experience. Welcome to kids' movie club. It turns out that carrying a Toothless pillow at a How to Train Your Dragon screening is an excellent icebreaker. It made us appear to be experts to a woman in the bathroom who was unfamiliar with the franchise's expanse. It got us back inside the theater after a pre-movie restroom run. ('Why, yes, we are the pillow people,' we told the ticket taker.) It made strangers feel comfortable telling us which parts of the movie made them cry as we left. That alone made it worth the effort of schlepping it on a train and two subways to get there, not to mention how handy it came in when we reversed course and my young movie buddy fell asleep on the way home. The PG-rated film — which is dominating at the box office — gave much to dream about, after all: Hiccup the sensitive hero, magical Toothless and those captivating eyes and what may be living in those Vikings' ragged beards. (Am I the only one who felt the urge to Nix comb all the facial hair?) For our journey to Berk, seeing the film in IMAX was the way to go because the fire-breathing dragons were right there, and the sound was so superb you could hear every wing flap. The theater was about 50-50 on the adult-to-kid ratio. My daughter was elated to be there on a school night. (Yes, school is still in session here.) We attended a prerelease screening, so it was too early to get AMC's Dragon Tamer Snack Pack. (The popcorn bucket at Regal is on another level.) Instead, we went with classic popcorn and Icees. My daughter mixed blue raspberry, the Lilo & Stitch flavor, with watermelon. I was a watermelon purist. 👦🏻🐉🔥🗡️🤕🐟🪽🐉🎓🗡️🏆🔥😬⛓️🔥💧⛓️💥🪽🐲🫣🔥🦿😅♥️🥳 I loved all things Toothless. The Night Fury, with his retractable chompers, is such a striking creature and watching him learn to trust sweet misfit Hiccup (who was the cause of it losing its tail fin) is a good example of forgiveness. I loved the moment they first connected, Toothless letting Hiccup (Mason Thames) touch him on the nose. The regurgitated fish scene made me laugh/nauseous, and it hurt my heart to see Toothless muzzled and chained. Casting humans based on animated characters is tricky, but the filmmakers did well all around. I especially appreciate that voice actors from the 2010 animated film were cast, including Gerard Butler as Hiccup's dad, Stoick — even if he was too hard on his son until he came around at the end. I have zero time for the backlash over Nico Parker playing Astrid. She was great as Hiccup's rival turned love interest. As the credits rolled, my daughter said, 'Heck yeah,' so I feel like the night was a win. 'I loved how two of the trainee dragon slayers were siblings' — Ruffnut and Tuffnut — 'and during training, they always humiliated each other,' my daughter says. 'It was so funny when Tuffnut got bit on the nose by the little dragon and said something like: I'm totally not OK. I also loved Toothless and how cute he was. When he got stuck in the water, I almost cried😭. All the actors were perfect for their parts. Hiccup was really funny! I loved when he used all the dragon secrets he learned with Toothless to beat the others in their training.' Bottom line: 'No need to be a dragon lover to … well … LOVE IT!!!' My kiddo recommends the film for ages 6 and up. There are intense battles and realistic dragons. There's no onscreen bloodshed, but there are injuries, including Hiccup joining many of his Viking peers losing a limb. No bad words stood out. Yes, Hiccup's mom. The backstory is that she was killed by a dragon, fueling Stoick's drive to extinguish them. We didn't cry, but a mother-adult daughter we talked to as we waited for the credits to roll said they did when they didn't think Toothless would make it. Hiccup's remark to Stoick about the Vikings being overweight. It was in the original film and was repeated in this. It's dated. I liked Hiccup and Astrid's friendship and their 'give peace a chance' vision. They shared a kiss or two — actually a punch-kiss, which she initiates — but it was more about them working together, and the romance was not a distraction. My daughter's take? 'Cute.' No further notes. No. We waited (and waited!) for some fun post-credit moment, but there was only a one-second flash of Hiccup's drawing of Toothless. I guess it's a tease that the story continues (a sequel was previously announced for June 11, 2027), but it was a non-moment. We watched the original animated film again after the new one, and it's remarkable how true to the 2010 film this is, including most of the dialogue. That's because Dean DeBlois directed and wrote the live-action movie after codirecting and cowriting the original and then helming the second and third animated films. 'I said, 'If you're going to do it, please consider me as the writer and director,'' DeBlois told the studio, according to Variety. 'I do know where the heart is, and I know this world. I know these characters.' My daughter received two additional invites from friends to see the film in the theater over the weekend. We said yes to one. The feedback was: 'I noticed even more small differences between the original and this one.' But it was mostly about the food: 'Mom, they accidentally brought us two of everything we ordered, so we got an extra Oreo Shake, Icee, pizza, chicken tenders and popcorn. The food kept coming out. It was crazy.' Watching the movie a second time offered a chance to see trailers (since none played during the initial screening). Let's just say my daughter was tickled green to see the Wicked: For Good trailer for the first time. This movie may just set off a summer of dragons for your child. After you see the live-action, you may want to (like us!) revisit the original animated films: How to Train Your Dragon (2010), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). There's also the Dragons TV series, which ran from 2012 to 2018 (first on Cartoon Network, then Netflix). Even better? If your dragon lover is up for a reading adventure, the films are based on Cressida Cowell's children's book series, with 12 titles to dive into. Checking them out from your local library or scooping them up off your local Buy Nothing group will provide hours of non-screen time for your kid. Bonus rec: It may also open the gates to other popular dragon reads like Wings of Fire and Dragon Masters, both of which are 🔥 right now.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Brace yourself for more ads before movies at AMC theaters, reports say
Brace yourself for more ads before movies at AMC theaters, reports say Show Caption Hide Caption AMC, Regal investing $2.2B to upgrade movie theater experience The eight biggest movie theater chains in the U.S. and Canada — including AMC and Regal — will invest $2.2 billion to make upgrades. Straight Arrow News Moviegoers, brace yourselves. The dreaded advertisements before a movie are expected to get longer at AMC Cinemas, according to multiple reports. The cinema chain is joining major competitors in running even more commercials starting in July under a new partnership with cinema advertising company National CineMedia (NCM), multiple outlets including Bloomberg and the New York Times reported. The move comes in an effort to increase revenue without raising ticket prices as cinemas continues to struggle financially and recover from the COVID-19 losses, The Hollywood Reporter reported. Under the deal, AMC will play commercials in what is known as the 'platinum spot,' the part right before the movie begins, in complete contrast to its 2019 decision in which it had shunned NCM's proposal to place ads in that spot. National CineMedia had gone on to sign agreements with two of AMC's rivals, Regal and Cinemark, that year, according to NYT. "AMC has no plan to introduce commercial advertising close to the start of a movie's commencement at its theatres in the United States, nor does AMC envision entering into such an arrangement with NCM anytime in the foreseeable future," the cinema chain had said in a September 2019 statement. AMC further said the concept "of commencing a platinum advertising position during the end of trailer play," was "flatly rejected" "because of AMC's concerns that U.S. moviegoers would react quite negatively to the concept." AMC prepared for backlash While AMC did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for a comment on the latest development, the chain in a statement to NYT suggested it was prepared for criticism and backlash, noting the decision would not impact the customer's wallets. 'For the past five years, AMC has sought out crucial revenue that is not reliant on the increase of base ticket prices,' the company said in the statement to NYT, adding 'while AMC was initially reluctant to bring this to our theaters, our competitors have fully participated for more than five years without any direct impact to their attendance.' Both AMC and NCM are expected to share revenues from the new pre-movie advertising window, according to The Hollywood Reporter. National CineMedia also did not respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. It is not known how long the pre-show and advertisements would run and what kind of ads viewers can expect to see. Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@ and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
You're about to get ads right before the movie at AMC too
AMC Theaters will show ads after the trailers starting July 1 in a bid to boost revenues. Rival chains including Regal and Cinemark have had pre-show advertising since 2019. Attendance at AMC's US theaters fell 11% in the first quarter. You're going to see ads right before the movie at AMC Theatres from next month. The cinema chain is adding a "platinum spot" in between the trailers and the film from July 1. The move is part of an agreement with National CineMedia that will give AMC a slice of the revenue from these ads, which the company describes as "vital" to its post-pandemic recovery. Rivals including Regal and Cinemark have been playing pre-show ads since 2019. AMC had held out over fears of alienating movie fans. AMC said in a statement that its competitors had not suffered "any direct impact to their attendance. This is a strong indication that this NCM pre-show initiative does not negatively influence moviegoing habits." AMC said last month it would start offering 50% off tickets on Wednesdays for members of its loyalty scheme in a bid to boost midweek attendance, alongside an improved selection of food and beverages. Revenues fell 9% to $862 million in the first quarter for AMC, while attendance at US theaters fell 11%. Total US box office takings stood at nearly $3.4 billion by the end of May, per Comscore data — 26% higher than the same period last year. A $4.2 billion haul is being forecast by the data provider for period from the first weekend in May to the Labor Day weekend in early September, Screen Daily reported. That could beat 2023's "Barbenheimer" summer when ticket sales reached almost $4.1 billion. Read the original article on Business Insider
Miami Herald
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Regal to offer $1 family movie tickets this summer. Here's what to know
Regal Cinemas is offering $1 tickets on family-friendly movies all summer long. Starting Tuesday, June 10, moviegoers can snag discounted tickets on select family films every Tuesday and Wednesday as part of its Summer Movie Express, the theater chain said. More than 400 participating theaters will screen two PG-rated movies each week until Aug. 6, offering $1 tickets for the first show of the day, according to a news release. 'Once again, we are excited to bring back this highly anticipated summer program of crowd-pleasing entertainment for groups of all sizes at an incredibly affordable price,' Brooks LeBoeuf, senior vice president of U.S. Content for Regal, said in the release. Family movies playing this summer include 'Sing 2,' 'IF,' 'PAW Patrol, The Movie,' and more. Customers can also grab discounted concessions, including a $5 snack pack that comes with a small drink, snack-sized popcorn and fruit snacks, according to the movie theater's website. The summer months are usually the busiest for most theaters, and 'foot traffic is everything,' The Hollywood Reporter reported in May 2024. Citing industry experts and data, the outlet reported that the profit margin on single tickets is around 33% and jumps to '56 percent on a concession.' Rival AMC Theaters is also looking to woo moviegoers with half-priced tickets for Stubs Rewards members every Wednesday this summer, McClatchy News reported. The discount launches July 9 and will be available in addition to the Tuesday ticket discount currently offered to the chain's rewards members. Find your nearest Regal theater here.
Geek Tyrant
05-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Tyrant
AMC Theatres Is Adding More Pre-Movie Ads; Is This a Nessassary Evil For Theaters To Survive? — GeekTyrant
If you've ever checked your watch 15-20 minutes into what should've been the start of your movie, only to be greeted by yet another trailer or car commercial, well... buckle up. Starting July 1, AMC Theatres, the biggest movie chain in the world, is adding even more ads before the film actually begins. AMC has inked a deal with National CineMedia Inc. to begin running what's called a 'platinum spot', which will feature an ad shown right before the movie starts, in that final stretch of trailers when the anticipation is peaking. It's an ad that audiences won't miss. This is a move aimed squarely at generating what AMC calls 'vital revenue,' and here's what they had to say about it: 'While AMC was initially reluctant to bring this to our theaters, our competitors have fully participated for more than five years without any direct impact to their attendance.' They're not wrong. Regal and Cinemark signed on to this model years ago. AMC was the last holdout. But, after the pandemic ravaged the exhibition industry and with 2024 delivering a mixed bag at the box office, the company is looking for every dollar it can find. Still, it's hard not to feel a little defeated. As a movie fan, you want theaters to thrive. You want AMC to survive because the industry needs it to survive. But making the moviegoing experience worse, especially when it's already fighting the "I'll just wait to stream it" mindset, feels like a step in the wrong direction. It's funny, because AMC's slogan is 'We Make Movies Better' but this will make the movie going experience at their theaters worse. It's not like audiences don't notice. According to AMC's own website: 'The listed runtime is the duration of the feature film. The feature film does not start at the published showtime. There are approximately 20 minutes of preshow material, including trailers, between the published showtime and the start of the feature film.' And now, that 'preshow' just got longer. To be fair, AMC is trying some genuinely good stuff. Discount Wednesdays are coming back, which is a solid move to get casual audiences back in the habit. But commercials? That's just another reason for people to show up late, or skip the theater entirely. This isn't about hating on ads. It's about the core experience. People go to the movies for escape, not to see ads for insurance rates or real estate agents. If the industry really wants to survive, maybe it should focus more on reminding us why we fell in love with movie theaters in the first place, not why we keep showing up 25 minutes late. Source: Bloomberg
