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Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
5 best new movies to watch this weekend on Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu and more (July 19-20)
For this time of year, it's been a fairly quiet week for new movies across the best streaming services. But there are still plenty of options if you're looking for what to watch this weekend. Leading the pack are two premium video-on-demand offerings: DreamWorks' live-action remake of "How to Train Your Dragon" and the AI horror turned action heroine "M3GAN 2.0." On Netflix, you'll find the psychological thriller "Wall to Wall," a twist-filled slow burn with an ending you'll never see coming. Hulu just got "The Amateur," Rami Malek's divisive action thriller. And HBO Max just got a nightmarish twist on the typical romcom formula with "I Love You Forever." So without further ado, let's dive into the best new movies to watch this week on streaming. DreamWorks hopped on the live-action remake train with "How to Train Your Dragon," and it seems to be a resounding success for the studio so far, pulling in over $450 million at the box office worldwide. It may not capture all of the same charm in live-action, but the story will undoubtedly be familiar and endearing to fans of the original. In a fantastical world where Vikings and dragons are sworn enemies, everything changes after Hiccup (Mason Thames), the awkward son of the village chief, encounters an injured Night Fury and learns that dragons might not be the terrifying monsters his people believe them to be. As he nurses the dragon Toothless back to health, an unlikely friendship forms. Together, they confront a looming danger threatening both humans and dragons, and Hiccup sets out to prove that both can coexist peacefully after all. Streaming now with purchase on Amazon or Apple Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Netflix has another riveting new thriller on its hands, and it's shaping up to be the streamer's next hit. After office worker Woo-sung (Kang Ha-neul) takes on a hefty debt to buy his first apartment in a crowded South Korean city, the thrill of homeownership quickly gives way to anxiety when relentless, unexplained noises keep the entire building from getting a wink of sleep. In his search for answers (and a bit of peace), he joins forces with his upstairs neighbor, Jin-ho (Seo Hyun-woo), while Eun-hwa (Yeom Hye-ran), the building's no-nonsense apartment rep, struggles to maintain order among the increasingly agitated residents. And the suffocating summer heat isn't helping anyone keep their cool. As the strange noises get worse, dread creeps in, inch by inch, until you start questioning every sound and thinking twice about living so close to strangers. Watch it now on Netflix "M3GAN 2.0" failed to tap into the same viral success that the first movie enjoyed back in 2022, but as someone who had a blast watching it in theaters, I encourage you to ignore the haters and check it out for yourself. It's just the thing if you're in the mood for a popcorn movie with "Terminator" vibes. The first "M3GAN" introduced us to the eerily lifelike android (played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis), a creation of roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) as a high-tech companion for her orphaned niece, Cady (Violet McGraw). But when M3GAN became self-aware and dangerously overprotective, Gemma and Cady were forced to shut her down (or so they thought). The sequel picks up two years later after a new android, AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), leaves a trail of bodies in her wake. To stop her, Gemma and Caddy have no choice but to team up with a resurrected M3GAN to keep her rogue successor from unleashing untold AI horrors upon the world. Buy or rent now on Amazon or Apple Based on Robert Littell's novel, "The Amateur" opens like a classic espionage thriller: CIA codebreaker Charlie Heller (Rami Malek) is living an idyllic life with his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), until everything shatters when she's killed in a terrorist attack while visiting London. To get revenge, Charlie taps into his intelligence training to track down the culprits, only to be blocked by the very agency he works for. When the CIA refuses to act, he takes matters into his own hands, blackmailing his way into a crash course in field operations to secure the green light to hunt down the killers himself. With zero field experience, he's way over his head and no match in a shootout, but his intellect and ingenuity may just give him the upper hand to finish the job the CIA won't. Watch it now on Hulu "I Love You Forever" has a pitch that definitely has me intrigued. It's a self-proclaimed "subversive" twist on the classic romcom formula of girl meets boy. At its center is Mackenzie (Sofia Black-D'Elia), a 25-year-old law student whose dating life is a blur of nameless hookups and zero attachment. That changes when she meets Finn (Ray Nicholson), a charming journalist who seems to offer something more substantial. But as the initial spark fades and cracks begin to show, Mackenzie is forced to reckon with Finn's darker side as well. Red flags pile up as their relationship shifts from love bombing to controlling behavior, eventually spiraling into emotional abuse. As she scrambles to trust herself and figure out how her dream relationship became such a nightmare, she questions her own ideas about love and the stories we tell ourselves about happily ever after. Watch it now on HBO Max
Mint
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
How To Train Your Dragon 2025 movie OTT release: How to watch the live-action film online?
How To Train Your Dragon is still running in theatres. Meanwhile, its makers have announced its OTT release. Backed by Universal Pictures International, DreamWorks' live-action film was released on over 60,000 screens globally. According to Box Office Mojo, How to Train Your Dragon recorded a strong global box office collection of $562.8 million. In the US, it earned $241 million, while the international market contributed $321.7 million. The film was released on June 13 in India and collected $1.54 million on its opening day. Its total gross from India now stands at $3.24 million. India's performance was comparable to that of countries like Taiwan and the Philippines. However, the box office collection in India was lower than that of Australia ($13.6 million) and South Korea ($12.8). The film's best international performance came from China, where it opened with over $11 million and has grossed $35.5 million so far. Other strong markets include Australia and South Korea ($12.8 million). How to Train Your Dragon is now available to buy or rent on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home from July 15. The film will also release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on August 12. The digital and Blu-ray versions will include special bonus content. Viewers can enjoy deleted scenes with introductions by writer-director Dean DeBlois. Special behind-the-scenes moments will also be included, according to USA Today. How to Train Your Dragon 2 has officially been confirmed and will release on June 11, 2027. Universal Pictures made the announcement at CinemaCon 2025, just hours after early screenings received positive reactions online. The franchise is already hugely popular, with three animated films, TV series and a new theme park attraction.
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Box office: Elio struggles with $22M, while How to Train Your Dragon continues to breathe fire
Universal and DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon is still going strong at the box office. As per a Deadline report, in its second weekend, the film made $37 million from 4,373 theaters – a 58% drop from last week. This brings its total earnings in the U.S. to $160.4 million. Universal's live-action How to Train Your Dragon released on June 13.(@HTTYDragon/X) On the other hand, Pixar's Elio had a slower start. It opened in 3,750 theaters and earned $9 million on Friday. The project ended the weekend with a 3-day total of $22 million — the lowest opening ever for the studio, the report added. Directed by Adrian Molina, Elio narrates the story of an 11-year-old boy named Elio, voiced by Yonas Kibreab. Elio is a shy and creative kid who accidentally gets beamed into space. The aliens think he is Earth's leader, and he suddenly finds himself speaking for the whole planet at a giant space council. America Ferrera voices Elio's mother, who works for a top-secret government project. The film mixes adventure, emotion and science fiction. About How to Train Your Dragon How to Train Your Dragon, directed by Dean DeBlois, is based on a book by Cressida Cowell. The story is about a young Viking boy named Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel. Hiccup lives in a village where everyone fights dragons. But when he meets a dragon named Toothless, he learns that dragons are not as dangerous as people think. Instead of fighting, they become best friends. The movie also features the voices of America Ferrera, Gerard Butler and Craig Ferguson. The story is about friendship, bravery and changing old beliefs. Both Elio and How to Train Your Dragon bring unique stories to the big screen — one set in outer space and the other in a Viking village. While Elio may have had a slow start, it offers heart and imagination. Meanwhile, How to Train Your Dragon continues to soar, proving its lasting appeal with audiences. ALSO READ: Elio registers Pixar's lowest debut ever with $9 million opening, falls behind 28 Years Later at box office FAQs How much has How to Train Your Dragon earned at the box office so far? As per reports, How to Train Your Dragon has made $160.4 million in the U.S. after two weekends in theaters. What was the opening weekend box office collection of Pixar's Elio? Elio earned $22 million over its first weekend, with $9 million coming in on Friday alone. Who directed Elio and what is it about? Elio is directed by Adrian Molina. It tells the story of an 11-year-old boy who accidentally gets taken into space and is mistaken for Earth's leader. What is How to Train Your Dragon about? Directed by Dean DeBlois, How to Train Your Dragon follows a Viking boy, Hiccup, who befriends a dragon, challenging his village's beliefs.
Hamilton Spectator
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Canada's Dean DeBlois swore-off live-action remakes, until ‘How to Train Your Dragon'
TORONTO - 'How to Train Your Dragon' director Dean DeBlois made it clear years ago he was no fan of Hollywood's appetite for live-action remakes of animated films. Those words are now being thrown back at the Aylmer, Que.-raised filmmaker as he promotes his own live-action take on his 2010 Viking coming-of-age tale. DreamWorks' original feel-good blockbuster grew into a successful trilogy and spawned TV spinoffs, short films and video games, so DeBlois understands the appeal of exploring a more grounded world in which flying dragons seem real. DeBlois says the about-face came some three years ago when Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer first floated the idea. 'Immediately I was thinking, OK, I've already gone on record saying I hate this trend because it seems like such a missed opportunity where we could be generating new stories, new franchises and putting that money toward something that isn't just sort of, rehashing,' DeBlois explains during a recent stop in Toronto. 'But I also realized in that same moment that if I don't do it, someone else is going to do it and I don't want to see somebody else's version of it. I'm too protective of the world and the characters.' The film opens Friday with a mix of practical and special effects to reimagine the fictional island of Berk and its flying reptile invaders. DeBlois says he wanted to ensure the dragons appeared photoreal, but retained the personality and endearing traits of their cartoon counterparts. 'I basically said: Consider me to write and direct it, even though I haven't made a live-action movie, because I can ensure that the heart and the spirit and the wonder of that animated movie and the whole franchise is translated faithfully in such a way that our fan base won't be disheartened,' he says. 'And to their credit, they took a chance on me and we ventured forward, knowing that I would have to answer to this one day and look like a complete hypocrite.' The 'Dragon' franchise has been an intensely personal project for DeBlois, who co-wrote and co-directed the first instalment with Chris Sanders, and directed and co-wrote the second and third films. He says he was intent on delivering a remake with 'a sense of purpose' that expands and 'is truly additive' to the animated version, without replacing it. The new film stars Mason Thames ('The Black Phone') as reluctant teen dragon slayer Hiccup, Nico Parker ('The Last of Us') as budding teen slayer Astrid and Gerard Butler ('300'), who reprises his role as Hiccup's warrior dad, Stoick. DeBlois says his biggest complaint with remakes is when they hire writers and directors who had nothing to do with the original. The difference with 'Dragon,' he says, is that he brings 'a certain continuity from the animated movie.' 'It almost seems a bit lazy to go back in and just remake it thinking, 'Oh, we know what to do. We'll just shoot it and it'll be great.' Often cases, it loses the soul.' 'How to Train Your Dragon' returns to screens just as another live-action remake dominates the box office. DeBlois co-wrote and co-directed 2002's animated alien comedy 'Lilo & Stitch' with Sanders, which got a recent overhaul that has topped U.S. charts for the past three weekends and earned more than $770 million globally. DeBlois says neither he nor Sanders were approached when that project began, although Sanders was eventually brought on to reprise his role as Stitch's voice. DeBlois says he can't comment on narrative changes that have drawn some backlash because he hasn't seen the film and wants to support the work of friends. 'I know people who worked on it, good friends of mine. I applaud their work, and I hope it does well,' he says. But he does take issue with Sanders' limited role. 'Chris Sanders should have directed that movie because it's his brainchild,' he adds. 'Even when I worked on it, I felt like my job was to help Chris bring this alive because it was so personal to him. It's based on his sensibility. It's based on his drawing style. The fact that they overlooked Chris and went to someone else is baffling to me.' DeBlois says he embraced a re-do of 'How to Train Your Dragon' as a chance to fix flaws in the original, which he recalls was made in a relative rush. That includes diving deeper into secondary characters like Astrid. 'We didn't really understand why her relationship with Hiccup was so acrimonious and in siding with him, what did she stand to lose? What were her ambitions?' he says. 'But also just simple things like: Why are these Vikings on this island in the first place? Why haven't they left? This seemed like an opportunity to kind of expand the mythology and understand how they came together as a task force representing all these different countries that were beset by dragons.' Currently prepping for a live action remake of the film's sequel, DeBlois says he's similarly eager to 'course correct' elements of 2014's 'How to Train Your Dragon 2,' which added Cate Blanchett to the cast. 'One of them is just that there are a lot of characters that are talking about things that happened that we, the audience, don't see,' he teases, adding that he has already reached out to Blanchett on a preliminary basis, even though he's still working on the script. At the same time, DeBlois continues to nurse 'a hopper full of ideas' that are not based on anything that's come before. He says he knows they're a tough sell when compared to well-loved and well-established properties that have proven commercial appeal. 'I understand it. I mean that is the business of Hollywood. But I'm ready when somebody's willing to kind of venture off and take a risk on an original project.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada's Dean DeBlois swore-off live-action remakes, until ‘How to Train Your Dragon'
TORONTO – 'How to Train Your Dragon' director Dean DeBlois made it clear years ago he was no fan of Hollywood's appetite for live-action remakes of animated films. Those words are now being thrown back at the Aylmer, Que.-raised filmmaker as he promotes his own live-action take on his 2010 Viking coming-of-age tale. DreamWorks' original feel-good blockbuster grew into a successful trilogy and spawned TV spinoffs, short films and video games, so DeBlois understands the appeal of exploring a more grounded world in which flying dragons seem real. DeBlois says the about-face came some three years ago when Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer first floated the idea. 'Immediately I was thinking, OK, I've already gone on record saying I hate this trend because it seems like such a missed opportunity where we could be generating new stories, new franchises and putting that money toward something that isn't just sort of, rehashing,' DeBlois explains during a recent stop in Toronto. 'But I also realized in that same moment that if I don't do it, someone else is going to do it and I don't want to see somebody else's version of it. I'm too protective of the world and the characters.' The film opens Friday with a mix of practical and special effects to reimagine the fictional island of Berk and its flying reptile invaders. DeBlois says he wanted to ensure the dragons appeared photoreal, but retained the personality and endearing traits of their cartoon counterparts. 'I basically said: Consider me to write and direct it, even though I haven't made a live-action movie, because I can ensure that the heart and the spirit and the wonder of that animated movie and the whole franchise is translated faithfully in such a way that our fan base won't be disheartened,' he says. 'And to their credit, they took a chance on me and we ventured forward, knowing that I would have to answer to this one day and look like a complete hypocrite.' The 'Dragon' franchise has been an intensely personal project for DeBlois, who co-wrote and co-directed the first instalment with Chris Sanders, and directed and co-wrote the second and third films. He says he was intent on delivering a remake with 'a sense of purpose' that expands and 'is truly additive' to the animated version, without replacing it. The new film stars Mason Thames ('The Black Phone') as reluctant teen dragon slayer Hiccup, Nico Parker ('The Last of Us') as budding teen slayer Astrid and Gerard Butler ('300'), who reprises his role as Hiccup's warrior dad, Stoick. DeBlois says his biggest complaint with remakes is when they hire writers and directors who had nothing to do with the original. The difference with 'Dragon,' he says, is that he brings 'a certain continuity from the animated movie.' 'It almost seems a bit lazy to go back in and just remake it thinking, 'Oh, we know what to do. We'll just shoot it and it'll be great.' Often cases, it loses the soul.' 'How to Train Your Dragon' returns to screens just as another live-action remake dominates the box office. DeBlois co-wrote and co-directed 2002's animated alien comedy 'Lilo & Stitch' with Sanders, which got a recent overhaul that has topped U.S. charts for the past three weekends and earned more than $770 million globally. DeBlois says neither he nor Sanders were approached when that project began, although Sanders was eventually brought on to reprise his role as Stitch's voice. DeBlois says he can't comment on narrative changes that have drawn some backlash because he hasn't seen the film and wants to support the work of friends. 'I know people who worked on it, good friends of mine. I applaud their work, and I hope it does well,' he says. But he does take issue with Sanders' limited role. 'Chris Sanders should have directed that movie because it's his brainchild,' he adds. 'Even when I worked on it, I felt like my job was to help Chris bring this alive because it was so personal to him. It's based on his sensibility. It's based on his drawing style. The fact that they overlooked Chris and went to someone else is baffling to me.' DeBlois says he embraced a re-do of 'How to Train Your Dragon' as a chance to fix flaws in the original, which he recalls was made in a relative rush. That includes diving deeper into secondary characters like Astrid. 'We didn't really understand why her relationship with Hiccup was so acrimonious and in siding with him, what did she stand to lose? What were her ambitions?' he says. 'But also just simple things like: Why are these Vikings on this island in the first place? Why haven't they left? This seemed like an opportunity to kind of expand the mythology and understand how they came together as a task force representing all these different countries that were beset by dragons.' Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. Currently prepping for a live action remake of the film's sequel, DeBlois says he's similarly eager to 'course correct' elements of 2014's 'How to Train Your Dragon 2,' which added Cate Blanchett to the cast. 'One of them is just that there are a lot of characters that are talking about things that happened that we, the audience, don't see,' he teases, adding that he has already reached out to Blanchett on a preliminary basis, even though he's still working on the script. At the same time, DeBlois continues to nurse 'a hopper full of ideas' that are not based on anything that's come before. He says he knows they're a tough sell when compared to well-loved and well-established properties that have proven commercial appeal. 'I understand it. I mean that is the business of Hollywood. But I'm ready when somebody's willing to kind of venture off and take a risk on an original project.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.
