How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World won't release in theaters over here until February 22, but it sold out many -- possibly most -- of its early access screenings on Saturday, February 2.
According to Fandango, sales for the early access screenings exceeded expectations, with hundreds of theaters selling out long before today's big event. The roughly 1,000 screenings are taking place at select theaters this afternoon, so be prepared to see some honest reactions from fans spreading across social media. (If you're one of those fans, consider sharing your thoughts with the class in the comments.)
How to Train Your Dragon 3 already screened for critics, and it currently has a 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Early reactions have been very positive, but it's always interesting to hear from the fans themselves.
How to Train Your Dragon 3 is the final movie of this trilogy, arriving five years after the second film was released. Hiccup star Jay Baruchel said fans will most likely walk away sad ... but satisfied. That sounds about right.
The Hidden World was written and directed by Dean DeBlois, and the script earned high praise from Steven Spielberg, who said he had trouble reading the ending through his tears. "It's a complete unqualified classic and better than the original," Spielberg said. Sure, the How to Train Your Dragon movies are DreamWorks Animation films, and Steven Spielberg was a DreamWorks founder. But still. He doesn't gush about every film.
Fandango surveyed more than 1,000 Hidden World moviegoers, and shared these polled results:
93% can’t wait to see the world-building behind the "Hidden World"89% are excited by the introduction of a female dragon known as Light Fury87% are looking forward to seeing a more mature Hiccup as the beloved Viking ruler of Berk
I'm guessing 100% will be sorry to see the story end with this film. Then again, if it has a satisfying ending, then maybe the story concludes at the perfect time.
The trilogy started with 2010's How to Train Your Dragon and continued with 2014's How to Train Your Dragon 2, loosely based on the book by Cressida Cowell. The story continued with a TV series, and the sixth and final season of Dragons: Race to the Edge was released last February 16, 2018.
Now it's all coming to an end with How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, which arrives in theaters for the rest of us here in the U.S. on February 22, 2019. Keep an eye out for reactions from these early screenings -- guessing they will be very positive, but kids can be tough critics. How to Train Your Dragon 3 is one of the early films to hit the big screen in what is going to be an extremely busy spring at the movies. Bookmark our 2019 movie release guide to stay up-to-date on everything ahead.
