Studio Movie Grill Expands Movies + Meals Program with ‘How to Train Your Dragon”

PRESS RELEASE

DALLAS – Feb. 14, 2019: Studio Movie Grill announced that Universal Pictures has offered multiple screenings of DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (in theaters on Feb. 22) to SMG’s nonprofit partners serving children with special needs, including:
* Bakersfied, CA – Exceptional Family Center/Centro de Familias Excepcionales
* Duluth, GA – Spectrum
* Seminole, FL – PARCs Discovery Learning Center
* NW Hwy, TX – Bryan’s House
* Spring Valley, TX – H.E.R.O.E.S. DFW
* Tyler, TX – Tyler Run for Autism
* Marietta, GA – Variety, the Children’s Charity of Georgia
* Chatham, IL – Variety, the Children’s Charity of Illinois
* College Park, IN – Riley Children’s Foundation
* Pearland, TX – BACH Rehabilitation Center

These screenings are offered in support of SMG Access and the Movies + Meals outreach program. In keeping with its mission to “open hearts and minds, one story at a time,” SMG Access launched nationwide in July 2018 and is the only theater-loyalty program focused on positively impacting underserved local community members. Through their purchases, alongside rewards, loyal SMG guests are able to assist SMG outreach in offering movies and meals to local nonprofits and under-resourced community members with the hope of harnessing the power of movies to inspire and change lives. Since the program’s inception, multiple studios have joined the movement, offering screenings and giving SMG the opportunity to give back more than 10,000 Movies + Meals in the program’s first six months.

“SMG is thrilled to announce that Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation have joined us in offering special screenings of How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World featuring the voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Kit Harington and Craig Ferguson in support of our Movies + Meals program and specifically to nonprofits serving special needs families in our communities. Fans of the movies will know that Hiccup (Baruchel) has a prosthetic lower left leg, and his Night Fury dragon, Toothless, has a prosthetic tail. These beloved films have such a wonderful, heartwarming and positive message about acceptance and friendship and have subtly explored some important themes, and we know this last film in the trilogy will be no exception,” said Lynne McQuaker, SMG’s senior director of PR and outreach.

Said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic theatrical distribution: “We are delighted to support SMG’s efforts by offering screenings of DreamWorks Animation’s How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World to local nonprofits serving children with special needs and to join SMG guests in supporting purposeful outreach and a loyalty program designed to give back to local community members through Movies + Meals. The How To Train Your Dragon films celebrate the unique gifts of each person and the ability of every person to discover their inner hero, and we can’t think of a better partner to help spread that message of kindness and empowerment than SMG.”

Studio Movie Grill’s in-theater dining concept numbers 314 screens in 30 locations nationwide. For the past 20 years, SMG has contributed millions of dollars as part of its expansive outreach program. SMG’s legacy programs include Special Needs Screenings, its “Chefs for Children” program and annual “Opening Hearts & Minds” Award, which strive to help families and acknowledge local heroes. SMG Access further differentiates Studio Movie Grill and allows loyal guests to actively participate in helping support its mission. More information can be found at www.studiomoviegrill.com.

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