Upcoming kids, family adaptations to watch: ‘Steps,’ ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ and more

‘Steps’
Streaming Nov. 20 on Netflix

A new take on the children’s fairy tale “Cinderella” by the Brothers Grimm, “Steps” tells the little-known story of Cinderella’s evil stepsisters, Lilith (Ali Wong) and Margot (Stephanie Hsu). Lilith steals the Fairy Godmother’s (Bette Midler) magic wand and takes over the famous ball with Margot.  Lilith and Margot must team up with Cinderella (Amanda Seyfried) on a quest to save the kingdom. The film is expected to premiere on Netflix on Nov. 20 and does not have a rating at this time.

‘Way of the Warrior Kid’
Streaming Nov. 25 on Apple TV

“Way of the Warrior Kid” stars Jude Hill as Marc, a middle-schooler being bullied at school and having trouble making friends. He enlists his Uncle Jake (Chris Pratt)—a Navy SEAL spending the summer with Marc’s family to recuperate from an injury—to help him learn to fight.

“Instead of teaching his nephew to fight, Jake shows Marc what real courage is, facing down his own demons along the way,” a synopsis reads. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink. McG directed from a screenplay by Will Staples.

The film is rated PG-13 and is expected to begin streaming Nov. 25 on Apple TV.

‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: The Getaway’
Streaming Dec. 4 on Disney+

The Heffley family makes a last-minute decision to go out of town to the beach instead of staying home for Christmas in the Disney+ holiday special “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Christmas: The Getaway.” As is typical, things go hilariously wrong for Greg and his family in this adaptation of Jeff Kinney’s book “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway.” The film begins streaming Dec. 4.

The movie is rated PG.

‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ Season 2
Streaming Jan. 13 on Disney+

The second season of Marvel’s animated series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” is set to premiere on Disney+ on Jan. 13. It comes on the heels of a new comic book series bridging the gap between Season 1 and Season 2. In addition to Spider-Man (voiced by Hudson Thames), the series will feature Charlie Cox voicing Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus, Colman Domingo as Norman Osborn and Grace Song as Nico Minoru.

The series is rated TV-PG.

‘Fing!’
In theaters Jan. 15

Based on the children’s book of the same name by British comedian David Walliams, “Fing!” follows the Meek family—parents Mr Meek (Blake Harrison) and Mrs. Meek (Mia Wasikowska)—as they seek to capture a mythical creature known as a fing upon request by their headstrong daughter Myrtle (Iona Bell). Bringing Fing into the family helps calm Myrtle, but when a wildlife park owner, the Viscount (Taika Waititi) steals Fing, the Meek family must go on a rescue mission. The film is directed by Jeffrey Walker, and co-written by Walliams and Kevin Cecil.

The movie is rated PG.

‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’
In theaters Feb. 12, on Netflix April 2

From director Greta Gerwig, “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew,” based on C.S. Lewis’ 1955 novel, is the origin story of Narnia. The film will have a theatrical release on Feb. 12, 2027 and will later be available on Netflix starting April 2. This is the first time “The Magician’s Nephew” has been adapted for the screen. The cast includes newcomers David McKenna and Beatrice Campbell alongside movie stars Daniel Craig, Meryl Streep, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Denise Gough and Susan Wokoma. 

The film is rated PG.

‘How to Train Your Dragon 2′
In theaters June 11

The second film in the live-action version of “How to Train Your Dragon” is set to hit theaters June 11. If it’s anything like the 2014 animated version of the movie, it will follow as Hiccup (Mason Thames), Astrid (Nico Parker) and their friends discover an ice cave filled with dragons—including one very large one. They also find Hiccup’s long-lost mother Valka (Cate Blanchett). The various films in the franchise are based on the books by Cressida Cowell. This film is not yet rated, but the first movie was PG.

‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’
In theaters June 18

The long-awaited third and final installment of the Spider-Verse trilogy will premiere in theaters on June 18. “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” picks up after the cliffhanger in “Across the Spider-Verse” (2023). All three films are based on Marvel’s Spider-verse comics by Stan Lee. 

The film is not yet rated, but the first film in the series was PG.

‘Shrek 5′
In theaters June 30, 2027

Another installment in the Shrek series hits theaters June 30, 2027. “Shrek 5” follows Shrek (Mike Myers) and Donkey (Eddie Murphy) as they head off on a new adventure to Further Further Away. The animated film was inspired by the 1990 children’s book by William Steig and does not yet have a rating.

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