In Theaters This Weekend: Matthew McConaughey Hopes His Movie Is ‘Gold,’ and ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ Looks to Overcome Bad Press

Will Lerner
·Producer, Yahoo Entertainment

Three very different movies are hitting theaters this weekend, but they all have one thing in common: Critics don’t like them. But, hey, maybe you’ll think they’re worth checking out.

Gold

Bryce Dallas Howard and Matthew McConaughey in <em>Gold.</em> (Photo: Weinstein Co.)
Bryce Dallas Howard and Matthew McConaughey in Gold. (Photo: Weinstein Co.)

This film from Syriana director Stephen Gaghan is based on a true story about a failed businessman who hits the big time after he and a geologist find gold in the jungles of Indonesia. Matthew McConaughey gained 40 pounds on a diet of cheeseburgers to play the lead role of Kenny Wells. Along for the ride are Edgar Ramirez and Bryce Dallas Howard. Unfortunately, critics are saying that the McConaissance appears to be over, as this film is another in a string of recent disappointments for the Oscar winner.

  • Rated R

  • 2 hours

A Dog’s Purpose

Dennis Quaid stars in <em>A Dog’s Purpose</em>. (Photo: Joe Lederer/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Dennis Quaid stars in A Dog’s Purpose. (Photo: Joe Lederer/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)

It was supposed to be a family-friendly movie, but the story around it has become much larger than the film itself. Footage was leaked to TMZ of what appeared to be a scared German shepherd being coerced into doing a stunt. This led PETA to organize a protest and boycott of the film. Producer Gavin Polone, who himself has protested with PETA before, responded with a scathing statement asserting that the video was misleading and the dog was unharmed and unfazed. Whether audiences will show up for this film about a dog that learns his purpose through multiple lives is yet to be seen. Dennis Quaid is the movie’s biggest star, and Josh Gad provides the voice of the dog(s).

  • Rated PG

  • 2 hours

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Ali Larter, Milla Jovovich, and Ruby Rose star. (Photo: Ilze Kitshoff/Screen Gems/courtesy Everett Collection)
Ali Larter, Milla Jovovich, and Ruby Rose star. (Photo: Ilze Kitshoff/Screen Gems/courtesy Everett Collection)

The end of an era is upon us. Since 2002, star Milla Jovovich and her husband, director Paul W.S. Anderson, have been bringing audiences the story of Alice, a woman forced to fight the undead after an evil corporation sets a zombie apocalypse upon the world. Now, in 2017, the sixth movie, The Final Chapter, will conclude what has to be the most successful video game film adaptation ever.

  • Rated R

  • 1 hour 46 minutes

Feel like staying in? You can stream 3 of Mary Tyler Moore’s movies instead:

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