Box Office Success: ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Soars with $83M Opening in the U.S. and $200M Worldwide!

Universal is seeing great success at the box office with its live-action remake of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon. The film is projected to have a domestic opening of $82.7 million and a global total of $200.8 million, including a strong $117.7 million from international markets.

Moviegoers are loving it, giving it an A CinemaScore and a remarkable 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This $150 million film appeals not just to families but also to younger adults who grew up with the animated series. Almost half of the opening-day viewers were Gen Zers, ages 13 to 24. This trend mirrors Disney’s success with live-action adaptations, like Lilo & Stitch.

If these numbers hold, this movie could land among the top ten openings for live-action reboots. It’s also on track to be the highest opening of the How to Train Your Dragon series, surpassing the 2019 film, How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World.

Director Dean DeBlois returned to helm this adaptation, which follows young Viking Hiccup (played by Mason Thames) as he forms a bond with Toothless, a powerful dragon, despite his father’s wishes.

In comparisons, the film’s Friday earnings of $35.6 million place it just shy of the original film’s opening of $43.7 million. Meanwhile, Lilo & Stitch, after dominating the box office for three weeks, is expected to finish in second place this weekend, earning between $13 million and $14 million and surpassing $800 million globally.

Another new release, Materialists, featuring Dakota Johnson, is expected to take the third spot with an estimated $11 million. Despite its star power, the film only scored a B- from audiences, suggesting that while critics appreciate the artistry, viewers are less enthusiastic.

Meanwhile, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning continues to perform respectably, projected to earn around $9.3 million this weekend.

A broader trend is evident this box office season: live-action adaptations are drawing significant crowds and generating buzz. Box office reports suggest that the viewership of these remakes often resonates with younger generations, tapping into their nostalgia. As the industry shifts toward familiar properties, it’s crucial to consider how these films are shaped by past successes.

For anyone interested in the evolving landscape of cinema, tracking the performance of films like How to Train Your Dragon can offer insights into audience preferences and industry trends.

For more on the film industry and its trends, check out Hollywood Reporter.

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