Box Office Analysis: “How to Train Your Dragon” Soars, Outperforming Expectations and Remakes
Box Office Analysis: “How to Train Your Dragon” Soars, Outperforming Expectations and Remakes
The weekend box office witnessed a significant win for Universal Pictures’ live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon,” which debuted with a robust $83.7 million in North American theaters, exceeding industry projections. This impressive opening surpasses the $55 million debut of its predecessor, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” released in 2019, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the franchise and the effectiveness of the live-action adaptation.
Directed by franchise veteran Dean DeBlois, the film follows the heartwarming tale of Hiccup and Toothless. The strong opening weekend performance, coupled with an international haul of $114.1 million, resulted in a global total of $197.8 million. This success underscores Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian’s observation that “live-action remakes are delivering on the promise of their marketing,” highlighting a trend of successful adaptations capitalizing on established brand recognition and audience loyalty.
The film’s triumph also places it at the top of the box office charts, outperforming Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” which, despite holding the number one spot for three consecutive weekends, slipped to second place with an additional $15 million, bringing its domestic total to over $386.3 million. Other notable releases included the romantic dramedy “Materialists,” starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, which debuted at $12 million, and the action films “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” ($10.3 million) and “Ballerina” ($9.4 million).
The performance of “Ballerina,” a John Wick spin-off, despite its strong reviews, suggests a potential for future growth, mirroring the trajectory of the original “John Wick” film, according to Dergarabedian. He anticipates a similar surge in popularity once the film becomes more widely accessible on home video and streaming platforms.
Rounding out the top ten were “Karate Kid: Legends,” “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” “The Phoenician Scheme,” “The Life of Chuck,” and “Sinners.” The inclusion of “Sinners,” which garnered $1.4 million despite being available on digital platforms for two months, indicates a continued audience interest in the film beyond its initial theatrical release.
The overall box office performance shows a 23% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Dergarabedian expresses optimism about upcoming releases, including “Eilo,” “F1,” “Superman,” and “28 Days Later,” anticipating their potential to further boost box office numbers in the coming weeks.
Note: Box office figures are based on estimates from Comscore and may vary slightly from final reported numbers.
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