‘How to Train Your Dragon’ remake soars at the box office as family films dominate
This weekend, “How To Train Your Dragon” from Universal Pictures flew above its competitors, maintaining the success of family-oriented movies at the cinema box office.
In its first weekend in the United States and Canada, the live-action version of the DreamWorks Animation series raked in a box office total of approximately $83.7 million, as per studio calculations.
It surpassed its competitor, the live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch” by Disney, earning $15 million over the weekend, pushing its total earnings to $366 million in just 24 days.
Expectations were high for Universal film, which revives a profitable franchise for the studio.
Initially, an animated movie was debuted in the year 2010, earning approximately $495 million from worldwide box office sales. Not long after, a second installment arrived in 2014, raking in over $621 million globally. The final chapter of this trilogy, “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” premiered in 2019 and garnered nearly $540 million at the global box office.
In an ideal timing for family-oriented films, “How to Train Your Dragon” has been a breath of fresh air. Following a sluggish start at the box office, cinemas have experienced a significant boost in attendance, with part of this resurgence attributable to the popularity of kid-focused productions like Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie” and Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch.” As a moviegoer, I can attest to the delight it brings to see such engaging content for families.
Despite a gradual resumption by families following the pandemic, films that cater to this demographic have shown immense success at the box office.
Over the past summer, the box office earnings were significantly boosted by “Inside Out 2” from Disney and Pixar, as well as “Despicable Me 4” from Universal and Illumination Entertainment. This came at a point when the entire industry was showing signs of concern following a relatively sluggish Memorial Day weekend.
This summer, the movies “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Lilo & Stitch” are showcasing the strength of hybrid films, a type where live-action actors interact with computer-generated creatures. According to David A. Gross, who pens the movie industry newsletter FranchiseRe, this strategy has proven effective.
The movement started as far back as 1988 through Robert Zemeckis’ “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” and it has gained more traction in recent times with film series like Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” and StudioCanal’s “Paddington.
Gross stated that it’s a natural progression in digital movie-making, calling it an incredibly potent device for storytelling,” or simply “Gross considered it an obvious advancement in digital filmmaking, describing it as a highly effective narrative tool.
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2025-06-15 18:31