The strategy copied from Disney is proving to be highly profitable at the box office for Universal. The live-action adaptation of DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon” is projected to have a record-breaking domestic opening of $82.7 million, and a global opening of approximately $200.8 million according to initial forecasts. This figure includes an impressive international earnings of $117.7 million from 53 different markets.
Boasting exceptional ratings from movie audiences, such as an A CinemaScore and a near record-breaking 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, the $150 million summer blockbuster is captivating not just families but also young adult singles who are fans of the animated series. This is reminiscent of how Disney’s live-action version of Lilo & Stitch became a box office hit. For instance, approximately half of those flocking to see How to Train Your Dragon on Friday were Gen Zers aged between 13 and 24. This marks the first time DreamWorks Animation, now under Universal’s ownership, has attempted a live-action adaptation, with a sequel already scheduled.
If Universal’s predictions are accurate, this $150 million film is expected to rank among the top ten highest debuts for a live-action remake. Globally, it could be the seventh largest opening, domestically the eighth, and internationally the sixth. Additionally, it will be the eighth best start over Father’s Day weekend and the fourth biggest launch of the year so far.
Original director Dean DeBlois is back to helm the live-action adaptation of his 2010 movie, which tells the tale of a young Viking boy named Hiccup (Mason Thames), who goes against his father’s (Gerard Butler) expectations by forming an unlikely friendship with a feared dragon species known as the Night Fury, named Toothless.
On Friday, “How to Train Your Dragon” took the lead in North America’s box office with a robust $35.6 million from 4,356 cinemas, including $11.1 million from preview screenings. This figure is only about $10 million shy of the three-day opening of the 2010 film, which earned $43.7 million (unadjusted for inflation). It’s expected to hold the title for the highest opening in the series, surpassing the $55 million debut of “How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World” from 2019.
Following three straight weekend victories and breaking multiple records, Lilo & Stitch is expected to secure a second-place position domestically, earning around $13 million to $14 million from 3,675 screens, boosting its North American total to approximately $365 million. Last week, it surpassed the global milestone of $800 million.
In 2,844 cinemas across the country, Celine Song’s latest romantic drama, “Materialists,” is anticipated to earn between $11 million and $12 million in its opening weekend. If this prediction holds true, it would place “Materialists” as A24’s third-largest unadjusted wide opening. The film boasts an impressive cast, with Dakota Johnson playing a dedicated New York matchmaker who finds herself caught up in a love triangle involving her former flame (Chris Evans) and a powerful executive (Pedro Pascal). Interestingly, Song drew inspiration for this story from her own experiences working as a matchmaker while pursuing her dream of becoming a filmmaker.
Critics who identify as Materialists seem to appreciate Song’s latest film, a follow-up to “Past Lives,” more than regular moviegoers. The movie was given a concerning B- grade by cinema-goers via CinemaScore, while it garnered a lukewarm 70% rating from the audience on Rotten Tomatoes.
The animated film How to Train Your Dragon has successfully seized Imax screens previously held by Mission: Impossible – Fallout from Paramount and Skydance for three consecutive weekends. However, it seems that the Tom Cruise-led movie is only expected to drop by 37% in its fourth weekend, earning approximately $9.3 million from 2,942 theaters, bringing its domestic total to around $165 million by Sunday. This suggests that it’s on track to surpass $500 million worldwide.
This weekend, you can catch Dragon on various large-scale screens as well. In total, these high-end screens account for about 40% of the movie’s earnings so far.
As a movie enthusiast, I’ve been closely following the journey of “Ballerina,” the John Wick spinoff starring Ana de Armas, in its second weekend here in the U.S. Despite receiving positive audience feedback and critical acclaim, it seems to be facing some challenges. Predictions suggest that the film will see a significant drop, around 64%, bringing its estimated total domestic earnings to approximately $8.7 million for the past 10 days, reaching a sum of $41.1 million.
Numbers will be updated Sunday morning,
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2025-06-14 20:24