‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Soars to Weekend Box Office Stardom

Universal Pictures’ live-action adaptation of “How to Train Your Dragon” has triumphed at the box office, achieving a remarkable $83.7 million in its debut weekend, the highest opening for its franchise. The film exceeded projections of $70 million and outperformed Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” which had dominated the box office for three weeks. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst at Comscore, noted the enduring demand for PG-rated family films and highlighted the nostalgic appeal of the franchise, which has previously grossed over a billion dollars globally. The original “How to Train Your Dragon” opened to around $64.5 million in 2010, while the franchise's third entry debuted with approximately $81 million in 2019. A24’s “Materialists” garnered $12 million, surpassing “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which earned $10.3 million. As the first half of the year concludes, the total box office stands at $3.72 billion, reflecting a 23% increase from last year.