How to Train Your Dragon‘ Leads Box ‍Office Charge

‌⁤ Updated June 16, 2025
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Universal Pictures’ “How ⁤to Train Your dragon” took⁢ the top spot at the box office⁣ this weekend, continuing ​a trend of family-friendly movies leading the way. The live-action adaptation of the DreamWorks⁤ Animation franchise grossed an estimated $83.7 million in the U.S. and Canada​ during its opening weekend.

The film outperformed walt Disney ‌Co.’s​ “Lilo‍ & Stitch,” another live-action remake, which ​earned $15 million ⁣this⁤ weekend, bringing ⁤its total to ‍$366⁣ million after 24 days. “Materialists,” “Mission: Impossible — The Final reckoning,”​ and “Ballerina” rounded out the top five.

Expectations were high for ​”How to Train Your Dragon,” ⁢as Universal​ looks to revive‍ a​ successful franchise. The original animated film, released in⁤ 2010, ⁣grossed nearly $495 million worldwide.Sequels in 2014 and 2019 earned $621 million⁤ and $540 ⁤million ⁣globally, respectively.

The success of “How to Train Your Dragon” follows a‌ trend of family films boosting theater attendance. Movies like Warner Bros.Pictures’ “A Minecraft Movie” have ‌also contributed to the box office ‍resurgence.

David ​A. Gross, who publishes the movie industry ​newsletter FranchiseRe, noted the growing popularity of hybrid films, ⁤which⁢ blend live actors‍ with computer-animated characters. He cited “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Paddington” as⁣ examples of ‌this trend.

⁣ ​ “It’s just a logical step in computer filmmaking,” Gross said. “It’s a very powerful⁤ storytelling tool.”
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What’s next

With the continued success of family-oriented and‍ hybrid films, studios ‍are likely to invest further in these types ⁣of projects, perhaps leading to more innovative storytelling techniques and increased box office revenue.