Universal Pictures’ live-action adaptation of “How to Train Your Dragon” has made a significant impact at the box office, debuting with an impressive $83.7 million during its opening weekend. This marks the best domestic opening for the beloved franchise, surpassing initial expectations of $70 million and dethroning Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch,” which had previously maintained the top position for three weeks.
Paul Dergarabedian, a senior analyst at Comscore, attributes the strong performance to a continued demand for family-friendly content and the nostalgia associated with the franchise, which has previously grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. The original “How to Train Your Dragon” opened to approximately $64.5 million in 2010, while the third film in the series also saw robust numbers, earning about $81 million in 2019 when adjusted for inflation.
In addition to “How to Train Your Dragon,” A24 Films’ “Materialists” opened to $12 million, narrowly edging out “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning,” which pulled in $10.3 million. Meanwhile, “Lilo & Stitch” earned $15.5 million domestically, bringing its total to $366 million. The diversity of the current box office offerings over Father’s Day weekend includes family movies, action adventures, and romantic comedies, contributing to a total box office of $3.72 billion in 2025 — a 23% increase compared to last year.
Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango, praised the timing of “How to Train Your Dragon’s” release, noting that it not only taps into the nostalgia of a beloved animated film but also reflects a strong father-son narrative fitting for the holiday. He indicated that the film’s final earnings could be higher than estimates due to the holiday audience.
While PG-rated films account for a substantial 41% of this year’s box office revenue, past live-action adaptations have had mixed results. Disney’s “Snow White” notably underperformed with a mere $43 million in its opening weekend. Nonetheless, successful remakes such as “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King” have set high benchmarks, grossing $230.4 million and $240.3 million respectively when adjusted for inflation.
Analyst David A. Gross categorizes “How to Train Your Dragon” as a “hybrid film,” akin to the “Sonic the Hedgehog” series, due to its combination of animation and live-action elements. With expectations for continued success, Dergarabedian is optimistic about the remainder of the summer, suggesting that this season is shaping up to be particularly rewarding for moviegoers and theaters alike.
This positive trend not only reflects the resilience of the film industry but also indicates a growing appetite for storytelling that resonates across generations.