Box Office: ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Roaring to $83M U.S. Opening, $200M Globally

The live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon delivers box office firepower with a record-setting global opening, powered by Gen Z nostalgia, rave reviews, and premium screens.

Borrowing a page from Disney’s successful live-action formula, Universal Pictures has struck box office gold with its live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, which has taken flight with a franchise-best domestic debut of $82.7 million and a massive $200.8 million globally. The DreamWorks Animation adaptation, directed by franchise veteran Dean DeBlois, is winning hearts and wallets alike with its blend of nostalgia and cinematic spectacle — and it’s proving especially popular among Gen Z audiences who grew up with the original.

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Universal’s bold leap into live-action with DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon has ignited the global box office, delivering a soaring $200.8 million worldwide opening, including an $82.7 million haul in North America. This reimagining of the beloved animated classic is proving to be a cultural and commercial phenomenon, marking the highest domestic opening in the franchise’s history.

International markets contributed a stunning $117.7 million from 53 territories, fueling Universal’s best-ever launch for a DreamWorks property and placing Dragon in the company of the highest-grossing live-action reimaginings ever — seventh globally, eighth domestically, and sixth internationally among the genre. The release is also one of the top 10 all-time starts for a Father’s Day weekend and the fourth-largest opening of 2025.

Critics and fans are aligned: How to Train Your Dragon boasts an A CinemaScore and a rare 98% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film, which had a production budget of $150 million, is resonating deeply with both families and young adults, especially those between ages 13 and 24 — many of whom were children when the original 2010 film first hit theaters.

Dean DeBlois, the original director, returned to helm the live-action rendition, once again telling the story of Hiccup (played by Mason Thames), a young Viking who forges an unlikely bond with the Night Fury dragon, Toothless, against the wishes of his father (Gerard Butler). Their friendship challenges the warlike norms of their society and reshapes their entire world.

On Friday alone, the film grossed $35.6 million from 4,356 theaters — $11.1 million of which came from Thursday previews. That puts it within striking distance of the original’s opening ($43.7 million in 2010, unadjusted for inflation) and easily ahead of 2019’s Hidden World, which opened at $55 million.

Meanwhile, Disney’s Lilo & Stitch live-action adaptation, which had dominated the box office for three weekends, is sliding into second place with a projected $13-14 million weekend, lifting its North American total to an impressive $365 million and pushing it past $800 million globally.

Also debuting this weekend is Celine Song’s Materialists, a modern romantic drama starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. The film, inspired by Song’s own experiences as a New York matchmaker, is expected to earn between $11-12 million, making it A24’s third-best wide release debut to date. While critics have praised the film — Song’s follow-up to Past Lives — audiences gave it a lukewarm B- CinemaScore and a 70% Rotten Tomatoes audience rating.

Paramount and Skydance’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is showing strong legs in its fourth weekend, dipping just 37% for a projected $9.3 million and nearing a $500 million global cume. The Tom Cruise blockbuster had dominated Imax screens until Dragon swooped in this weekend, now commanding 40% of its domestic earnings from premium formats.

In contrast, John Wick spinoff Ballerina, led by Ana de Armas, is faltering domestically despite favorable reviews and strong audience feedback. The film is expected to fall 64% in its second weekend, bringing in just $8.7 million for a 10-day total of $41.1 million.

For Universal and DreamWorks, however, the success of How to Train Your Dragon signals not only the birth of a new live-action legacy but also a lucrative franchise revival. A sequel is already in the works — and with this kind of momentum, it’s clear Toothless has plenty more firepower left.