Universal Pictures has officially entered the live-action remake arena, beginning with one of their most cherished modern animations, “How to Train Your Dragon.” The movie will release in theaters on June 13.
While Disney has predominantly dominated the world of live-action remakes with varying box office success, its recent release, “Lilo and Stitch,” was a weekend box office hit and grossed $145 million in domestic ticket sales, as previously reported by Deseret News.
It continues to perform exceptionally well, with global earnings approaching $800 million, currently standing at $772.6 million, according to Deadline.
The 2025 live-action adaptation of “How to Train Your Dragon” will debut with “Lilo and Stitch” as a strong competitor.
Here’s how “How to Train Your Dragon” is projected to perform at the box office.
How did previous franchise installments perform at the box office?
Previous franchise films have performed well at the box office, despite slow starts.
The original 2010 film, “How to Train Your Dragon,” debuted with $43.7 million domestically opening weekend. The film went on to gross $494.8 million worldwide, with 56% from international sales, per Box Office Mojo.
“How to Train Your Dragon 2” opened in 2014 with $49.4 million in domestic opening weekend sales, eventually earning $621.5 million globally. This was driven by international sales, which contributed to 71.5% of those earnings, per Box Office Mojo.
“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” was released in 2019, earning $55 million in the domestic box office opening weekend. It reached $539.9 million worldwide, with international markets bringing in 70.2% of total earnings, according to Box Office Mojo.
What to expect from the box office in 2025?
The latest “How to Train Your Dragon” has already been released in South Korea, where it earned $4 million over the weekend. The movie securing the top spot over local favorites “Hi-Five” and “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning,” which earned $2.7 million and $1.8 million, respectively, according to a report from Variety.
The live-action remake is projected to earn between $67 and $77 million per Box Office Theory. These projections suggest it would achieve the highest opening weekend sales of any film in the franchise, potentially making it the most successful debut within the series.