Hiccup and Toothless are readying to fire up the box office.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” is poised to fly to $70 million to $80 million in its box office debut. Enthusiasm from family audiences and goodwill toward the original 2010 animated adventure could propel inaugural ticket sales even higher, according to independent tracking services and rival studios. “How to Train Your Dragon” looks to collect another $110 million at the international box office, where the film lands concurrently in nearly every major territory.
Even the lower end of domestic projections would a strong start for “How to Train Your Dragon,” which cost $150 million to produce. Set on the mythical viking village of Berk, the story follows the adventures of a scrawny misfit teen named Hiccup, who befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless. Their bond defies centuries of tradition, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies. Reviews are positive (though not as glowing as the original film), with Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge writing that “it’s hard to improve on the first movie, though the last act looks positively iconic in this new incarnation.”
Dean DeBlois wrote and direct the remake, having previously steered the animated trilogy — including 2014’s “How to Train Your Dragon 2” and 2019’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” — to a combined $1.6 billion worldwide, along with four Oscar nominations. Universal is betting big on the live-action foray into the fantasy world; the studio has already announced the sequel, “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” is set for 2027.
“How to Train Your Dragon” will topple the three weekend reign of “Lilo & Stitch,” which became the latest kid friendly film to ignite the box office. Disney’s live-action remake will compete with “Dragon” for family audiences. But “Lilo & Stitch” is already a blockbuster with a massive $339 million domestically and $775 million globally since the Memorial Day holiday frame. It’s expected to eventually become the year’s first billion dollar release.
Also new to theaters, A24’s romantic drama “Materialists” is aiming for $8 million to $9 million from 2,800 venues in its first weekend in theaters. Directed by Celine Song in her follow-up to the Oscar nominated “Past Lives,” the film follows a New York City matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) who finds herself torn between the perfect match (Pedro Pascal) and her imperfect ex (Chris Evans). “Materialists,” which carries a $20 million price tag, should benefit from reviews and word-of-mouth. Variety’s chief film critic Owen Gleiberman praised the movie as a “sharp and serious social romantic drama full of telling observations about the way we live now.”
