How To Train Your Dragon's $83 million proves Universal can train a remake, too
Fellow live-action remake, Lilo & Stitch, continues to wreak havoc at the box office as the lone original movie, Materialists, romances a healthy opening.
Photo courtesy of Universal
Our long national nightmare of live-action remakes continues, with a staggering $83 million box office take for How To Train Your Dragon, a remake of the 2010 animated smash. Coupled with the film’s $114 million international haul, Universal trained audiences to the tune of $197 million worldwide. As much as it pains us to thank a live-action remake, movie theaters need the business, so thanks for putting butts in seats, Hiccup. The extra 40 minutes added to Dragon’s story made all the difference, but one cannot underestimate the drawing power of familiarity. To that end, fellow retelling Lilo & Stitch continued pleasing Disney shareholders by adding $15.5 million to its total. The movie has made $825 million worldwide, much more than it would’ve made on streaming. The lesson here: Put movies in theaters, no matter how cravenly derivative they may be.
The lone original film in the top five, Materialists, director Celine Song’s Past Lives follow-up, starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, seduced $12 million out of audiences. That’s twice as much as last year’s rom-com hit, Anyone But You, which opened to $6 million on 3,000 screens (Materialists opened on 2,800).
Meanwhile, sequels and spin-offs covered the top 10. Tom Cruise held on for another week, bringing in another $10 million for Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning. But while that sequel has strong legs, Ballerina is tripping over its feet. The John Wick spin-off, which is pretty good, dropped 62% in its second week, earning $9 million for a $41 million total. Karate Kid: Legends added $5 million to its domestic $44 million total (the movie is closing in on $100 million worldwide). Final Destination: Bloodlines, the toast of the season, brought its total to $130 million, shattering the series’ records. Underperforming indies, The Phoenician Scheme and Life Of Chuck, both expanded into more theaters this weekend, but are no match for movies people have seen before.
Here’s the whole top 10 via The Numbers:
How To Train Your Dragon, $83 million
Lilo & Stitch, $15 million