Record-Breaking Dragon: Newest Film Smashes 15-Year Franchise Record in One Month

The 2025 live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, originally an animated film from 2010 inspired by Cressida Cowell’s book series, has set a new milestone for the franchise. This remake follows three animated films, positioning it as the fourth entry in the How to Train Your Dragon series produced by DreamWorks.

The latest How to Train Your Dragon film debuted impressively in the domestic market, raking in $84.6 million, which is the highest opening weekend the series has ever seen. Since its release, the movie has amassed over $450 million globally, although it still hasn’t surpassed the total worldwide earnings of any previous films in the series.

According to Deadline, by the conclusion of its fourth weekend, the film is projected to achieve a three-day total of $9.7 million. This accumulation will elevate its domestic gross to $222.7 million, overtaking the $217.8 million made by the 2010 film, making the remake the top-grossing entry in the series in North America.

Significance for How to Train Your Dragon

Aiming for Global Domination

The remake, which had a production budget of $150 million, has not only recovered its costs but has also set a new domestic record for the franchise. However, it still has a long way to go on a global scale to avoid becoming the lowest earner in the series worldwide.

Here’s a detailed comparison of the domestic and international performance of each film in the franchise:

As the global earnings for the new film will be finalized by Sunday, it is nearing the total of the original 2010 film in the franchise rankings globally. However, to claim the title of the highest-grossing film in the series, it must surpass the $621.5 million earned by How to Train Your Dragon 2. This requires it to collect over $100 million more before its theatrical run concludes. Considering the recent dip in weekend domestic earnings to below $10 million, achieving this milestone could be challenging.

Our Perspective on the How to Train Your Dragon Box Office Achievement

No Need for Comparisons to Other Movies

Independent of how it stacks up against prior films, the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon is undeniably a success, particularly in light of its budget. Its strong performance has justified DreamWorks’ decision to proceed with a sequel to the 2025 film even before its release.

Even if it doesn’t reach the highest earnings in the franchise, the latest How to Train Your Dragon film competes on par with its predecessors, proving that the beloved series still has plenty of appeal.