It’s a PG box office boon as two live-action remakes are notching impressive theatrical milestones.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon” is flying to $200 million globally in its debut, while Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” has surpassed $850 million worldwide after four weekends of release. Both of the family films are successfully selling tickets and drawing crowds despite catering to similar moviegoing demographics.
“How to Train Your Dragon” collected $114 million while landing in 81 overseas markets, ranking as the No. 1 movie at the international box office. The film also topped the charts in North America with $83 million for a global start of $197.8 million. Top territories include Mexico with $14 million, the United Kingdom and Ireland with $11.2 million and China with $11.2 million.
Dean DeBlois wrote and direct the $150 million-budgeted “How to Train Your Dragon” remake, having previously steered the animated trilogy, which includes the 2010 original, 2014’s “How to Train Your Dragon 2” and 2019’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” to $1.6 billion globally. Set on the mythical viking village of Berk, the first story follows the adventures of a scrawny misfit teen named Hiccup, who befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless. A live-action sequel, “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” is already set for 2027.
Parents with young kids also continued to fill seats for “Lilo & Stitch,” which collected $31.1 million from 52 markets in its fourth frame. The comedic adventure about a misfit alien creature has generated $491 million overseas and $858 million worldwide since the Memorial Day holiday frame. As long as momentum sustains, “Lilo & Stitch” is readying to become the year’s first billion-dollar release.
In another box office milestone, Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” has crossed $500 million worldwide. The eighth entry in Tom Cruise’s action franchise brought in $21 million from 66 territories over the weekend, boosting its haul to $340.5 million overseas and $506 million worldwide. However, Paramount spent roughly $400 million on production — and since movie theater owners get to keep about half of ticket sales, “The Final Reckoning” won’t come close to breaking even in its box office run.
Read the full article here
