An apex predator has landed at the box office, and it’s an adorable, mostly harmless dragon that can also be a threat in its own right. Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon is on track to a US$200 million global haul, earning US$198 million in its opening weekend.
The momentum is followed by Disney’s live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch, which has now surpassed US$850 million worldwide after four weekends of release. The box office performance continues to project a steady climb for the reimagining of the animated classic, following a US$610 million total yield in its second weekend.
As for How to Train Your Dragon, ticket sales come in as one of the top-10 starts for a live-action pic, including the seventh-biggest internationally. It’s an encouraging show for DreamWorks Animation’s first live-action outing, and a sequel has already been set for 2027.
Based on the novel by author Cressida Cowell, the series follows the adventures of a scrawny misfit teen named Hiccup in the mythical viking village of Berk, who befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless — defying a long-standing tradition where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for centuries. Dean DeBlois, the director of the entire animated trilogy, returns to helm this latest entry, starring Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us, Dumbo) as the lead pair of Hiccup and Astrid, respectively.
Lilo & Stitch, meanwhile, marks the film debut of Maia Kealoha as Lilo, with original writer-director Chris Sanders reprising his voice role as Stitch. It incorporates some elements from the original animated classic into the story of “the bond formed between a lonely human girl named Lilo and a dog-like alien named Stitch, who is engineered to be a force of destruction. Pursuing aliens, social workers and the idea of the bond of family figure into the proceedings.”
In other box office news, filmmaker Celine Song’s Materialists opened in third place in the U.S. with US$12 million to score indie outfit A24’s third-biggest debut behind Civil War (US$25.5 million) and Hereditary (US$13.5 million). The follow-up to the Oscar-nominated Past Lives, it follows a New York City matchmaker (Dakota Johnson) who finds herself in a love triangle with a wealthy suitor (Pedro Pascal) and an imperfect ex (Chris Evans).
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Ting Wei
HSALS
