The latest weekend box office numbers are in, revealing Universal Pictures’ live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon is flying high with a projected franchise-best opening, while A24’s romantic comedy The Materialists lands a notable debut for the independent distributor.
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Sets Franchise Record
The live-action How to Train Your Dragon, directed by Dean DeBlois (who helmed the original animated trilogy), is estimated to open domestically with a powerful $82.7 million. This performance exceeds earlier projections and marks the highest opening weekend in the history of the beloved franchise.
The film, starring Mason Thames and Nico Parker as Hiccup and Astrid, also secured a rare fourth consecutive ‘A’ CinemaScore for the series, indicating exceptionally strong audience approval right out of the gate. Exit polling data from PostTrak further supports this, showing a remarkable 94% positive score with general audiences and an 83% definite recommend. Young viewers were particularly enthusiastic, with kids under 12 giving it a stunning 95% positive and 64% ‘must see right away’.
This stellar domestic opening positions How to Train Your Dragon as the fourth highest opening weekend of 2025 so far, behind major releases like A Minecraft Movie, Lilo & Stitch, and Captain America: Brave New World. Its success underscores the enduring power of cherished family IP in driving theatrical attendance, similar to the massive draw seen with films like Minions: The Rise of Gru (which set an Independence Day record in 2022) or The Super Mario Bros. Movie (which dominated the box office in 2023).
Globally, the dragon’s flight is even more impressive, with a worldwide opening estimated at $200.3 million, the fourth best global start of the year. Premium formats played a significant role in the film’s domestic haul, with Imax and PLF screens contributing 38% of ticket sales, and 3D adding another 18%. This highlights the value audiences place on enhanced viewing experiences for big-canvas films, a trend also observed with hits like Avatar: The Way of Water and Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning.
Demographically, the audience skewed heavily female (56%) and towards moms (63%), which is typical for a family film. Millennials turned out in force, with 68% of the audience under 35, although slightly less pronounced than the 79% under 35 seen for Lilo & Stitch‘s record-breaking Memorial Day opening. Younger women, in particular, gave How to Train Your Dragon its highest grades, with women under 25 rating it 97% positive.
The film’s strong social media presence (over 608 million interactions before opening) likely contributed to the robust opening, surpassing the pre-opening buzz for Lilo & Stitch and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
‘The Materialists’ Delivers for A24
Meanwhile, A24’s romantic comedy The Materialists, directed by Celine Song and starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal, opened to a solid $12 million. This places it as A24’s third highest opening weekend on record, behind only Civil War ($25.5M) and Hereditary ($13.5M).
Considered another win for the resurgent rom-com genre, The Materialists‘ debut follows recent successes like Ticket to Paradise ($16.5M opening) and the leggy sleeper hit Anyone But You ($6M opening, legging out to over $88M).
Audience reception, while positive, was less enthusiastic than critical reviews (87% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes), earning a ‘B-‘ CinemaScore. This lower score is potentially attributed to audience division over the film’s ending and Dakota Johnson’s character’s ultimate romantic choice. PostTrak exits show a 69% positive score (3 stars) and a 50% definite recommend.
The film’s audience skewed significantly female (74%) and younger (69% under 35). Interestingly, a large portion of the female audience (51%) attended with friends rather than on a date (21%). While women over 25 made up the largest demographic group (53%), they also gave the film its toughest grades (68% positive). Audience draw was spread across the star-studded cast, with 40% citing the trio of Johnson, Evans, and Pascal as the reason for attending, while director Celine Song also drew a notable 22%.
Overall Box Office Snapshot
The total estimated marketplace for the weekend reached approximately $150 million. This figure is down about 30% compared to the same weekend last year, which saw the massive debut of Inside Out 2 ($154M) propel the market to over $213 million. However, the weekend represents a healthy 33% increase over the previous weekend’s $113 million total. Despite the year-over-year comparison, the strong performance of How to Train Your Dragon, alongside solid holds from other films, suggests the market remains active, particularly for appealing IP.
The weekend’s top three films were:
- How to Train Your Dragon (Universal) – $82.7M
- Lilo & Stitch (Disney) – $14.6M (4th weekend)
- The Materialists (A24) – $12M
Other films showing notable performance include Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning, holding strong in its fourth weekend, and the surprise surge of Mike Flanagan’s Life of Chuck in its second week of expansion.
The weekend results underscore the continued importance of the theatrical window for establishing film brands and generating revenue across all platforms, a model that studios like Universal have leveraged successfully with their tentpoles and genre hits.
