The live-action How to Train Your Dragon remake has been one of the most successful movies of the year and has broken several significant box office records. After directing all three of the animated How to Train Your Dragon movies, director Dean DeBlois returned to bring the island of Berk and characters like Hiccup, Astrid, and Stoick to life in live-action.

The new How to Train Your Dragon faithfully adapts the 2010 animated film, which is generally considered a modern classic. The critical response couldn’t top the first film, which has a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, but reviews for the How to Train Your Dragon remake have still been great, with Screen Rant‘s Sarah Moran giving it an 8 out of 10 stars.

How to Train Your Dragon can now be watched on digital, but seeing the movie in theaters was an incredible experience. The stunning cinematography, exceptional acting, and compelling story are the reasons people flocked to theaters to watch it, making it one of the year’s most popular films. In fact, it even broke a number of box office records, making its achievements even more impressive.

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It’s The Highest-Grossing Movie In The Entire Franchise

Throughout its theatrical run, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon managed to gross a total of $623 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo). As of this writing, this impressive box office haul makes it the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year. The only films it sits below are Jurᴀssic World Rebirth, A Minecraft Movie, Lilo & Sтιтch, and Ne Zha 2.

Towards the end of its theatrical run, the live-action remake managed to surpᴀss 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2, which grossed $621 million globally. Meanwhile, the original 2010 film made $494 million, and 2019’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, which concluded the animated trilogy, made $539 million. Even if the third dipped a bit, this shows the enduring strength of the franchise.

These numbers prove that the How to Train Your Dragon franchise has always been successful at the box office. However, many years after the release of the original movie, it’s an achievement that the live-action remake was able to become the highest-grossing film in the franchise. How to Train Your Dragon‘s box office haul undoubtedly bodes well for the future.

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It Had The Highest Opening Weekend Of The Franchise

If anybody doubted that How to Train Your Dragon was going to be a box office hit, they were immediately proven wrong during its opening weekend. After hitting theaters on June 13, the remake managed to gross an outstanding $84 million at the domestic box office during its opening weekend. This was well ahead of initial expectations, which projected the movie as opening to $60-$80 million.

To compare, the first animated movie made $43 million domestically in its opening weekend, How to Train Your Dragon 2 made $49 million, and The Hidden World made $55 million. None of the opening weekends of the animated movies even come close to the remake, proving that audiences are still eager to see the island of Berk and its inhabitants on the big screen.

In addition to its domestic opening weekend box office haul, the How to Train Your Dragon remake made $113 million in international markets during its first three days in theaters. The remake grossed $197 million globally during its opening weekend, which is nearly one-third of its total box office haul. Clearly, this was an outstanding start to How to Train Your Dragon‘s theatrical run.

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It’s The Franchise’s Highest-Grossing Movie At The Domestic Box Office

Even though How to Train Your Dragon was a hit in international markets, it failed to surpᴀss the second and third animated movies. The live-action remake grossed a total of $361 million internationally, whereas How to Train Your Dragon 2 made $444 million and The Hidden World made $379 million, suggesting there isn’t as much nostalgic pull for these movies overseas.

However, it did manage to become the franchise’s highest-grossing movie at the domestic box office. Out of How to Train Your Dragon‘s total haul, $261 million came from the domestic box office. Meanwhile, the original movie earned $217 million domestically, the 2014 sequel made $177 million, and the trilogy-capper raked in $160 million.

To date, How to Train Your Dragon remains the sixth-highest-grossing movie of the year at the domestic box office, standing above some major tentpoles like Captain America: Brave New World and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Though it will likely lose this spot by the end of the year, it will spend a significant amount of time in the top 10.

These figures prove that, despite performing very well in international markets, the animated trilogy trended downwards at the domestic box office, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence with franchises. Thankfully, the How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake blew these films out of the water at the domestic box office and proved that Americans still want to see this franchise on the big screen.

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It’s Gerard Butler’s Highest-Grossing Movie Ever

For the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, Gerard Butler reprised his role as Stoick the Vast, who leads the Vikings on the island of Berk. Butler originally voiced Stoick in all three animated films, and his performance ensured that he’s among the franchise’s best characters. It’s impossible to imagine anyone else as Stoick, so it’s a relief that Butler wanted to play the character in live-action.

Reprising his role paid off for the actor, since How to Train Your Dragon has become the highest-grossing movie of Butler’s career. Over his three decades as an actor, Butler has starred in plenty of commercial successes. Other than How to Train Your Dragon, his most successful movies include 300, London Has Fallen, Geostorm, and The Ugly Truth.

Even though he is very well-known for the Has Fallen series, the fact that the live-action remake is the highest-grossing movie of his career proves that How to Train Your Dragon could be remembered as Butler’s definitive franchise.

Butler will also return in the upcoming How to Train Your Dragon 2, which will also likely be a major box office hit. It could even replace the 2025 movie as his biggest film, though that will depend on goodwill towards the franchise remaining high over the next couple years.

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It’s Dean DeBlois’ Highest-Grossing Movie Ever

The How to Train Your Dragon remake is also a major milestone for director Dean DeBlois, earning more than any of his previous movies have. He is clearly incredibly pᴀssionate about the franchise, and this record proves that adapting the first movie into live-action was a great decision. It also suggests he’ll stick around for the franchise’s future.

Other than the How to Train Your Dragon movies, DeBlois’ only other major theatrical release was the 2002 animated movie Lilo & Sтιтch, which he co-directed alongside Chris Sanders. In total, Lilo & Sтιтch, which is also considered a modern classic, grossed $274 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo).

After the success of the first live-action entry in the franchise, it’s very exciting to see what DeBlois will do with How to Train Your Dragon 2, which he will also direct. The second live-action movie is currently scheduled to hit theaters in June 2027. DeBlois will likely continue to find success at the box office and further prove how pᴀssionate he is about the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.