‘How To Train Your Dragon’ And ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Remakes Top Global Box Office

Last weekend, the top two films at both the U.S. and global box office were hybrid cg/live-action remakes of animated features: How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo & Stitch.

The new film at the top of the box office was Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon, a remake of the Oscar-nominated 2010 Dreamworks Animation production, which itself was based on the children’s book by Cressida Cowell. Budget for the remake is being reported at $150 million, less than the original’s $165m budget.

In its opening weekend, it grossed an estimated $83.7 million, representing a better opening than any of the three animated features in the series. The original HTTYD launched with $43.7 million.

The new HTTYD marks the live-action directorial debut of Dean DeBlois, who also directed the original animated film alongside Chris Sanders. Universal is all in on the remakes of the Dragon franchise, and has already committed to a remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2, scheduled to release in 2027. DeBlois is also directing that film.

HTTYD picked up another $114.1m from 81 territories abroad, lifting its overall opening frame to $197.8m global.

DeBlois had previously criticized live-action remakes of animated features. In a 2020 interview with Variety, he said, “They’re made by capable filmmakers and I don’t want to disparage any of the talent or the hard work that went into them, I just think that it’s lazy on the part of the studio.”

He changed his tune however after Universal asked him to direct How to Train Your Dragon, telling the NY Times, “At the expense of seeming like a hypocrite, I thought, well, I’m either going to sit here and pout and watch somebody else do it, or I could jump in and shoulder the blame or help to change the narrative.”

Meanwhile, Disney’s hybrid remake of Lilo & Stitch, which is also based on a film directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders, racked up an estimated $15.7m in its fourth weekend, lifting domestic gross to $366.5m. Add in a stellar $492m from international play, and the global gross currently stands at $858.3m.

Lilo & Stitch’s top five markets outside of the U.S. are Mexico ($61.8m), U.K. ($45.1m), France ($35.2m), Brazil ($31.8m), and Germany ($27m).

The film currently stands a chance of becoming the first Hollywood release of 2025 to reach $1 billion global gross. Only one other film, the Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2, has achieved the billion-mark in 2025. Ne Zha 2 grossed $2.2 billion.