Dean DeBlois returns to the fantasy world of Vikings and dragons with a live-action remake of his original How to Train Your Dragon. While many are concerned that the film is a retread of the original with live actors, our own Tyler Nichols enjoyed the film despite the concerns. He mentions in his review, “There’s always plenty of debate whenever one of these live-action adaptations of a cartoon releases. No matter what filmmakers do, there’s always going to be a sect of people who disapprove. As proven by Lilo & Stitch, I am not one of those people, and simply want the cartoon translated to real life. That means there are going to be some changes because, let’s face it, cartoons don’t have to deal with logic in the same way.”
How to Train Your Dragon flies into screens this Father’s Day weekend, and Deadline is reporting that the early Thursday preview numbers for the film are looking upwards of $8 million to $9 million. These figures also include estimates from early fan access screenings. Our predictions for the weekend box office were that How to Train Your Dragon isn’t expected to make anywhere near what Lilo & Stitch did previously, but it should easily top the box office with at least a $60 million opening. Some box office pundits are saying it could go as high as $80 million, but we’re being a bit more cautious in our estimates. Whatever the case, it will easily top the box office, and Lilo & Stitch should hold on to second place with about $20 million or so.
Exhibitionists are hoping for another film to reach a $100 million opening for a post Memorial Day weekend and How to Train Your Dragon could possibly surprise everyone with fans of the original and new audiences filing in, looking for entertainment during the summertime.
How to Train Your Dragon focuses on the special friendship between a young and unheroic Viking boy named Hiccup, and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health. The movies chronicled Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to combat humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love.
The live-action movie stars Mason Thames (The Black Phone) as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, with Nico Parker (Dumbo) as Hiccup’s love interest and fellow student in dragon-fighting training, Astrid Hofferson. They’re joined in the cast by Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2) as Hiccup’s best friend Fishlegs Ingerman, Gabriel Howell (Nightsleeper) as his rival Snotlout Jorgenson, Harry Trevaldwyn (The Bubble) and Bronwyn James (Wicked) as twins Tuffnut and Ruffnut, Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club) as Phlegma, Murray McArthur (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) as Hoark, Nick Cornwall (Sky Sharks) as Hürl, and Outer Banks stunt performer Samuel Johnson as Skaldor. Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) has an unspecified role. Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) is playing blacksmith Gobber the Belch – and, in a very cool turn of events, Gerard Butler, who provided the voice of Hiccup’s father Stoick the Vast in the animated films, is back to bring his character to life in live-action.
DeBlois producing the live-action film alongside Marc Platt, who is producing through his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions, and that company’s president, Adam Siegel. VP of production Lexi Barta is overseeing the project for Universal Pictures.
