How to Train Your Dragonhas overtaken a recent Disney live-action remake as it continues to fly up the box office rankings. DreamWorks' first remake of one of its animated films is a tremendous success for the studio, and likely won’t be its last. The Viking-dragon family adventure is proving once again that these remakes can be wildly profitable.
WhileDisney is still the leader in live-action remakes, DreamWorks is proving it can compete. According toThe Numbers,HTTYDhas earned $588.9 million, surpassing 2023’sThe Little Mermaid, which made $569.6 million.In addition to the box office,HTTYDalso defeatedThe Little Mermaidamong critics, earning a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes, compared to the latter’s 67%.
Toothless and friends have also moved past a few other family films on the worldwide box office charts,includingNight at the MuseumandMonsters Inc. DespiteHTTYDrecently debuting on digital VOD, itis still performing well at the box office. However, it still has ways to go before coming close to some of Disney’s best-performing remakes.
What This Means For 2025’s How To Train Your Dragon
HTTYD Is A Success, But Still Well Behind Other Disney Remakes
Disney has always been a juggernaut when it comes to family entertainment. They have their own catalog of classics, and added Pixar to their library long ago. However, DreamWorks has been a solid competitor with the studio, producing franchises likeShrek,Kung Fu Panda, andMadagascar. Still, it’s hard to replicate the same success Disney has had in this sector of entertainment.
2025’sHTTYDis a significant victory for DreamWorks, but it is still working to meet Disney’s consistent level of success. While it has beatenThe Little Mermaid,HTTYDis still way behind Disney’s best-performing remakes, such as 2019’sAladdin, 2017’sBeauty and the Beast, and 2019’sThe Lion King.
HTTYDalso lost to Disney’sLilo & Stitchin the 2025 summer box office battle. WhileHTTYDearned better reviews,Lilo & Stitchhas crushed box office expectationsand recently passed the billion-dollar mark.HTTYDis carrying on well, but it likely won’t reach $1 billion before its theatrical run ends.
Our Take On HTTYD’s Box Office Win
The Sequel Is In Good Shape
Before 2025’sHTTYDdebuted, Universal announced that aremake ofHow to Train Your Dragon 2was in developmentand is set to hit theaters in 2027. The studio showed confidence in this film, and it paid off.While Disney has five live-action remakes in the billion-dollar club, DreamWorks could get closewith its upcoming sequel after reinvigorating the franchise.
The animated sequel performed better than its predecessor worldwide, and there’s a good chance the live-action one could do the same. The remake itself is performing under the animated sequel, which made $621.5 million worldwide.How to Train Your Dragonwas a win with audiences and critics, and many will likely return to theaters to watch the beloved follow-up when it debuts in two years.
