In a competitive weekend at the North American box office, "How to Train Your Dragon" held onto the top position, generating $37 million in its second weekend. The live-action remake from Universal Pictures has quickly accumulated a total of $358.2 million worldwide. This revival of the DreamWorks franchise, directed by Dean DeBlois, is set for a sequel following its successful launch.
The performance of Pixar's "Elio" was notably underwhelming, opening with $21 million, marking the studio's lowest opening ever. The film faced production challenges, including a change in directors, and while it received decent reviews, its financial performance fell short of Pixar's typical standards. Internationally, "Elio" grossed an additional $14 million, bringing its total to $35 million.
Director Danny Boyle's "28 Years Later," a sequel to the past zombie films, debuted with $30 million, achieving the largest opening weekend of Boyle's career. The film, which explores a new narrative set 25 years after "28 Days Later," received favorable reviews but mixed audience reactions. It also garnered $30 million from overseas markets.
Other films in the box office rankings included Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch," which earned $9.7 million, and A24’s "Materialists," which collected $5.8 million in its second weekend. The upcoming weekend promises further competition with new releases such as "F1" and "Megan 2.0" set to debut.
Final domestic figures are expected to be released Monday, but preliminary estimates indicate a strong showing for established franchises amidst challenging new releases.