The summer movie season stayed busy. How to Train Your Dragon held first place for a second week. 28 Years Later opened well for an R-rated horror film. Pixar’s new film Elio started slow. Families, teens, and adults all had choices, but the friendly dragon beat them all. 

How to Train Your Dragon Soars Again

The live-action remake earned $37 million from Friday to Sunday. Its ten-day domestic total is $160.4 million. Worldwide it has passed $358 million, showing strong legs. 

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The drop from its record $84.6 million opening was 56%. That is normal for a big summer film. Universal and DreamWorks spent about $150 million to make it, so profit is already in sight. 

Fans love seeing Hiccup and Toothless in live form. Social media buzz stayed high all week. A sequel is now in early work. The studio hopes to build a new trilogy, just like the animated run. 

28 Years Later Bites Into Second Place

Danny Boyle’s return to the rage-virus saga opened with $30 million at home and another $30 million abroad. That is Boyle’s best start ever. 

The movie is rated R, which cuts out younger viewers. Even so, it earned the third-biggest R-rated launch of 2025, behind only Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines. 

Reviews are positive. Fans praise the fresh ideas from Boyle and writer Alex Garland. If word of mouth holds, the film may reach the $100 million mark. That would beat the full runs of earlier series entries. 

Pixar’s Elio Stumbles Out of the Gate

Elio landed in third with $21 million. It is now Pixar’s lowest opening ever. The previous low was Toy Story in 1995 with $29.1 million (not adjusted). 

The studio spent at least $150 million to make the space adventure. Outside North America it earned only $14 million from 43 markets. 

Production was rough. The project changed directors and story paths. Some characters shown at Disney’s 2022 showcase did not survive the rewrite. Critics like its heart, and CinemaScore audiences gave it an “A.” Still, the film must copy last year’s sleeper growth of Elemental to break even. 

Weekend Top 5 (Domestic)

Rank Title Weekend $M Total $M Weeks
1 How to Train Your Dragon 37.0 160.4 2
2 28 Years Later 30.0 30.0 1
3 Elio 21.0 21.0 1
4 Lilo & Stitch 9.7 386.7 5
5 Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning 6.55 178.3 5

Figures in millions of U.S. dollars.

Other Movers and Notes

  • Lilo & Stitch nears the $1 billion worldwide mark with strong family turnout. 
  • Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning is on track for $195 million domestic after five weeks. 
  • Materialists from A24 sits at $24 million total after a 49% drop. 
  • Ballerina passed $100 million global despite a quiet U.S. run. 
  • Final Destination: Bloodlines has $134.8 million domestic, a top 25 horror gross since 2000. 

Coming Attractions

New films will crowd cinemas soon:

  • F1: The Movie — Brad Pitt races under Top Gun Maverick director Joseph Kosinski.
  • M3GAN 2.0 — The smart doll returns with even sharper tools.
  • Sorry, Baby — A Sundance favorite from A24, praised for honest humor.

Final Word

Families, horror fans, and animation lovers all showed up this weekend. How to Train Your Dragon proved that well-known stories still pull crowds. 28 Years Later showed that a mature rating does not always hurt sales. Pixar’s Elio has work to do, but summer is long, and good buzz can help. The race for box-office glory is far from over.

Malin Rasmussen

About the author

Malin Rasmussen

Malin Rasmussen is a flight attendant with a zest for travel, culinary adventures, and wine. When she’s not soaring through the skies, Malin enjoys attending concerts and exploring new destinations. Her love for cooking and fine wines adds a rich, flavorful touch to her life. As a contributor, Malin shares her unique experiences and passion for travel and gastronomy, bringing our readers a delightful mix of stories and insights