Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation's live-action adaptation of "How to Train Your Dragon" soared to an impressive $82.5 million opening weekend at the North American box office, marking the biggest debut in the franchise's history.

The film earned $35.5 million on Friday alone, which included $11.1 million from preview screenings held Wednesday and Thursday.

The live-action remake easily claimed the top spot at theaters nationwide, replacing Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" from its three-week reign as box office champion. Director Dean DeBlois, who led the original animated trilogy, returned to write and direct the live-action adaptation, bringing the beloved story of Hiccup and Toothless to life with real actors.

Mason Thames stars as Hiccup, the inventive Viking teenager who befriends an injured Night Fury dragon named Toothless. Nico Parker plays Astrid, while Gerard Butler reprises his voice role as Stoick the Vast in live-action form. The film carries a production budget of $150 million and runs for two hours and five minutes, nearly half an hour longer than the original animated version.

Critics responded positively to the remake, awarding it a 77% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were even more enthusiastic, giving the film a remarkable 99 percent audience score on the review aggregation site. The positive reception helped propel the movie beyond initial weekend projections, which had ranged from $65 million to $80 million.

The film opened across 4,356 theaters nationwide, benefiting from premium format screenings including IMAX presentations. International box office performance is expected to add approximately $110 million to the global total, with the movie launching in nearly every major foreign market simultaneously.

This opening weekend performance significantly surpassed the previous franchise record held by "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," which earned $55 million during its 2019 debut. The original 2010 animated film opened with $43.7 million, while the 2014 sequel earned $49.4 million in its first weekend.

The "How to Train Your Dragon" animated trilogy has generated nearly $1.7 billion in worldwide box office revenue over the past 15 years. Universal has already greenlit a sequel to the live-action adaptation, scheduled for release on June 11, 2027.

The development follows the recent success of Disney's live-action "Lilo & Stitch," which has earned over $800 million globally since its Memorial Day weekend release. Both films demonstrate the continued audience appreciation for live-action adaptations of beloved animated titles, particularly those targeting family audiences during the summer movie season.

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