Latest news with #A24Films
CNN
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
‘How to Train Your Dragon' remake soars to top of weekend box office
Another live-action remake topped the charts as Universal Pictures' 'How to Train Your Dragon' soared to $83.7 million at the box office, marking the best domestic opening weekend for the franchise. The fantasy adventure movie beat analysts' expectations of $70 million and held off Disney's live-action remake 'Lilo & Stitch,' which had maintained the No. 1 spot at the box office for three consecutive weekends. 'There is an insatiable appetite for PG-rated family fare. And there's the nostalgia factor with 'How to Train Your Dragon.' Those movies have earned collectively, even before this film, over a billion dollars worldwide,' said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore. The first 'How to Train Your Dragon' film opened to roughly $64.5 million in 2010 when adjusted for inflation and the third installment to the franchise opened in 2019 to about $81 million, adjusted for inflation. A24 Films' 'Materialists' also opened this weekend and pulled in $12 million, edging the eighth 'Mission: Impossible' ($10.3 million) for the No. 3 spot this weekend, and behind 'Lilo & Stitch,' which grossed $15.5 million domestically for a total of $366 million. Father's Day weekend has offered moviegoers a diverse slate of choices as the first half of the year comes to a close. The lineup includes children and family movies ('How to Train Your Dragon' and 'Lilo & Stitch'), action flicks ('Mission Impossible — The Final Reckoning') and romantic comedies ('Materialists'). The total box office for 2025 is $3.72 billion, up 23% from this period last year, according to Comscore data. 'Opening 'How to Train Your Dragon' on Father's Day weekend was a really smart move,' said Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder and owner of Box Office Theory. 'Not only being a remake of a modern, beloved animated film but also one with a strong father-son storyline.' Robbins added that its full weekend gross could be slightly higher than early Sunday estimates because of the holiday. Ultimately, it's 'more about that staying power for those family films,' he said. PG-rated films account for $1.53 billion, or 41%, of this year's earnings, according to Comscore data. But live-action adaptations of family films have not always been box office hits. Disney's 'Snow White,' for example, dashed hope for the big-budget fairytale retelling when it grossed only $43 million domestically during its opening weekend. The most popular live-action remakes have still been Disney films, including 2017's 'Beauty and the Beast' ($230.4 million) and 2019's 'The Lion King' ($240.3 million), both figures adjusted for inflation. Box office analyst David A. Gross, who publishes FranchiseRe, said 'How to Train Your Dragon' is more of a 'hybrid film' akin to the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movies, because it combines animation with human characters. The 2022 release of 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' grossed $71 million during its opening weekend, up from the first live-action remake's $57 million opening. Dergarabedian expects 'How to Train Your Dragon' to continue to perform well despite Pixar's 'Elio,' which opens Thursday. 'This summer is really just revving up,' he said. 'This is just another building block in what is turning out to be a spectacular summer for moviegoers, movie theaters and studios.'
CNN
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
‘How to Train Your Dragon' remake soars to top of weekend box office
Another live-action remake topped the charts as Universal Pictures' 'How to Train Your Dragon' soared to $83.7 million at the box office, marking the best domestic opening weekend for the franchise. The fantasy adventure movie beat analysts' expectations of $70 million and held off Disney's live-action remake 'Lilo & Stitch,' which had maintained the No. 1 spot at the box office for three consecutive weekends. 'There is an insatiable appetite for PG-rated family fare. And there's the nostalgia factor with 'How to Train Your Dragon.' Those movies have earned collectively, even before this film, over a billion dollars worldwide,' said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst at Comscore. The first 'How to Train Your Dragon' film opened to roughly $64.5 million in 2010 when adjusted for inflation and the third installment to the franchise opened in 2019 to about $81 million, adjusted for inflation. A24 Films' 'Materialists' also opened this weekend and pulled in $12 million, edging the eighth 'Mission: Impossible' ($10.3 million) for the No. 3 spot this weekend, and behind 'Lilo & Stitch,' which grossed $15.5 million domestically for a total of $366 million. Father's Day weekend has offered moviegoers a diverse slate of choices as the first half of the year comes to a close. The lineup includes children and family movies ('How to Train Your Dragon' and 'Lilo & Stitch'), action flicks ('Mission Impossible — The Final Reckoning') and romantic comedies ('Materialists'). The total box office for 2025 is $3.72 billion, up 23% from this period last year, according to Comscore data. 'Opening 'How to Train Your Dragon' on Father's Day weekend was a really smart move,' said Shawn Robbins, director of analytics at Fandango and founder and owner of Box Office Theory. 'Not only being a remake of a modern, beloved animated film but also one with a strong father-son storyline.' Robbins added that its full weekend gross could be slightly higher than early Sunday estimates because of the holiday. Ultimately, it's 'more about that staying power for those family films,' he said. PG-rated films account for $1.53 billion, or 41%, of this year's earnings, according to Comscore data. But live-action adaptations of family films have not always been box office hits. Disney's 'Snow White,' for example, dashed hope for the big-budget fairytale retelling when it grossed only $43 million domestically during its opening weekend. The most popular live-action remakes have still been Disney films, including 2017's 'Beauty and the Beast' ($230.4 million) and 2019's 'The Lion King' ($240.3 million), both figures adjusted for inflation. Box office analyst David A. Gross, who publishes FranchiseRe, said 'How to Train Your Dragon' is more of a 'hybrid film' akin to the 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movies, because it combines animation with human characters. The 2022 release of 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' grossed $71 million during its opening weekend, up from the first live-action remake's $57 million opening. Dergarabedian expects 'How to Train Your Dragon' to continue to perform well despite Pixar's 'Elio,' which opens Thursday. 'This summer is really just revving up,' he said. 'This is just another building block in what is turning out to be a spectacular summer for moviegoers, movie theaters and studios.'
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Live-action Elden Ring film in works, directed by Alex Garland
A24 Films and Bandai Namco Entertainment will work with Ex Machina director Alex Garland on a live-action film based on the fantasy role-playing game Elden Ring. Garland, who also wrote the novel The Beach, will write and direct the film, the companies said in a release on May 23. George R R Martin, author of the fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire that inspired the game, will be among the movie's producers, they said. No release date was announced. FromSoftware's Elden Ring, directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, is set in a dark world full of dungeons, undead monsters and spells. It's shipped more than 30 million units. A version of the game is set for release for Nintendo's Switch 2 this year, while a spinoff title, Elden Ring Nightreign, is slated for release on May 30. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Bloomberg
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Live Action ‘Elden Ring' Film in Works, Directed by Alex Garland
A24 Films and Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. will work with Ex Machina director Alex Garland on a live-action film based on the fantasy role-playing game Elden Ring. Garland, who also wrote the novel The Beach, will write and direct the film, the companies said in a release Friday. George R. R. Martin, author of the fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire that inspired the game, will be among the movie's producers, they said. No release date was announced.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dogwoof Boards A24 and Sandbox-Produced Double Sundance Award Winner ‘André Is an Idiot' (EXCLUSIVE)
Dogwoof has acquired international sales rights to 'André Is an Idiot,' directed by debut filmmaker Tony Benna. The film premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Audience Award and the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award in the U.S. Documentary Competition. Dogwoof will present the film to buyers at Cannes, with a market screening planned for May 15. Submarine Entertainment is handling North American rights. More from Variety Fatih Akin's 'Amrum' Debuts Teaser Ahead of World Premiere in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) Shia LaBeouf Doc, Quentin Tarantino Talk, David Lynch Tribute and Mariska Hargitay Directorial Debut on Cannes Classics Lineup John Rhys-Davies to Star in Horror Creature Feature 'Bone Keeper,' With REinvent Handling World Sales (EXCLUSIVE) When André, a brilliant idiot, learns he is dying from a disease that could have been detected with a colonoscopy, he decides to document his final journey. An iconoclastic ad man, he defied convention throughout his life. True to form, André approaches mortality with his trademark humor and curiosity, determined to learn how to die both happily and ridiculously. In a unique collaboration with Benna, André's stories and musings are brought to life through imaginative stop-motion animation, capturing his distinctive approach to life's challenges and joys. The film is a celebration of resilience, inappropriate humor, and the beauty of fully embracing the human experience – even at its end. 'André Is an Idiot' is produced by A24 Films, Sandbox Films and Safehouse Pictures. The film marks Dogwoof's second collaboration with A24 Films, following 2024's Sundance title 'Look Into My Eyes,' and its fifth with Sandbox Films, after Werner Herzog's 'Fireball,' David France's 'How to Survive a Pandemic,' the Oscar-nominated 'Fire of Love,' and Sundance award-winner 'Nocturnes.' Dogwoof's head of sales Cleo Veger said: 'We're excited to be working with A24 and Sandbox Films on the bold, unexpected, hilarious and quietly heartbreaking 'André Is an Idiot.' The film is one of the most surprising and unforgettable documentaries we have seen, audiences will fall in love with André and his inspirational approach to living and dying.' The producers are André Ricciardi, Tory Tunnell, Joshua Altman, Stelio Kitrilakis and Ben Cotner. It is executive produced by Jessica Harrop, Nicole Stott, Emily Osborne, Marissa Torres Ericson, Joby Harold, Lee Einhorn and Greg Boustead. Best of Variety Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
