Universal’s live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon” took the top spot at the Juneteenth holiday box office, raking in $9.7 million in ticket sales and heading into its second weekend with a substantial domestic haul of nearly $125 million. The film is poised to maintain its lead despite the arrival of two new summer event films.
The success can be attributed, in part, to “How to Train Your Dragon”‘s strong performance in IMAX cinemas, which is expected to bring in an additional $35 million domestically this weekend. Its competitors, however, are facing stiffer challenges.
“28 Years Later,” a zombie sequel directed by Danny Boyle and starring Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, has received widespread critical acclaim but struggled with audiences, scoring 92% on Rotten Tomatoes but just 69%. The film’s preview gross of $5.8 million suggests a weekend opening between $28-30 million.
On the other hand, Pixar’s “Elio,” an animated adventure about a young boy who travels to outer space, earned a modest $3 million from previews and select screenings. Despite this, tracking estimates predict an opening in the $20-23 million range, indicating that the film may suffer its worst three-day opening ever for the studio.
This marks the latest challenge faced by Pixar, which has been struggling to replicate the success of previous animated films. The studio’s recent efforts have included streaming releases and reinvigorating its focus on original theatrical stories.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/danny-boyle-28-years-box-office-elio-1236295773