The Universal live-action adaptation of the beloved animated franchise soared to a strong $83.7 million debut in North American theaters, according to Comscore estimates Sunday.

Jeremy Fuster, Film Reporter, joined TheWrap in 2016 and covers box office and labor news. He received a National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for his coverage of the 2023 WGA Strike and was nominated by the LA Press Club as Best Entertainment Journalist. He can be reached at [email protected].

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,