Why is Universal making a live-action 'How to Train Your Dragon'? These charts may explain

Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation are taking a leafage retired of Disney's playbook.

For the past decade, the Walt Disney Company has been transforming its classical animated features into live-action theatrical and streaming features. Earlier this week, Universal said it would beryllium doing the aforesaid for 1 of its ain animated franchises: How to Train Your Dragon.

The live-action adaptation based connected the 2010 movie astir the relationship betwixt a young antheral and his dragon is owed successful theaters March 14, 2025.

Dean DeBlois, who wrote and directed each 3 films successful the animated trilogy, is connected pat to constitute and nonstop the live-action version. The films' communicative was based connected the best-selling publication bid by Cressida Cowell.

Universal's determination to construe the palmy animated franchise to unrecorded enactment has precedent.

Since 2010, Disney has released 11 theatrical live-action remakes — from "Alice successful Wonderland" to "Cruella" — generating much than $8.6 cardinal astatine the planetary container office, according to information from Comscore. Three further films — "Mulan," "Lady and the Tramp" and "Pinocchio" — were sent consecutive to streaming work Disney+.

Disney has had varied occurrence with these theatrical releases.

Seven of the remakes person generated much than $500 cardinal globally, and 4 topped the $1 cardinal mark, including "The Lion King," which tallied much than $1.65 cardinal successful 2019.

Others, specified arsenic "Dumbo" and "Alice Through the Looking Glass," were little fashionable successful theaters. Additionally, Disney released "Cruella" astatine a clip erstwhile pandemic restrictions and nationalist interest meant galore radical avoided going to the cinema.

Disney continues to stake connected these films. "The Little Mermaid" is owed successful theaters May 26, and "Peter Pan and Wendy," "Snow White" and "Mufasa: The Lion King" are owed retired successful the adjacent 12 to 18 months.

What is, perhaps, astir notable astir Disney's live-action remakes is however overmuch of the summons income were generated from planetary markets. This is thing Universal is apt besides keyed into erstwhile creating the live-action mentation of "How to Train Your Dragon."

The How to Train Your Dragon franchise has done good domestically but outperformed successful overseas regions. While the archetypal movie had a reasonably adjacent divided betwixt home and international, the 2 sequels some saw astir 70% of summons income from markets extracurricular the U.S. and Canada, according to information from Comscore.

So Universal not lone has impervious that live-action remakes tin dazzle astatine the home container office, it besides tin spot they volition apt seizure planetary audiences arsenic well.

Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the genitor institution of Universal Pictures and CNBC. NBCUniversal owns DreamWorks and distributes the "How to Train Your Dragon" films.