The Live-Action Remake That Shows Disney How It’s Done Is Officially a Top 3 Netflix Hit (& a Sequel’s Confirmed)

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Disney has seen huge success at the box office recently by reimagining its classic animated films in live-action. For example, Lilo & Stitch earned over $1 billion worldwide last year, proving people still enjoy these remakes. This success hasn’t gone unnoticed, and other studios are following suit. DreamWorks’ live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon was also a hit with both critics and audiences last year, and it continues to be popular now that it’s available to stream.

From February 9th to 15th, How to Train Your Dragon was the third most popular movie on Netflix, racking up 6.1 million views and a total of 12.7 hours watched. It was preceded by The Investigation of Lucy Letby and Joe’s College Road Trip. The film secured its third-place position by outperforming Kpop Demon Hunters. This marked the first week the movie appeared in Netflix’s top 10.

How to Train Your Dragon Is Now a Live-Action Series

When a live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon was announced, many people doubted it would be good. Disney has had success with these remakes financially, but some haven’t been well-received. Fans worried this would just be another attempt to make money, but the remake actually raised the bar for how these live-action adaptations can be done. While it stays very true to the beloved original animated film, it also adds enough new material and utilizes the live-action format to create a richer and more layered experience.

DreamWorks had such strong belief in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie that they announced a sequel even before the first film was released. That confidence proved justified – the new movie was a critical and commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing film in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, earning $636.2 million globally. What began as a beloved animated series has now become a popular live-action hit, and its success doesn’t appear to be fading. Director Dean DeBlois has also suggested that more stories set in this world could be coming in the form of spin-off films or series.

Whether the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2 will be successful is still unknown, but everything is set up for it to do well. Director Chris DeBlois is back, and the filmmakers can use what they learned from the first movie. They’ve proven their approach works and are likely even more confident this time around. The remake has the potential to be a large-scale, captivating fantasy film. Plus, having Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett reprise her role as Valka is a major advantage – she’s a highly respected actress who always brings quality to her projects.

Okay, so if How to Train Your Dragon 2 does well – and I think it will – DreamWorks is likely to revisit The Hidden World. After that, honestly, the possibilities seem endless! I’ve always felt this franchise would translate brilliantly to live-action, and it’s no surprise they’re already talking about spin-offs and expanding the world. It’s a smart move, really – keep a good thing going and surprise us with fresh stories built on that fantastic universe they’ve created.

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2026-02-22 20:42