How To Train Your Dragon | featured news

"How to Train Your Dragon" continues to breathe fire at the box office, while newer releases are mostly blowing smoke....

Paramount and DreamWorks Animation had a kick-ass weekend of their own at the domestic B.O., with 3D toon "How to Train Your Dragon" posting an estimated $20 million at 3,825 locations, enough to claim the top spot in its fourth frame. With help from higher 3D ticket prices, the toon holdover edged out Lionsgate's superhero actioner "Kick-Ass," which debuted with $19.8 million at 3,065 engagements.

1. DATE NIGHT (Fox) NEW [3,374 Runs]
Friday $9.1M, Estimated Weekend $26M

Overall, it's a fairly tight race among the box office leaders this weekend with the only newcomer -- Fox's Date Night -- opening very wide so it can compete on an equal footing.

"How to Train Your Dragon" breathed a bit of box-office fire with a $43.3 million opening weekend and a No. 1 debut, according to studio estimates Sunday....

FRIDAY 9:40 PM: My sources just gave me these very early Friday box office figures with weekend estimates.
1) How To Train Your Dragon 3D (Dreamworks Animation/Paramount) NEW
Friday $12.5M, Estimated Weekend $44M
2) Alice In Wonderland 3D (Disney) Week 4
Friday $5.5M, Estimated Weekend $19M
3) Hot Tub Time Machine (MGM)
Friday $4.8M, Estimated Weekend $14.5M

This week at the movies, we've got aerial adventure (How to Train Your Dragon, with voice work from Gerard Butler and Craig Ferguson) and an '80s flashback (Hot Tub Time Machine, starring John Cusack and Rob Corddry). What do the critics have to say? In the world of CGI animation, DreamWorks has long played second fiddle to Pixar. However, critics say that if How to Train Your Dragon is any indication, the gap between the studios may be narrowing. Hot Tub Time Machine boasts one of the funniest titles in recent memory. And critics say the movie's pretty good, too...