‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’: What The Disappointing Opening Means For DreamWorks

While How to Train Your Dragon 2 didn’t flop during its opening weekend, analysts were hoping for the film to earn more than it actually did. According to a report from Forbes, the animated sequel was predicted to land somewhere near $65 million. However, it only earned $50 million.

In a related report from The Inquisitr, the R-rated 22 Jump Street outdid How to Train Your Dragon 2 with a weekend haul of $60 million, making it the number one film over the weekend. The buddy comedy starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum was expected to earn less than the animated feature.

With the disappointing opening for How to Train Your Dragon 2 in America, DreamWorks stock was down 12 percent Monday. MarketWatch reports that, by the end of trading, DreamWorks lost three points from Friday’s close of 27.35 and finished the day with 24.35. At the time of this post, stock is trending slightly upward for the studio.

Forbes reports that How to Train Your Dragon 2 will have to “perform gangbusters overseas” in order for the sequel to make profit. Contributor Scott Mendelson said he expected “a bigger bump” from How to Train Your Dragon 2, especially considering that previous DreamWorks films such as Kung Fu Panda and the Madagascar sequels earned more than $60 million during their opening weekends.

“As someone who loved this film and roots for DreamWorks on general principle, I’m a little concerned,” Mendelson wrote. “One hopes that the superb adventure picture, which at $145 million cost $20m less than the original, will have strong legs for the next month, as it’s the only major kid-friendly option between now and Planes: Fire and Rescue on July 18th.”

How to Train Your Dragon 2 earned more than its predecessor, which opened with $43.7 million in 2010. But Mendelson said that it was expected to do more. Despicable Me 2 earned 48 percent more than the first one, and Monsters University earned 31 percent more than Monsters, Inc.

“The question was just how much higher the sequel to the beloved original was supposed to climb compared to its predecessor,” he said.

Mendelson added that he expects How to Train Your Dragon 2 to “clean up” overseas markets.

The only remaining animated feature for DreamWorks this year is The Penguins of Madagascar. But the studio does have plans to release three animated movies per year beginning in 2015. Those include two original projects and a third installment of Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks does have plans to release a third How to Train Your Dragon in 2016.

[Image via Bing]