How To Train Your Dragon' tops box office

How to Train Your Dragon, a live-action reboot of a popular 2010 animated film, roared to the top of the North American box office with $83.7 million in weekend ticket sales, industry estimates showed on Sunday.

The family-friendly film from Universal and DreamWorks Animation tells the story of a friendship between a Viking named Hiccup (Mason Thames) and a dragon called Toothless.

"This is an excellent opening for a live-action animation remake, and it's especially good for the fourth episode in a series like this," said David A Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

Disney's Lilo & Stitch, another live-action remake, kept up its excellent summer returns with $15.5 million, Exhibitor Relations said.

So far, the film about Hawaiian girl Lilo (Maia Kealoha) and her blue alien friend Stitch (Chris Sanders) has grossed nearly $860 million worldwide.

Debuting in third place is A24's Materialists, a sophisticated rom-com starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans, at $12 million.

"It's a grown-up story that's well-timed as summer counter-programming," Gross said.

Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning – the latest, and ostensibly last, in the hugely successful Tom Cruise spy thriller series based on a 1960s TV show – held its own in fourth place at $10.3 million.

The Paramount film has now topped the $500 million mark worldwide.

In fifth place was Lionsgate's Ballerina, a John Wick spin-off starring Ana de Armas as a dancer turned contract killer, and co-starring Anjelica Huston. Keanu Reeves makes a brief appearance as the hitman Wick. It took in $9.4 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were Karate Kid: Legends ($5 million), Final Destination: Bloodlines ($3.9 million), The Phoenician Scheme ($3.1 million), The Life of Chuck ($2.1 million), and Sinners ($1.5 million). afp