“How to Train Your Dragon” will screen for audiences for the first time at CinemaCon, the annual convention for movie theater owners.
The world premiere will take place on April 2 at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, more than two months ahead of the film’s theatrical release on June 13.
CinemaCon will undoubtedly be a receptive audience (the trade show isn’t exactly Cannes, where provocative films run the risk of inspiring moviegoers to boo or walk out), but unveiling “How to Train Your Dragon” in this capacity signals Universal’s confidence in the movie’s commercial prospects. In previous years, CinemaCon attendees were first to see Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and Warner Bros. and DC’s “The Flash.”
Screening “How to Train Your Dragon” will help to build buzz for the live-action remake, which lands in multiplexes amid a packed summer season. Also on the calendar over the four hottest months of the year, there’s Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” (May 2), Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” remake and Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – the Final Reckoning” (May 23), Pixar’s “Elio” (June 20), Universal’s “Jurassic World Rebirth” (July 2), Warner Bros. and DC’s “Superman” (July 11) and Paramount’s “Smurfs” (July 18).
“’How to Train Your Dragon’ delivers the perfect blend of blockbuster action, breathtaking visuals and emotional storytelling that defines the ultimate theatrical experience,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic theatrical distribution. “We’re thrilled to share this film with our exhibition partners first, as they will be instrumental in bringing this extraordinary adventure to audiences worldwide this summer.”
Dean DeBlois returned to write and direct the live-action remake, having previously steered the DreamWorks Animation trilogy — 2010’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” 2014’s “How to Train Your Dragon 2” and 2019’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” — to the big screen. Those films generated a combined $1.6 billion worldwide along with four Oscar nominations.
Set on the mythical viking village of Berk, “How to Train Your Dragon” follows the adventures of a misfit teen named Hiccup, who befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless. Their bond defies centuries of tradition, where vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations.
“We are thrilled that Universal Pictures has chosen to showcase this summer blockbuster for the global exhibition community,” said CinemaCon Managing Director Mitch Neuhauser. “This movie promises to be a hit with movie fans of all ages all around the world. Seeing it in your local theatre will be an amazing experience, and the global exhibition community is excited to help promote it in the days ahead.”
CinemaCon, hosted by the National Association of Theatre Owners, will run from March 31–April 3. Major studios, including Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, Sony, Universal and Amazon MGM, will be on hand to preview their upcoming theatrical slates.
