Published Feb 11, 2026, 3:49 PM EST
Nick Bythrow is a Lead Writer for ScreenRant. He has been writing for the site since September 2022. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2022, where he triple majored in Journalism, Communications, and Media Studies. When he's not writing about TV and movies for ScreenRant and his blog, Frayed Branches, Nick is penning speculative fiction and poetry on Amazon. He lives outside Boston, Massachusetts.
Another Gerard Butler movie has become a massive streaming success.
A remake of a 16-year-old fantasy movie starring Butler is now the Number 1 movie on Netflix in the US. Butler's movie career has had a strong start in 2026. This includes the release of his newest action sequel Greeland 2: Migration, as well as the streaming success of his underrated 2021 thriller Copshop, where he starred alongside Frank Grillo and Alexis Louder.
Adding to this is the Netflix release of 2025's How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake. According to FlixPatrol, the live-action version is now Number 1 in the United States, just one day after its debut on the platform. The film's quick boost to the top reflects its theatrical success, having earned $636 million worldwide against a $150 million budget.
The How to Train Your Dragon movies are considered a classic animated trilogy from DreamWorks. In 2023, it was announced the first film would be getting a live-action remake, the first of its kind for DreamWorks' animated features. It stars Mason Thames as Hiccup, a young Viking who befriends the Night Fury dragon Toothless.
Reviews for How to Train Your Dragon were positive, with praise afforded to the story and its cast. Butler portrayed Stoick the Vast, Hiccup's father, who is, at first, closed-minded about humans and dragons working together, given the age-old conflict that's existed between them. Butler reprises his role as Stoick after voicing him in the animated movies.
The success of the first movie led to the announcement of How to Train Your Dragon 2, a sequel that will cover the events of the second animated film. It's scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 11, 2027, with Butler reprising his role as Stoick once again. As for its US success, the movie is simply running another lap around itself.
How to Train Your Dragon's live-action remake holds a Certified Fresh 77% from critics and a Verified Hot 97% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The much higher score from audiences is reflected in just how big a hit it's become for Netflix. The public adores the remake, thanks to its faithfulness to the original and the compelling story it tells.
Since the Butler-led movie has only just arrived on Netflix in the US, How to Train Your Dragon could easily maintain its Number 1 spot for the rest of the week and going into the weekend. It's likely to continue as a success for the platform thanks to the draw of its leads and the popularity of the franchise.
Release Date June 13, 2025
Runtime 125 minutes
Director Dean DeBlois
Writers Dean DeBlois
Producers Marc Platt, Adam Siegel, Dean DeBlois
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Mason Thames
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
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English (US) ·