Universal's How to Train Your Dragon dominated the Juneteenth box office with $9.7 million on Thursday, bringing its domestic total to nearly $125 million. Competing films, Danny Boyle's 28 Years Later ($5.8 million in previews) and Pixar's Elio ($3 million in previews), also saw strong early numbers. While 28 Years Later boasts critical acclaim, audience reception is mixed. Elio, an original Pixar film, aims for a $30 million opening but faces challenges in the current animation market. Pixar hopes for Elio to have similar staying power to Elemental, despite concerns about lower-than-expected openings for original animated films.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.