Two of DreamWorks Animation’s Best Movies Are Now on Netflix (And Already Rising Through the Charts)

Animated movies from DreamWorks and Illumination have a rich history of streaming success when they’re added to Netflix’s lineup. Despicable Me, Shrek, Trolls, and so many other titles from NBCUniversal’s animation houses have been enormous hits on Netflix in recent years, and now two of the very best films from the DreamWorks roster are following that trend.

The first two movies in DreamWorks’ How to Train Your Dragon franchise have been added to Netflix and, unsurprisingly, have been really connecting with subscribers. 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon and 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 remain among the most popular and well-reviewed films in DreamWorks history, so it makes plenty of sense that folks are prioritizing the titles on Netflix.

Monday’s edition of the Netflix Top 10 Movies list sees both How to Train Your Dragon films taking up a spot amongst the biggest films on the entire service. How to Train Your Dragon 2 is currently in the sixth overall spot on the movie list, while its predecessor is just one spot behind it, at number seven.

The timing of How to Train Your Dragon‘s popularity on Netflix could also be tied to the next adventure in the franchise, which is great news for Universal. After completing the animated trilogy with How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World back in 2019, franchise director Dean DeBlois is trying his hand at a live-action adaptation.

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The live-action How to Train Your Dragon is set to hit theaters on June 13th, and Universal just released a new trailer for the film during the Super Bowl on Sunday night. So excitement for the How to Train Your Dragon series is clearly near an all-time high. With the first two movies available on Netflix, families are doing plenty of watching and rewatching ahead of the live-action film’s debut.

While DeBlois is taking his directorial talents from the animated films to the live-action adaptation, only one of the original voice stars is coming along for the ride. Gerard Butler voiced Stoick, viking leader and Hiccup’s father, in all three animated How to Train Your Dragon movies. He’s reprising the role in the live-action film, though the cast around him will be completely different. The new How to Train Your Dragon stars The Black Phone‘s Mason Thames as Hiccup, while Dumbo and Suncoast star Nico Parker will play Astrid. The cast also includes Nick Frost and Julian Dennison.