"How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" breathed some fire into a slumping box office with a franchise-best $55.5 million debut over Oscar weekend.

Writer-director Dean DeBlois' third and supposedly final installment in the "How to Train Your Dragon" series notched the best opening of the year in U.S. and Canadian theaters.

Going into the weekend, overall ticket sales for 2019 were down 18 percent, according to Comscore, throwing cold water on the record box office of 2018.

But as Hollywood gathered for the Academy Awards on Sunday, "The Hidden World" lent the industry some good news. Made for $129 million, it rode good reviews and warm audience reaction to exceed the $43.7 million opening of the 2010 original and the $49 million opening of the 2014 sequel.

The latest installment, which similarly features the voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera and Cate Blanchett, is the first DreamWorks Animation release under the Comcast-owned Universal, which bought Jeffrey Katzenberg's company in 2016.

Last week's top film, "Alita: Battle Angel," dropped steeply in its second weekend with $12 million. The sci-fi film cost a hefty $170 million to make.

Estimated weekend ticket sales:

1. "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," $55.5 million.

2. "Alita: Battle Angel," $12 million.

3. "Lego Movie 2: The Second Part," $10 million.

4. "Fighting With My Family," $8 million.

5. "Isn't it Romantic," $7.5 million.

6. "What Men Want," $5.2 million.

7. "Happy Death Day," $5 million.

8. "Cold Pursuit," $3.3 million.

9. "The Upside," $3.2 million.

10. "Run the Race," $2.3 million.

Associated Press