Info in Movie News | The legendary Viking and dragon duo is soaring back into theaters, this time in a live-action retelling of How to Train Your Dragon, directed by the original trilogy’s creative force, Dean DeBlois. Slated for release on June 13, 2025, the movie brings fresh faces into familiar roles, with Mason Thames as Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid, and Gerard Butler returning as Stoick.
According to Animation Magazine, DeBlois stressed that despite the adjustments made in the new format, the core of this adaptation has not changed and is still dealing with the bond between Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless. The change of their feelings from the first moment they saw each other to a real friendship that this translation not only set as a primary rule of the animated trilogy but also was one that connected with millions of fans from all parts of the globe. “We wanted to tell the story that we know works, that fans already love, and then build on it,” DeBlois explained.
First adapted in 2010 from Cressida Cowell’s beloved books, the How to Train Your Dragon series stood out by evolving its characters over time. Hiccup began as an awkward teen struggling to fit in, and grew into a courageous leader who reshaped Viking-naga relations. Toothless wasn’t just a mythical creature, he was Hiccup’s equal, full of personality, heart, and loyalty.
The new live-action version doesn’t aim to rewrite the story, but rather to deepen the characters and moments that time or format constraints once limited. Astrid, for example, is getting more development. “She’s always been a strong character,” DeBlois said, “but now we get to explore her background and her complicated early dynamic with Hiccup in more detail.”
The visual side of things is equally ambitious. Framestore, the creative powerhouse behind VFX wizards of the silver screen namely Paddington and Fantastic Beasts will be using a blend of practical effects and the most recent CGI to make dragons come to life. Not content with doing only CGI, the team made use of physical dragon puppets during the shooting, thus making it much easier for the actors to blend in and also giving the last scenes the feeling of being more realistic.
For the flight sequences, DeBlois wanted to capture a more visceral, physical sensation. They built a full dragon animatronic body mounted on an eight-axis gimbal rig, allowing Mason Thames to be tossed around as if he were really riding Toothless mid-air. “It creates movement across the dragon’s body that influences how Mason holds on,” DeBlois noted, “and that made for really convincing flight.”
Despite his early reluctance toward live-action remakes, DeBlois took on the project to ensure that the core of the original story stayed intact. “I didn’t feel it had to be done, but if it was going to be, I wanted it done with love and attention,” he shared.
It is not only a reinvention based on nostalgia. Concerning character, world-building, and a cinematic experience that is realistic, the live-action "How to Train Your Dragon" is the change that is well thought out and is inclusive, which can attract both old and new fans not only to see Hiccup and Toothless but also to fly together with these two characters.
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