How To Train Your Dragon Is Getting A Live-Action Adaptation In 2025
In some very unexpected news for both animation fans and casual moviegoers, "How to Train Your Dragon" is getting a remake. Even more surprisingly, fans will be seeing the lonely Hiccup and his adorable dragon Toothless in live-action. Universal Pictures announced that the film is already well into development and will be overseen by Dean DeBlois, who directed and wrote the original animated films.
No statements from Universal or DeBlois have been released regarding what fans can expect, but it is expected to be a direct adaptation of the successful DreamWorks trilogy. The Hollywood Reporter revealed via their sources that casting is currently underway for the film, and it even has a tentative release date. When we say "live-action," we obviously mean for the human characters. Unless they've somehow got actual, trained dragons hiding out at Universal Studios.
The "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise has been a lucrative fan favorite for Universal and DreamWorks. Three movies were released between 2010 and 2019, grossing approximately a combined $1.6 billion at the box office and garnering critical acclaim. Each film was also nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. We here at /Film are big fans of the trilogy, which leads to a question many may have on their minds ... why?
No, seriously. Why?
It may be easy to speculate as to why this remake/adaptation is happening. After all, the trilogy ended on a very satisfying note with "The Hidden World" in 2019, and its fanbase is still going strong. The franchise is not all that old, even if the first one will mark its 15th anniversary when its live-action adaptation is released. Why fix a perfectly fine and even great thing?
The answer may be simpler than you might expect. It's likely that its popularity and continued cultural relevance are exactly why it is making the move from animation to live-action. Disney has proven that no matter the online backlash, people will show up to the theaters to see their favorite animated movies adapted in a different medium. It's also not like DreamWorks themselves are strangers to the live-action realm — outside of its famous animation department, the company has consistently produced live-action fare since its creation, even nabbing several Oscar nominations for films like "Lincoln" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7."
While it makes sense from a business perspective, fans might still be scratching their heads. What does this mean for the industry's perception of animated movies? That's still unclear, but the fact that DeBlois will be steering this ship should alleviate some concerns. However, we won't know for certain until we see "How to Train Your Dragon" in theaters on March 14, 2025.