Everything We Know About The Live-Action How To Train Your Dragon Remake

The "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise is one of the biggest success stories for Universal and DreamWorks Animation, so it should come as no surprise that the beloved film will be the first from the company to get a live-action remake. (Sorry, "Bee Movie.") Dragons have consistently been presented as dangerous beasts that need to be slain by heroes in much of our storytelling but in more recent years, dragons have been presented as misunderstood creatures deserving of affection, dedicated companions, and even friends. While Daenerys Targaryen of "Game of Thrones" certainly helped the PR for dragons across the globe, credit must be given to Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and his dragon bestie Toothless.

What makes the "How to Train Your Dragon" films so wonderful is the sweet, empathetic approach to storytelling at the heart of each installment, giving the films a timeless feel that can be appreciated by viewers of all ages. /Film's Jenna Busch-Henderson described the first movie by saying, "It's a simple story, but between the sweetness of it and the breathtakingly, gut-bustingly, mind-blowingly cute design of Toothless, it will grab your heart and twist it all up, filling it with happy face emojis and tiny hearts."

With the live-action adaptation now in development, here's everything we know so far about the new film.

While "How to Train Your Dragon" is still in the earlier stages of its development, Universal Pictures has already scheduled it for a theatrical release starting on March 14, 2025. A date this far out is subject to change but as of publication, the film is the only release scheduled for that weekend (with an as yet unknown Disney movie being the only other film currently slated to arrive that month). 

Considering the popularity of the animated "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise, snagging this weekend opening slot this far ahead might influence studios to avoid competing with the film and plan their own release dates accordingly. Warner Bros. already seems to have done just that with "Minecraft," scheduling its live-action — and, most likely, family-friendly — take on the popular video game to open a few weeks away to avoid having to directly compete for attention from families.

While Universal and DreamWorks haven't provided any details on what to expect from the live-action remake, we can assume that the film will follow the same beats as the original animated feature, with the intention to continue as a live-action franchise. The original "How to Train Your Dragon" film was released in 2010 and introduced the world to the unlikely friendship between an awkward, adolescent Viking named Hiccup and his Night Fury dragon, Toothless. The first chapter in the saga is all about Hiccup's attempts to prove himself as a true Viking despite connecting with the injured dragon and being viewed as a misfit by the rest of his community, telling a fantastical underdog story with plenty of heart, humor, and a message about staying true to yourself.

The films are based on the best-selling book series by Cressida Cowell, and the film series is DreamWorks second-most profitable behind the "Shrek" franchise. All in all, DreamWorks has put out three feature films, five short films, and three different animated series, and the characters have appeared in 10 different video games. A live-action adaptation seems only fitting.

While the adorable dragon named Toothless will presumably be live-action in the sense that the animals in the "Lion King" remake were, the roles of Hiccup and Astrid have already been cast with some promising young stars. Nico Parker, who broke audiences' hearts across the world as Joel's daughter Sarah in "The Last of Us," will play Astrid Hofferson, the Viking warrior of Clan Hofferson of the Hooligan tribe. The role was originally voiced by America Ferrera, and we can only hope that the film somehow finds a way to incorporate her in the live-action film.

Similarly, while it will be hard to imagine anyone other than Jay Baruchel playing Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the choice to cast "The Black Phone" star Mason Thames is a truly inspired one. Thames recently won the Editor's Eyeball Award at the 2023 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards for his performance in the horror flick, a way to highlight his talents as a future star of the industry. If all goes well, Thames and Parker could be the next big young franchise leads in Hollywood.

In a historic move, Dean DeBlois, the writer/director of the original "How to Train Your Dragon" animated films, will also be helming the live-action adaptation. This is the first time a Hollywood animation director will direct the live-action version of the same story, and should hopefully help alleviate any worries fans of the original may have about the new film. This is an entirely different approach than what we've seen with the Disney live-action remakes and will be the first live-action narrative feature for DeBlois. He also directed "Lilo and Stich" and the Sigur Rós documentary, "Heima."

The film is being produced by Marc Platt for Marc Platt Productions alongside Adam Siegel, President of Marc Platt Productions. VP of Production Development, Lexi Barta, is overseeing the film on behalf of the studio as well.