Here’s everything we know about the How To Train Your Dragon live-action movie, from its release date and trailer updates to cast speculation, plot, and more.
Disney has been giving a number of its animated classics a lick of live-action paint ever since 2010’s Alice in Wonderland. The results have rarely – if ever – matched the heights of its past, but the box office numbers speak for themselves.
However, DreamWorks has always been the House of Mouse’s main competition. And now, it’s looking to replicate Disney’s tried-and-tested formula with one of its greatest movies: How To Train Your Dragon.
So here’s what we know so far about the live-action adaptation so far, including any release, cast, and plot details.
Universal PicturesHow To Train Your Dragon live-action movie release date
The How To Train Your Dragon live-action movie will premiere in cinemas on June 13, 2025.
There have been three movies in the franchise to date: 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon, 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2, and 2019’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. There have also been three spinoff TV series and multiple live shows.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, “the feature project is already steps into the development process,” and casting is well underway.
The original release date was March 14, 2025, but it has been pushed back due to the recent WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
How To Train Your Dragon live-action cast: Who’s in it?
So far, four major cast members have been confirmed:
- Mason Thames (The Black Phone) as Hiccup
- Nico Parker (The Last of Us) as Astrid
- Gerard Butler as Stoick – who he voiced in the original animated films
- Nick Frost (The Cornetto Trilogy) as Gobber the Belch
It’s unclear whether Jay Baruchel, who voiced Hiccup, will return in any capacity. Other cast members in the trilogy included Jonah Hill as Snotlout, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs, T.J. Miler as Tuffnut, and Kristen Wiig as Ruffnut.
However, we do know that the franchise’s writer-director, Dean DeBlois, will return to pen and direct the live-action movie.
DeBlois, who has never directed a live-action movie, will be assisted by producer Marc Platt, who’s worked on the likes of Legally Blonde, La La Land, and Universal’s highly-anticipated, two-part adaptation of Wicked.
How To Train Your Dragon live-action plot: What’s it about?
While unconfirmed, the How To Train Your Dragon live-action movie is expected to adapt the plot of the first installment, though it’s unclear if there are plans to remake the whole trilogy.
The first film follows Hiccup, the son of a Viking village chieftain who befriends Toothless, a goofy dragon. There’s just one problem: Vikings hate dragons, and fighting them is a way of life.
Across the trilogy, Hiccup’s bond with Toothless only grows stronger, whether they’re going into battle against dragon warlords, losing their parents, or seeking out the Hidden World.
Paramount PicturesIn an earlier interview with Deadline, DeBlois spoke about the pressure of bringing the trilogy to a satisfying close. “It’s relief, and satisfaction, and pride, I think, because it’s largely the same group of people that worked on all three films,” he said.
“It’s such a rare opportunity to tell a story in three acts and bring it to its finite end, but to do so in a way that we planned, and not have it go off the rails or suddenly get turned into a bunch of other sequels we didn’t want.
“It feels like we kept ourselves honest, and tried to do the best we could with the characters. Now that it’s done, it’s bittersweet because we’re not working together on the same projects, but we do feel like it’s a feather in our cap. So, it was worth the decade.”
He also said he wanted to “jump into different worlds”, but noted: “I love animation. I never want to leave it behind, yet I’ve been wanting to tackle live-action for some time. I feel like now’s the time I should do it, and if I don’t, I probably never will. But it feels like a really creatively fertile time for me, because everything’s a possibility. It’s just a fun place to be in.”
Is there a How To Train Your Dragon live-action trailer?
No, there isn’t a trailer for the How To Train Your Dragon live-action movie. However, you can watch the best scene from the entire animated trilogy below:
That’s everything we know about the How To Train Your Dragon live-action movie. In the meantime, check out our other animation hubs below:
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