Like many live-action adaptations of beloved animated films, How to train your dragon has an uphill battle ahead of it. But the first trailer proves it’s one big thing: the dragon looks toothless Good.
Instead of opting for a hyper-realistic dragon devoid of any cuteness, the filmmakers seem to know exactly what makes Toothless so damn endearing. So it looks pretty much the same design-wise, except with a more realistic texture to match ‘real’ life. For better or worse, Toothless and Hiccup’s first meeting seems to play out almost exactly as it did in the original. But when John Powell’s signature score soars, it’s hard not to be drawn into a world of dragon riding.
How to train your dragon is based on the 2010 DreamWorks animated film of the same name, which is itself loosely based on a children’s book series by Cressida Cowell. It follows a young, outcast Viking teenager who befriends one of the dragons his village regularly battles.
Unlike Disney’s horde of live-action remakes, How to train your dragon is directed by the director of the original film, Dean DeBlois (also one of the original directors of Lilo & Stitchwhich is also scheduled for a live-action remake next year – but he is not directing that). Starring Mason Thames (The black phone) as maverick Viking turned dragon trainer Hiccup and Nico Parker (The last of us) as the tough Viking warrior Astrid, with Gerard Butler reprising his role from the animated series as Viking chief Stoick the Vast.
How to train your dragon hits theaters on June 13, 2025.