Universal and DreamWorks’ live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon came in above expectations on opening week, earning $83.7M domestically and $197.8M worldwide. This impressive box office start broke a new record as the biggest opening ever for the franchise. Neither this news nor the high critical acclaim came as a surprise to fans, though. Many had great faith in the return of writer-director Dean DeBlois, which marks the first time the original filmmaker behind an animated movie has remade their own work in the live-action medium. DeBlois isn’t done yet either, as a live-action remake of the fan-favorite sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 11, 2027.
Universal preemptively announced their plans for a live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2 remake during their CinemaCon 2025 presentation in April. It was widely seen as a bold move considering the first movie’s June 13 release date was still over two months away. However, How to Train Your Dragon (2025) was screened in advance for theater owners, industry professionals, and other CinemaCon attendees that morning at the event in Las Vegas. The early reactions were strong enough to give Universal the confidence to announce the sequel remake later that same day. But now that the first film is making waves at the box office, all eyes are once again on Dean DeBlois to raise the bar.
The Live-Action Remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is Still in the Script Phase
During an exclusive interview with Dean DeBlois, DiscussingFilm received an exciting update on the live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2 remake. While DeBlois confirmed that the sequel is still in the early stages of development, as he has not yet finished writing the script, we continued to ask how much he is willing to deviate from the original story. The first How to Train Your Dragon remake closely adheres to the original animated movie’s plot, instead offering alternative characterizations of its protagonists. It’s easy to imagine that DeBlois would want to mix things up a bit more in his second go. As we learned, this might actually be true as he’s looking to rectify a few past “regrets.”
Dean DeBlois: “It’s very amorphous right now. I think there’s something about the second animated movie that most fans prefer out of the trilogy, and I want to hold on to that aspiration. [How to Train Your Dragon 2] was like our Empire Strikes Back, where everything got bigger and broader. Characters get richer and things get scarier, as well. That said, there are still regrets I have — having written and directed the second film — that I would love to address in the live-action version. So, we don’t necessarily have to color inside the lines [in terms of the original’s story and plot], but it’s an exploration at the moment. I’m literally writing the script right now.”
Could Another A-List Actor Return to the Franchise?
Released in 2014, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is set five years after the events of the first film and depicts the continuing adventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III on the Isle of Berk. Vikings and dragons now live in peaceful coexistence here, with the fire-breathing creatures acting as both cuddly pets and fierce protection. Hiccup and his Night Fury, Toothless, encounter Drago Bludvist (originally voiced by Djimon Hounsou), a ruthless warlord who seeks to take over all Viking clans with his army of enslaved dragons. With his girlfriend, Astrid Hofferson, and father, Chief Stoick the Vast, at his side, Hiccup steps up as a brave and noble leader in facing Drago’s seemingly unbeatable armada.
Of course, the other huge surprise in How to Train Your Dragon 2 comes with the addition of Hiccup’s long-lost mother, Valka Haddock (originally voiced by Cate Blanchett). Valka goes on to play a notable role in the animated trilogy as a skilled dragon rescuer who passes wisdom and paternal guidance to Hiccup. Her moments with Stoic are also iconic, and actor Gerard Butler even expressed to DiscussingFilm in a separate interview that he would love for Blanchett to reprise the role in live-action just as he did with Hiccup’s father.
This Live-Action Sequel Could Be More Different than Fans Expect
The dragon trapper Eret (voiced by Kit Harrington) is also introduced in the sequel and is a sure bet to be included in the live-action adaptation, given his role in the third movie, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). Whether Harrington, Cate Blanchett, or anyone else from the original How to Train Your Dragon 2 cast returns for the remake remains to be seen. While Dean DeBlois has openly spoken about his grievances with the first animated film’s “rushed” production, he’s keeping his personal “regrets” about the second movie close to the chest for now. Any of these adaptational choices could lead to a significantly different version of the story, which fans would probably appreciate.
How to Train Your Dragon is now playing in theaters!
Release Date: June 13, 2025.
Directed by Dean DeBlois.
Screenplay by Dean DeBlois.
Based on How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell.
Produced by Marc Platt & Adam Siegel.
Executive Producers: Dean DeBlois, Chris Sanders, David Cain, Michael A. Connolly, & Roy Lee.
Main Cast: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Gabriel Howell, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, & Murray McArthur.
Cinematographer: Bill Pope.
Composer: John Powell.
Production Companies: DreamWorks Animation & Marc Platt Productions.
Distributor: Universal Pictures.
Runtime: 125 minutes.
Rated PG.
