How To Train Your Dragon: Everything You Need To Know About The Live-Action Reboot

In 2010, "How to Train Your Dragon" swooped into theaters and began its impressive reign as one of DreamWorks Animation's most successful franchises of films. Based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, the movie expertly combines fantasy adventure with a heartfelt tale of a young person's unlikely friendship and personal growth. The story also focused on Vikings and dragons, which only added to the successful recipe for the explosion of "How to Train Your Dragon" as a massive franchise.

"How to Train Your Dragon" has branched into other prosperous areas, including various TV shows, video games, and even an upcoming theme park. Meanwhile, the main series continued with two film sequels, the last of which was "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World." Since then, there haven't been any other films to soar onto the silver screen. 

But it appears that fans will once again get the chance to see Hiccup and Toothless fly since a live-action reboot of "How to Train Your Dragon" is currently in development. Here's everything that you need to know.

The last time we saw the "How to Train Your Dragon" series in theaters was during the 2019 release of "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," the last of the animated film trilogy. With its thematic emphasis on saying goodbye to the vibrant fantasy world of Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless, many fans probably figured that as far as movies, this would be a cap end for the entire series. 

However, earlier this year, it was reported that Universal had plans to revisit "How to Train Your Dragon" through a live-action reboot. And fortunately, they've already got a premiere date planned.

The upcoming project is currently scheduled to come out on March 14, 2025. And filming is also planned to begin this summer. Aiming for a 2025 date means the wait won't be too long. But with the ongoing 2023 Writers Guild of America strike significantly affecting numerous film and TV productions, initial plans to film this summer could be delayed depending on how long it lasts. And as a result, Universal might have to change the reboot's premiere date in the future.

There currently isn't an official plot synopsis for the "How to Train Your Dragon" live-action reboot. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming film will adapt the story from the original animated trilogy rather than continue past it. In the first "How to Train Your Dragon" movie, a Viking village called Berk often suffered from dragon attacks. But things start to change as a teenager named Hiccup goes against his village's rules of slaying dragons, befriending one such creature named Toothless.

From there, the series becomes more of a coming-of-age story for Hiccup as we see his companionship with Toothless continue, and the young man gradually grows into a championed leader for Berth. The original film trilogy explored the favorite storytelling trope of series director and writer Dean DeBlois. In a different article from The Hollywood Reporter,  DeBlois said that he loved stories where characters from entirely different backgrounds come together and become forever changed because of it. 

With DeBlois again playing a significant part in the new reboot (more on that later), it's likely we'll see the film replicate the original series as far as exploring his favorite trope.

With the "How to Train Your Dragon" series feating numerous memorable characters throughout both the films, shows, and original books, there's potential for the upcoming reboot to include a sizeable cast. And we'll likely hear more roles cast when filming begins this year. However, we at least know the live-action reboot already acquired its leads. 

Mason Thames will star as the protagonist, Hiccup, while Nico Parker will star as the original film series' deuteragonist, Astrid. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the casting for the lead roles took months, as the project was looking for young actors who could grow into the parts.

It's likely the reboot aims to mirror the time-skips and coming-of-age theme found in the initial trilogy. Regarding talent, the live-action film probably couldn't have done a better casting job than with Thames and Parker as leads. Both actors have had some breakout roles recently on their continuing rise in Hollywood. Thames is coming off a role in the hit horror-thriller "The Black Phone," and Parker gave a stellar performance in HBO's "The Last Of Us" as Sarah, the daughter of Joel (Pedro Pascal).

Since the "How to Train Your Dragon" live-action reboot is pulling from the animated trilogy, it probably makes sense that the project will have the same writer and director. Dean DeBlois is set to write and direct the reboot, which means the film will serve as his first time directing a live-action feature. However, this is not the only such film he's currently involved with, nor is it his only reboot project. DeBlois is also one of the writers for Disney's upcoming "Lilo & Stitch" reboot film. "Lilo & Stitch" is another property with close ties to DeBlois, as he served as co-director and co-writer for the 2002 animated film along with Chris Sanders. 

Given DeBlois' success with the "How to Train Your Dragon" trilogy, it's easy to see why he's writing the script and sitting in the director's chair for the live-action reboot. Besides making it a box-office hit under his helm, the "How to Train Your Dragon" series was nominated for many awards, including four Oscar nominations. 

In addition to directing and writing, DeBlois will also serve as a producer, much like he did for the second and third "How to Train Your Dragon" animated films. Other producers for the reboot include Marc Platt, who was also a producer on the Disney live-action remakes of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin," and Platt's production company president, Adam Seigel.

The "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise is loosely based on the book series of the same name from British author Cressida Cowell. Her books were a smash hit, having sold over several million copies globally. The series creator began the novels in 2003 and managed to write 12 books in total, which, like the animated films, focused on the life and adventures of the unusual young Viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third and his hunting dragon Toothless. 

The original film trilogy essentially stuck to the basic story path of the novels, where Hiccup grows from a misunderstood outsider to a worthy hero. However, there are notable differences between the film adaptations and Cowell's books when it comes to supporting characters, key plot moments, and even the dragons.

Since the live-action reboot will attempt to adapt from the original trilogy, it seems the upcoming film won't be a direct adaptation of Cowell's novels. But for the author, that's probably okay, as she felt the first animated film highlighted what was still important from the books. Speaking with Hollywood.com, Cowell said, "When it was optioned, the things that they were interested in about the book were the things that I felt were very important. They were interested, for instance, in the relationship between Hiccup and Stoic, and they weren't just interested in that funny dragons thing if you know what I mean."

Those looking to watch the previous "How to Train Your Dragon" films, which starred Jay Baruchel as Hiccup and America Ferrera as Astrid, have quite a few options for streaming. And at least with the first two entries in the trilogy, a couple of free viewing options are available. 

For "How to Train Your Dragon," the best option is through YouTube, where the movie is free to watch with ads. It's the perfect option for newcomers who are curious about the series and have the patience for commercials. Otherwise, you can find the movie, as well as many of the franchise's numerous spin-off shows, on Netflix." For "How to Train Your Dragon 2," the best option is on Amazon Prime, where it's free to watch with ads through Freevee.

The final film, "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World," is only available through payable options. With a premium Hulu subscription, you can watch the movie via the FXM network. If you don't have FXM through Hulu, you'll have to purchase the film on Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, or Redbox for $3.99. You can also buy the entire trilogy for $24.99 on Amazon.