How to Train Your Dragon’s anticipated live-action debut is set for later this summer, and yet there’s already great news to share for fans of the franchise. During Universal’s presentation at CinemaCon (via Deadline), Director Dean DeBlois revealed that the studio has already greenlit the live-action sequel, but it gets better, as they also revealed a release date. How to Train Your Dragon 2 (Live-Action) will hit theaters on June 11th, 2027, so fans won’t even have to wait very long to jump back into Toothless’ big adventure.
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The studio is evidently thrilled with how the film is shaping up, and they celebrated the announcement with a performance of music from the soundtrack by a 43-piece orchestra conducted by Ricky Minor. Going by early reactions from the press at CinemaCon, it’s easy to see why the studio has so much confidence, as those first reactions are incredibly positive in their comparisons to the animated original.
DeBlois is once again directing the next adaptation and is writing and producing as well. The cast includes Mason Thames (Hiccup), Gerard Butler (Cheif Stoick the Vast), Nico Parker (Astrid), Nick Frost (Gobber), and more, and this live-action adaptation is especially thrilling for Butler, who revealed in an interview that he had always wondered what these films would be like in live-action.
“I love the animated movies, but I always wondered, ‘God, what if this was real? What if we were really there, real people, real dragons?’ And we had a chance to do that, to make it real,” Butler told The Direct. Butler has also said that stepping out of animation and closer to the real world also raises the scariness factor.
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“When a dragon is breathing fire over a bunch of actual Viking men and women running, it feels a lot more scary than when it was animated,” Butler said. “You have a little more you can distance yourself, but this feels much more involved and just immersive. I get goosebumps when I think about it. It was so amazing and so powerful.”
The franchise was first brought to life through Cressida Cowell’s bestselling book series and has since jumped to the big screen with DreamWorks Animation’s celebrated series of films. Those films have brought in over $1.6 billion at the box office, and now fans can re-live the heartwarming adventure all over again in live-action. You can find the official description of How to Train Your Dragon live action below.
“From three-time Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, comes a stunning live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise. On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone, For All Mankind) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker; Dumbo, The Last of Us) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost; Snow White and the Huntsman, Shaun of the Dead) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.
As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.”
Are you excited for How to Train Your Dragon’s jump to live action, and what’s your favorite film in the series? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things film and animation with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
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