New How to Train Your Dragon Teaser Offers Fresh Look at Live-Action Movie

Universal Pictures is inviting audiences to “experience the friendship of a lifetime” in a new teaser for the live-action movie How to Train Your Dragon. The promo, which you can watch above, features Gerard Butler as Chief Stoick the Vast (reprising his role from the animated movie) telling his son, Hiccup (played by The Black Phone’s Mason Thames), “When you carry this axe, you carry us with you.” Hiccup says, “Dad, I can’t kill dragons.” The teaser then shows glimpses from the upcoming remake, including Viking battles and Hiccup’s first meeting with the story’s beloved dragon, Toothless.

Written and directed by Oscar nominee Dean DeBlois, the filmmaker behind the original animated film and its sequels, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, (inspired by Cressida Cowell’s book series), the live-action remake will fly into theaters on June 13, 2025.

Alongside Thames, How to Train Your Dragon also stars Nico Parker (The Last of Us), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead), Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), Gabriel Howell (Bodies), Bronwyn James (Wicked), Harry Trevaldwyn (Smothered), Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club), Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Murray McArthur (Game of Thrones).

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The new look at the live-action remake is relatively similar to the first official teaser trailer Universal Pictures released about two months ago. One of the most significant scenes highlighted in the teasers is when Hiccup first comes across the Night Fury dragon and attempts to slay Toothless while chanting, “I’m a Viking.” However, Hiccup cannot stab the dragon because what he told his father before is the truth: He can’t kill dragons. The situation then shifts to an iconic moment from the original animated movie when Hiccup reaches up to touch Toothless. The dragon is initially unsure about the human’s intentions, but when Hiccup sticks his hand out and turns his face away in a sign of trust, Toothless presses his nose against Hiccup’s outstretched palm.

A fun addition at the end of the “Warrior” teaser is the brief montage highlighting Toothless and Hiccup’s friendship in the film. There’s a glimpse of Toothless looking over Hiccup’s shoulder as the boy draws a picture of the dragon’s face in the sand, and Hiccup later watches in amusement as Toothless uses a large branch to draw his own picture.

Thames first appeared on Apple TV+’s Emmy-winning sci-fi alternate history drama series For All Mankind as Daniel Stevens. His feature debut came with the lead role as Finney in Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill’s horror adaptation of Joe Hill’s The Black Phone. Thames will be reprising his role as Finney in the upcoming sequel, The Black Phone 2, reuniting with Ethan Hawke, Madeleine McGraw, and Jeremy Davies.

The 2010 animated original How to Train Your Dragon is available to stream on Max.