How To Train Your Dragon is ideal if you love dragons and Vikings. This animated flick has everything from subtle teenage romance to heart-pounding action involving fire-breathing reptiles. It’s also the start of one of Dreamworks’ best-selling franchises alongside Shrek and Kung-Fu Panda. The film is so beloved that it’s getting a live-action reboot. A trailer recently debuted for it, though it’s given fans some mixed feelings.
Recapping How To Train Your Dragon
Based on the book by Cressida Cowell, How To Train Your Dragon is a masterpiece. The movie follows the story of Hiccup, a young Viking who aspires to prove himself. There’s only one way to do that amongst his people: slaying a dragon. But when given the opportunity, he did the opposite and tamed the fire-breather. This decision leads to a friendship that changes the Viking way of life. Dragons and Vikings make peace, bringing their worlds together in ways no one could imagine.
As you can guess, How To Train Your Dragon is a coming-of-age story about self-acceptance. Hiccup is different from other Vikings of his village besides just in physique. He’s more of a thinker, demonstrated by inventing things and choosing to re-learn about dragons. And when he accepted his difference, he became happier and made things better. And in case you’ve ever wondered, Toothless, the starring dragon, does look like Disney’s Stitch. It’s because Chris Sander and Dean DeBlois directed both movies.
Dreamworks Dragons Continue the Story
You’d be wrong if you thought the How To Train Your Dragon story ended there. The exploits of Hiccup and Toothless continued in the cartoon series Dreamworks Dragons. Starting as Riders of Berk, most episodes focused on the aftermath of the movie. Hiccup and his fellow Dragon Riders help their people cope with their new dragon-friendly life. The show changed to Defenders of Berk and presented a new overarching plot and challenges. These obstacles include dragons and Vikings that will test the resolve of the protagonists.
The legacy of How To Train Your Dragon resumed with a brand-new and exciting chapter. Now titled Race to the Edge, an old enemy of the Dragon Riders returns. The need to capture them leads the heroes to an entirely new land. It also brings them face-to-face with new fantastical dragons they must learn to live with. The Riders even meet new allies and enemies who push them to their limits. Every adventure helps Hiccup grow as a person, a leader, and a lover of dragons. The events within the series lead into the next movie, changing everything.
Becoming a Trilogy
How To Train Your Dragon 2 returns fans to Berk, now more prosperous than ever. Everyone, including Stoick and Gobber, has a dragon companion and steed. Hiccup is in line to become the next chief, but he’s doubting himself. On top of that, he must contend with a conqueror who uses dragons as weapons. Things get even more complicated when Hiccup finds his long-lost mother, Valka. Now, he must protect his home and bring his family back together.
In How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the Riders now rescue captured dragons. Hiccup leads his people, though he now must deal with the island’s ever-growing dragon population. The Riders’s exploits irk warlords who’ve hired a notorious dragon hunter. Named Grimmel the Grisly, he threatens the safety of Hiccup’s village unless he gets Toothless. The young chief must find a new home for him, his people, and their dragons. He also must help Toothless attract the attention of a potential new mate.
Trailer for the Live-Action Reboot
How To Train Your Dragon is undoubtedly one of Dreamworks’ most critically acclaimed series. So, it’s only natural the studio would want to revisit it at some point. Rumors of a live-action remake for the first movie have been floating around since 2023. They weren’t confirmed until recently when a teaser trailer premiered on YouTube. It showcased iconic characters and the start of Hiccup and Toothless’ revolutionary friendship. Of course, fans have become divided upon seeing it and what it could mean.
Many have wondered why Dreamworks would bother remaking such an iconic animated movie. The most obvious answer is the studio wants to keep making money from the franchise. Fans are also concerned this film will be an exact copy of the original. This thought stems from the scenes that played out in the trailer. They fear it could end up like the 2019 Disney reboot of The Lion King. If done wrong, this flick could ruin the beloved franchise.
A Silver Lining for the Remake
Despite the doubts, there’s some hope for the live-action How To Train Your Dragon. The CGI rendition of Toothless is impressively accurate and appears as expressive as the original. DeBlois returns to direct the movie like he did with the first one. In a first-look video, he expresses his joy at returning to the Dragons world. This revelation is the best sign any die-hard fan could ask for. One last surprise is Gerald Butler reprising his role of Stoick the Vast, Hiccup’s father.
Final Thoughts
It’s hard to say what the live-action How To Train Your Dragon will turn out. You can be optimistic the returning director and actor will keep the film from failing. Or you can let your mind become frazzled with how it can be a disaster. Either way, the world won’t know until the finished product is released. June 13, 2025, will be the day How To Train Your Dragon will hit theaters.
