We can’t help but admit that the new trailer for DreamWorks and Universal’s upcoming live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon looks pretty sick. And the best part about the project? Well, director Dean DeBlois has confirmed that the movie gave him the chance to tell the story in a fresh way. This naturally raises our expectations for the remake, considering DeBlois also helmed the original animated trilogy.
The new trailer shows Mason Thames (The Black Phone) as Hiccup, the awkward, hesitant, but good-hearted son of Stoick the Vast (played by Gerard Butler, reprising his role from the animated movies). Alongside them is Nico Parker (The Last of Us), who plays Astrid Hofferson.
The rest of the cast includes talents such as Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, and more.
The trailer also teases the scale of the forthcoming live-action remake, which looks massive in every department—action, visuals, acting, battle sequences, and musical score. The project may emerge as one of the best live-action remakes of all time. Let’s hope it does justice to the original animated series when it arrives in theatres worldwide on June 13.
You all must be wondering what makes the How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake different from the animated trilogy, right? Well, DeBlois addressed this matter in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter during the trailer-unveiling event for the movie.
DeBlois pointed out that “the rushed production schedule and the limited resources” for the first animated How to Train Your Dragon entry (2010) did not allow him to explore the depth of some relationships or do justice to other characters.
“It’s a reimagining that stays quite faithful to the story, yet finds moments to enrich character relationships, add depth, and introduce mythology that might have been lacking in the original,” DeBlois added.
DeBlois also noted that one of the key challenges his team faced during the filming of the remake was ensuring that the dragons did not appear too anthropomorphic. “With every dragon, there’s a sense of reinvention because some of them were cartoonier than others.”
One key character that will receive more attention in the live-action remake than in the first animated entry is Astrid. She is a proud Viking and a descendant of one of the most revered dragon-fighting warriors. On top of this, she is highly ambitious and sees herself as a future chief of her tribe. However, her ambitions begin to cloud her judgment, creating a rift between her and Hiccup.
Check out the new trailer for the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon!