DreamWorks’ How To Train Your Dragon animated trilogy is undoubtedly one of the finest animated movie series ever. The story of Hiccup and Toothless across all three ‘Dragon’ movies touches our heartstrings. All the major characters in the animated series are well-developed and have undergone significant character transformations. The series also benefits from several emotional moments, such as Hiccup learning the downside of leading the Vikings, Stoick sacrificing his life to save Hiccup’s life in the second ‘Dragon’ entry, Toothless helping out Hiccup after the latter loses his leg, the protagonist meeting his long-lost mother, Valka, and many more. We can go on and on about the brilliance and magic of the original animated series. It brings us to our point, why we do not need a live-action remake of the ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ animated series.
Apart from the abovementioned things, the original HTTYD series treasures stunning and immersive visuals with beautifully designed dragons and locations. And special thanks to John Powell for giving such a heart-touching musical score to the series. Most importantly, it teaches us the value of friendship, acceptance, and rising above prejudice. Universal confirmed the live-action adaptation of the iconic animated trilogy in January this year. Like many other fans, we also believe it is a bad idea.
Several live-action remakes have gained a notorious reputation in the last few years, considered inferior to their original animated projects. Many of Disney’s live-action remake, such as Beauty and the Beast (2017), The Lion King (2019), Aladdin (2019), and many more, served as nothing except money-earning tools for the mass media giant.
All the popular animated movies are prominent for their distinct visual style and unique charm. Live-action remakes often fail at convincingly recreating the iconic characters and memorable moments that made the original animated flicks a magical watching experience.
Universal must not follow Disney’s footsteps while remaking HTTYD animated trilogy. The biggest mistake Disney has made with its live-action remakes is that it relied too much on nostalgia. The studio’s thinking of attracting viewers by over-relying on scene-for-scene remakes is pathetic. It has extensively utilised nostalgia as a marketing tool while offering nothing new and out-of-the-world to the fans who grew up watching the original animated versions. Additionally, the concept of remaking classic animated flicks has become exhausted as the number of live-action remakes has augmented significantly in the last few years.
According to several reports, Shazam actor Jack Dylan Grazer has been chosen by Universal for the role of Hiccup in its upcoming How To Train Your Dragon live-action remake. It will arrive in theatres worldwide on March 14, 2025. Stay tuned for more updates.