| Director: | Dean DeBlois |
| Cinematography: | Bill Pope |
| Music: | John Powell |
| Studio: | Marc Platt Productions |
| Distributor: | Universal Pictures |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
How to Train Your Dragon is an upcoming American action fantasy film written, produced, and directed by Dean DeBlois. It is a live-action adaptation and remake of DreamWorks Animation's 2010 animated film of the same name, which itself is loosely based on the book series by Cressida Cowell. The film stars Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, and Ruth Codd, with Gerard Butler reprising his role as Stoick the Vast from the animated films.
Plans for a live-action remake of 2010's How to Train Your Dragon were announced in February 2023, with DeBlois returning to write, direct, and produce after having previously worked on the animated film trilogy, while John Powell, who also worked on the original trilogy, additionally returned to compose the score of the film. Thames and Parker joined the cast by May 2023, with additional casting revealed in January 2024. Filming began later that month in Belfast, Northern Ireland and wrapped in May.
How to Train Your Dragon is set to be released theatrically by Universal Pictures in the United States on June 13, 2025.
In February 2023, it was reported that a live-action adaptation of DreamWorks Animation's 2010 How to Train Your Dragon film, which was loosely based on Cressida Cowell's eponymous book series, was in development at Universal Pictures, with Dean DeBlois directing, writing, and producing the film after previously writing and directing the animated entries, and Marc Platt and Adam Siegel joining as co-producers. That same month, John Powell revealed he was set to compose the film's music, after he previously scored the original film and its sequels.
In May 2023, it was announced that Mason Thames and Nico Parker had been cast to star as Hiccup and Astrid respectively. In January 2024, Gerard Butler was cast to reprise his role as Stoick from the animated films,[2] with Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, and Harry Trevaldwyn joining the cast later that same month, who were cast to play Gobber, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, respectively.[1] [3] In March, Ruth Codd joined the cast of the film portraying Phlegma.[4]
Principal photography was originally scheduled to begin in July 2023 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, before it was postponed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. After the strike concluded, screen tests were set for December 2023, with plans to begin production in mid-to-late January 2024. Filming began on January 15, 2024, and wrapped on May 16.[5] Bill Pope served as the cinematographer. Production was done with heavy use of practical sets.[6]
Framestore will provide the film's visual effects, with Christian Manz serving as the production VFX supervisor.[7]
How to Train Your Dragon is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on June 13, 2025. It was previously set for release on March 14, 2025, but was delayed to its current release date due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.