I heard it all Super Bowl Sunday night; “this game is boring.” With all respects to the NFL, it really was. The other consensus statement, “really another live-action remake.” Well, following Sunday’s Super Bowl announcement, a new trailer for one of the most anticipated 2025 movies, How to Train Your Dragon, has dropped. And I’m here to tell you why my friends and all the naysayers are wrong with four reasons you should be really excited about the upcoming DreamWorks movie.
Most of you are aware that Disney has been developing their catalog into an onslaught of live-action remakes for a while now, which continues this year with Snow White and Lilo & Stitch. Certainly, some of those movies have been largely forgettable in comparison to their animated counterparts, though I have made arguments for the Disney live-action remake of Aladdin on this site. At any rate, one could be forgiven for being skeptical about DreamWorks new project now joining the game. But, there are four reasons you should be more excited than concerned.
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1. Director, Dean DeBlois
DeBlois is becoming the first director to helm a live-action remake of his own animated film. Simply put, no one wants to take care of his creation more than the original creator. And if you are a naysayer of the remake trend started at Disney, so is DeBlois.
DeBlois is on record as stating he originally signed on to protect the film and its legacy. So, I believe we can expect DeBlois to give us a voice of consistency, both with the characters and the world they live in, which is quite honestly what is missing with the Disney remakes.
You can see this voice of consistency in the people who are returning from the original, including composer John Powell, who believed in the creative potential of a live-action version and the ability to introduce a new generation of kids to the franchise.
2. Toothless and Hiccup’s Friendship in Live Action Could Really Be Something Special
When Universal announced this film last year, this was the one thing I was most excited and concerned about at the same time. This is the glue that holds the story together. Upon seeing the new trailer, my concerns have mostly melted away, as I am impressed with our first glimpses of the budding friendship.
It’s been a couple of years since I watched the 2010 animated classic, but seeing the scene of the best friends in flight is absolutely thrilling in this format. And certainly, it’s rare to see a film made for families with dragons that feel this real.
While DeBlois has said this live-action adaptation allowed them to build on elements of the story that wasn’t found in the animated trilogy, there were instances where they felt they needed to honor the scenes from the original. I for one, am glad that the flight scene was one of them. Props also go out to not completely reinventing Toothless’ look, and providing the right balance of personality portrayed in the eyes of our dragon friend.
3. The Live Action Remake Has the Chance to Deepen Multiple Storylines
The casting of Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (Dumbo) as Hiccup and Astrid are solid picks. There have been several conversations that have led me to believe that DeBlois took the opportunity to build upon the previously underserved character of Astrid. While we can certainly appreciate the character in the original animated films, she does come off a bit one-dimensional at times. There is definitely potential here for a new generation to get to see an improved upon version of her.
Another area where a storyline between characters may be more interesting by being played by humans, lies in the father-son relationship between Gerard Butler’s Stoic and Hiccup. And let’s be honest, it’s just fun to see Butler looking completely different in Stoic form.
4. The Setting of the Franchise is Perfect for a Live-Action Movie
Lastly, observing the imagery in the trailer feels impressive to me. Certainly, there have been live-action remakes of our beloved animated classics that haven’t made sense in the overall scope of things, but this one just feels and looks right. The scale of the story just seems perfect for a live-action take on the big screen.
In Closing
Overall, I’m expecting this live-action remake to deliver a really fun and heartwarming experience perfect for the summertime family movie season. Certainly, you can’t judge a movie on its trailer alone, but I am excited for it, and you should be too. At any rate, we will all be able to decide for ourselves when How to Train Your Dragon in live action hits theaters on June 13.
The Final Word: “I wouldn’t kill him, because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him… and I saw myself.”
Need to get caught up on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise?
Suggested Book
How to Train Your Dragon: The Complete Series: Paperback
Suggested Films
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) – A Cute Film Addictive Rating 8.4/10
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) – A Cute Film Addictive Rating 8.1/10
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) – A Cute Film Addictive Rating 7.7/10
Suggested Film Collection
How to Train Your Dragon: 3-Movie Collection
Until next time, enjoy your trip to the movies! As always, your thoughts are welcome in the comments section below. And you can get more of the A Cute Film Addict delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing below as well.
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