How to Train Your Dragon is a series that has been well-loved by audiences over the years. Now, the media franchise that earned a total of $1.5 billion at the box office is looking to make a return to the big screen and it will reportedly be in the form of a live-action remake.
Hollywood insider Daniel Richtman recently claimed on his Patreon channel that the How to Train Your Dragon writer and director Dean DeBlois is returning to the franchise. Richtman said that DeBlois is set to write and direct a live-action film adaptation of the DreamWorks animated movie series.
"Dean Deblois writing and directing a live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon for Universal," Richtman posted.
Aside from DeBlois, no other cast or production members have been revealed. The live-action remake does not have a confirmed production timeline as of writing.
How to Train Your Dragon is based on the children’s book written by British author Cressida Cowell. The first film released in 2010 follows the story of Hiccup, the son of a Viking village chieftain who befriends an injured dragon, which turned out to be a rare breed called the Night Fury. Hiccup later becomes adept at riding the dragon, which he named Toothless, and he eventually convinces the village of Berk to keep dragons as pets after defeating a gigantic dragon in an epic battle.
How to Train Your Dragon was critically acclaimed when it was released, earning a score of 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. The animated movie also earned two Academy Awards nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score.
The success of the first film spawned two sequels and several spin-offs, expanding on the story of Berk and Hiccup. The biggest ones, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, premiered in 2014 and 2019, respectively. Meanwhile, the most recent spin-off, DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms, is available for streaming on Peacock and Hulu.
Jay Baruchel is the voice actor for Hiccup in the movie trilogy. Alongside the actor is an ensemble cast boasting the likes of America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, and Kit Harington.
It is highly unlikely that Baruchel will be cast in the role of Hiccup in the live-action remake. While the actor does look like Hiccup, the character is only 15 years old in the first movie while the actor is already 40 years old.
Hopefully, DreamWorks does the source material justice similar to how Disney turned Jungle Book and Cruella into live-action films.
