Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s live-action remake, How to Train Your Dragon, has officially been certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes at 77%. This strong critical response positions the film favorably, and it could well exceed its estimated $70 million to $80 million opening-day box office predictions.
The live-action film has been described as a faithful adaptation of the beloved 2010 animated original, which has a 99% score on the Tomatometer. It is essentially retelling the story of Hiccup, a misfit Viking teenager, and also the son of Chief Stoick the Vast. He defies centuries of tradition and befriends the most feared of all dragons, the Night Fury. His friendship with the Night Fury becomes the key to a new future that brings humans and dragons to coexist peacefully.
Despite some critics arguing that the remake adds nothing to the original film, its 77% score from 143 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes indicates that a good number of them still consider it worth watching. The characters bringing this film to life include Mason Thames as Hiccup Horrendous, the protagonist of the film, and Nico Parker who will be playing Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup’s love interest and fellow Viking teenager. Gerard Butler reprises his role from the animated film as Chief Stoick the Vast, father to Hiccup. There’s also Nick Frost as Gobber the Belch, Julian Dennison as Fishlegs, Gabriel Howell as Snotlout, and Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn as twin siblings, Ruffnut and Tuffnut among others.
Director Dean DeBlois Explains How They Brought The Dragons From Animation To Live-Action
Image via DreamWorks Animation
Director Dean DeBlois knew that the success of the remake was largely dependent on how convincingly the dragons were translated from the original animated film to reality. He described how they used puppeteers so that the actors had eyes to look into when performing the scenes that involved dragons.
In a video interview shared by Rotten Tomatoes on X, DeBlois gave a detailed explanation on how the creative team essentially brought the dragons from animation to live-action. The goal, he emphasized, was to give the actors a character who was giving them a performance to react to. DeBlois described how they made use of puppeteers led by Tom Wilton, so that the actors did not just feel as though they were acting against a tennis ball. For the flying scenes, he explained that they built giant gimbals to help the actors feel like jockeys on horses. In his words:
“We built these giant gimbals that could move in eight different axes. But on top of that, we had animatronic dragons with bodies and necks and heads that Mason, for example when he’s riding with Toothless, would move with the movement of Toothless…and we had control of all of that.”
How to Train Your Dragon hit theatres on June 13, 2025.
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How to Train Your Dragon |
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| Cast | Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Peter Serafinowicz, Ruth Codd, Murray McArthur |
| Release Date | June 13, 2025 |
| Stream On | Theatrical only; expected on Peacock (Oct 2025) then Netflix (Feb 2026) |
| Directed by | Dean DeBlois |
| Produced by | Marc Platt, Adam Siegel |
| Based On | 2010 animated film How to Train Your Dragon by DreamWorks Animation |
| Plot Summary | A faithful live-action adaptation where young Hiccup befriends Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, challenging Viking traditions and forging peace between dragons and humans |
| Musical Elements | Score by John Powell, returning from the original trilogy |
| Current Status | Released on June 13, 2025, currently in theaters |
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