‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Teaser Trailer Reveals First Footage From Live-Action Remake

Things are heating up for Hiccup and Toothless in the teaser trailer for Universal Pictures‘ live-action reimagining of How to Train Your Dragon.

Writer-director Dean DeBlois‘ feature hits theaters June 13, 2025, and is a shot-for-shot remake of DreamWorks Animation‘s hit animated film of the same name that was released in 2010. The new version stars Mason Thames as Hiccup and Nico Parker as Astrid. Rounding out the cast are Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz and Murray McArthur.

The live-action How to Train Your Dragon centers on a young Viking named Hiccup (Thames), who sets out to hunt dragons but finds himself befriending one named Toothless.

“Dad, I can’t kill dragons,” he says in the trailer to his father, Stoick the Vast (Butler, reprising his role from the animated franchise). Hiccup’s dad responds firmly, “But you will.”

DeBlois, who has been involved with the franchise since its launch, wrote and directed the new project. It is based on the 2010 animated film he co-directed with Chris Sanders, which itself was inspired by the book series from author Cressida Cowell. Serving as producers on the new movie are DeBlois, Marc Platt and Adam Siegel.

The How to Train Your Dragon film franchise has earned four Oscar nominations and surpassed $1.6 billion at the global box office. The 2010 animated feature spawned two sequels, with the latest being 2019’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. There have also been five short films and three television series.

Thames is known for such projects as Universal’s 2022 horror flick The Black Phone and Netflix’s recent teen comedy Incoming. Jay Baruchel voiced Hiccup in the animated films.