Universal Pictures has finally given us our first look at its live-action How to Train Your Dragon film.
How to Train Your Dragon follows a tribe of Vikings who display their worth by hunting mighty dragons. That is, save for the chieftain’s son, Hiccup (Mason Thames of The Black Phone fame), who befriends a jet-black dragon named Toothless and trains it to become man’s best friend—all while keeping their training sessions a secret from his aforementioned tribe of dragon-killing Vikings.
The teaser trailer gets everything out of the way that detractors would break their bingo cards out for when it comes to the song and dance of yet another live-action project from Hollywood. First off, it shows us the sweeping vistas of a mountainous countryside, impressive ship craftsmanship, and original film actor Gerard Butler in a Viking get-up as the chieftain, Stoick. The trailer also gives us a glimpse of Hiccup and Toothless meeting for the first time… all the while replicating the original film’s big referential moment of Toothless accepting Hiccup’s head pats.
While we couched today’s trailer by saying it was our first look, it would behoove us to mention that How to Train Your Dragon’s teaser trailer leaked ahead of its official release in non-U.S. territories. Though, in a glass half-full look at the whole situation, folks weren’t complaining about how bad the trailer looked like they did with the first official still image of the film, pointing to its desaturated colors and overall lack of whimsy.
As the trailer showcases, the movie’s CG animation for Toothless looks pretty spectacular and the set pieces for the Viking village are also a comparable to the animated films. Although the brief teaser nails the important component of making Toothless look good, time will tell whether the film will measure up to its originator’s sense of heart and humor.
How to Train Your Dragon originally released in 2010. Alongside Butler, the film starred Jay Baruchel as Hiccup and America Ferrera as his love interest, Astrid. It became so popular that it garnered two sequel films, five short films, and two TV series. The live-action film was written and directed by Dean DeBlois, who co-wrote and co-directed the animated original, and wrote and directed its two sequels. Additional cast members include Nico Parker (The Last of Us) as Astrid, Nick Frost as Gobber, and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2) as Fishlegs.
How To Train Your Dragon is slated to release June 13, 2025.
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