The live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon is not even a finished product, yet it garnered much praise from the attendees at CinemaCon 2025. This must be enough for the fans to prepare for an exciting flight with the inquisitive dragon, Toothless, aka Night Fury.
While we have a whole new cast for the live-action film, Gerard Butler is reprising his role as the Berk village chieftain, Stoick the Vast. Dean DeBlois, who co-directed and co-wrote the 2010 film, also returns in directing and writing roles. Things are interesting, and we will get to see it ourselves in June 2025 only.
But that's not all. Universal Pictures confirmed during the event that the film's sequel is already on the way; it will be released a couple of years later following the first film. The legend is real, so buckle up for this live-action ride.
What did the attendees say about the live-action How to Train Your Dragon film?
As we mentioned, the film is still not finished, but if we go by the reviews, it is already a visual treat. The Movie Podcast's Daniel Baptista called its visuals "BREATHTAKING, " adding that it has everything that made the original animated film so special.
For another press member, Emmanuel Gomez, this is the most faithful remake of any film. He doesn't want anyone to miss this, which already appears to be a spectacle.
Although Mason Thames has replaced Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, son of Stoick the Vast, journalist Scott Menzel believes this is the perfect casting for the film.
This wasn't all. Although fans have yet to see the film, when creators took to the social media platform Twitter (now X) to say it's getting a sequel, fan excitement was clearly visible in the comments.
While we don't know what happens after this, we should assume that there will be a third film, given that the animated movies were a trilogy. What we can say for sure is that Gerard Butler is likely to be there for the second one, but that would be his last appearance if the director has to stay faithful to the story.
The animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy was a big box office success
The first film in the How to Train Your Dragon animated franchise was released to universal acclaim. It began with Viking hatred towards the dragons turning into friendship all thanks to Hiccup. The film earned $494 million globally against a $165 million budget.
It was followed by a couple of sequels, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and How to Train Your Dragon 3. Both became commercial successes, with the former earning $621 million and the latter $519 million at the global box office. That sent the animated franchise flying into the $1 billion club.
Other than the original films, there are many short films that fans can watch to better understand the story, including Book of Dragons, Dawn of the Dragon Racers, How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, and more. Homecoming is special because it will give fans a closer look at Toothless and Hiccup's bond in the story.
We can't say anything about how the live-action films will perform commercially, but if there is a trilogy, we might see another $1 billion or more franchise on the horizon.
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Also Read: How to Train Your Dragon movies in order
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