Dean Deblois Set To Make ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Live-Action Movie

Everyone loves the epic adventures of the adorable Viking Hiccup and the beautiful golden retriever of a dragon, Toothless. The amazing film franchise debuted in 2010 and has dropped hits in the series, one after another. The last film that finished the overall story of the iconic duo was How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. It was the third film in the franchise and saw Hiccup and Toothless separating gracefully after the two find someone to call family. While the director has not really opened up much about a fourth movie in the installment, talks about it are still going on.

Live-Action

We don’t really know anything about a fourth How To Train Your Dragon movie, but a live-action version of the same is definitely in the making. In fact, since its approval, the film has already begun taking steps into production. The film will find its director in Dean Deblois once again because who better handles the story than the original director?
Casting is also already underway for this film, and Universal has slated it for a March 2025 release date. 

The movies have so far made somewhere in the ballpark of $1.6 billion worldwide box offices, clearly, a very dear film to moviegoers. But its nominations at the academy also speak in volumes, with multiple nominations for the first film and Best Animated Film nominations for the second and the third film at the Oscars.

The first film was inspired by the books by Cressida Cowell and was written by Dean Deblois and Chris Sanders. The next two films were both written and directed by Deblois alone. Now, the director is all set to make his live-action film debut with the story he wrote with so much passion. Mentoring him and his efforts, Marc Platt will ascertain that the transition is seamless for the filmmaker. Platt is responsible for many films like Cruella, Babylon, and Legally Blonde. 

The original film saw Jay Baruchell playing the lovable but meek Viking Hiccup with big names like Gerar Butler playing Stoic The Vast, Kristen Wiig as Ruffunut, Jonah Hill as Snotlout, and T.J. Miller as Tuffnut. It is not certain if these actors will resume their roles in the live-action version, too, or not. However, their animated roles have received tons of praise and, let’s not forget, box-office success.

Before Universal, Disney set the trend of adapting live-action films from animated features in the past. Whether it’s the live-action version of Beauty and The Beast or Cruella. Disney has become known for taking bold steps that may as well cost them financially. Let’s not forget a bad live-action movie can hurt the image of the original animated film and the story. Universal may be at the forefront of a great advent, though.

Making the animated film’s original director responsible for the live-action is an intelligent move. This way, Deblois can ensure that the story he started doesn’t get mangled by the CGI-heavy nature of the recent live-action world. Special effects are important but not nearly as important as a good story with a talented cast.

It is unclear whether or not Universal wants to follow up with other live-action films like Shrek or Kung Fu Panda. While the idea might not be far-fetched, it certainly depends on the success of How To Train Your Dragon’s live-action version. Deblois is going to be the first to enter the live-action adaptation work for Universal. A unique and demanding position for sure. Thankfully, the project is in very good hands.