Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s live-action take on How to Train Your Dragon faces the opposite problem that most adaptations do — where faithfulness to the source material is usually a concern, the remake adheres too closely to its roots, sparking criticism that it serves little to no purpose.
With a sequel set for 2027, there are plans for a slight tweak to the creative approach. Speaking to DiscussingFilm, director Dean DeBlois shared that the forthcoming outing may deviate from the original 2014 animated feature, as he seeks to address and fix a few “regrets”.
“It’s very amorphous right now. I think there’s something about the second animated movie that most fans prefer out of the trilogy, and I want to hold on to that aspiration. [How to Train Your Dragon 2] was like our Empire Strikes Back, where everything got bigger and broader. Characters get richer and things get scarier, as well,” said the filmmaker.
“That said, there are still regrets I have — having written and directed the second film — that I would love to address in the live-action version. So, we don’t necessarily have to colour inside the lines [in terms of the original’s story and plot], but it’s an exploration at the moment. I’m literally writing the script right now.”
That’s to say nothing has been cast in stone, including casting, which opens up the possibility of starring yet another alumnus. In a separate interview with the outlet, actor Gerard Butler, reprising his role as Hiccup’s father, Stoick the Vast, in the live-action pic, expressed hope for Cate Blanchett to return as Hiccup’s long-lost mother, Valka Haddock, who first appeared in the animated sequel.
No matter the outcome, there’s no denying that How to Train Your Dragon continues to fly toward success. The remake notched US$198 million worldwide in its opening weekend, with ticket sales coming in as one of the top-10 starts for a live-action movie, including the seventh-biggest internationally.
Based on the novel by author Cressida Cowell, the series follows the adventures of a scrawny misfit teen named Hiccup in the mythical viking village of Berk, who befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless — defying a long-standing tradition where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for centuries. Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us, Dumbo) star as the lead pair of Hiccup and Astrid in the live-action rendition.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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