The dragon-riding life isn’t over for Cate Blanchett, as the Elizabeth and Lord of the Rings star is set to reprise her role in Universal Pictures’ upcoming sequel to its live-action film adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, a deal has been inked for her return as Valka, who made her debut in DreamWorks Animation’s original second instalment as Hiccup’s long-lost mother and wife of Viking leader Stoick the Vast, voiced by Gerard Butler, who also played the part in the first live-action outing. This makes Blanchett the second actor to follow through with the transition from voiceover to acting, serving as a reunion of sorts between Hiccup’s parents.
The pair joins Mason Thames (The Black Phone) as Hiccup, Nico Parker (The Last of Us) as Astrid, Julian Dennison (Godzilla vs. Kong) as Fishlegs, Gabriel Howell (Bodies) as Snotlout Jorgenson, Bronwyn James (Wicked: For Good) as Ruffnut Thorston, and Harry Trevaldwyn (The Bubble) as Tuffnut Thorston in the sequel, which was first announced last April and is slated for release in 2027.
While it’s unclear how much of the original storytelling will be retained, director Dean DeBlois previously stated that the live-action follow-up could introduce some deviations. “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,” he said.
The animated follow-up continues the adventures of Hiccup five years later, centring on Toothless and Hiccup uncovering a plot to harness an army of dragons. It earned US$622 million, becoming the 12th-highest-grossing film of 2014 and would go on to spawn a third entry, The Hidden World, in 2019. The franchise scored a combined haul of US$1.6 billion at the global box office and four Oscar nominations.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 soars into theatres on 11 June 2027.
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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