Universal is teaming up with Dean DeBlois to bring the beloved DreamWorks movie ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ to life on the big screen. Get ready for a thrilling, live-action adventure!
By giving the reins of this cherished DreamWorks Animation trilogy to DeBlois, Universal has taken a cue from Disney and is permitting him to enter live-action filmmaking.
The legendary dragons and ferocious Vikings are set to take flight once more, this time in a thrilling live-action experience. Universal Pictures is taking a massive risk by launching a live-action movie based on How to Train Your Dragon, with Dean DeBlois returning as writer, director, and producer of the original animated trilogy. The feature project is on its way to completion, slotted for a March 14th, 2025, release. Moreover, you heard it here first: Casting has already begun!
DreamWorks Animation’s highly praised and acclaimed trilogy of movies will be brought to life anew with the upcoming Dragon adaptation. The first movie, released in 2010, was so beloved that it earned Academy Award nods for both best-animated film and best score! For the second and third years, an animated film was nominated for top honors at the Oscars. The trilogy was an absolute smash hit, with audiences flocking to the box office and contributing more than $1.6 billion in global ticket sales.
DreamWorks Animation holds the franchise as one of their premier gems, and television series based on this have been aired across Cartoon Network, Netflix, and Hulu. Taking Cressida Cowell’s books as inspiration, How to Train Your Dragon tells the story of an unlikely bond between Hiccup -a timid and unimpressive Viking boy- and Toothless, a dragon he helps nurse back to total health. Through the movies, Hiccup and Toothless illustrate their journey to fight against human bias towards dragons, helping us feel the pain of losing a parent and understanding what it is like to experience first love. What sets this series apart is how they have aged their characters in line with the story, making it an utterly believable “coming-of-age” story.
Jay Baruchel lent his vocal talents to Hiccup, the Viking boy, and was joined by an impressive cast of supporting characters: Jonah Hill as Snotlout, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs, T.J. Miller as Tuffnut and Kristen Wiig in the role of Ruffnut.
DeBlois penned and helmed the initial movie with Chris Sanders before taking full responsibility for the 2014 and 2019 installments. (Sanders went on to direct DreamWorks Animation’s 2013 entry, The Croods.)
DeBlois is transitioning to live-action with this feature, and veteran movie and theatre producer Marc Platt will support him. With credits ranging from Legally Blonde to La La Land to Universal’s anticipated adaptation of Wicked, Platt’s experience is invaluable in aiding DeBlois’s journey into new territory. Universal-based Marc Platt Productions, helmed by President Adam Siegel, is proud to announce its collaboration with award-winning producer Marc Platt. A creative problem for the filmmakers must be solved to make the dragons attractive and friendly, as in the first movie, while also appearing realistic.
Universal is taking a massive gamble, and it cannot be overstated. On one level, they are walking down the same path that Disney has taken before them by creating live-action adaptations of their classic animated films as part of their overall plan for filmmaking. This road has led to a $1 billion success story featuring box-office hits such as Beauty and the Beast and intelligent or unique spins like Cinderella and Cruella. However, it has also created less appreciated pictures like Lady and the Tramp and duds like Pinocchio. The latter may diminish the beloved integrity. These, yet it cannot be easy to measure with precision.
If Universal’s endeavors prove successful, would they try translating other DreamWorks Animation films, such as Shrek or Po, into the live-action genre? It needs to be clarified. For the first time, a live-action remake is being directed by the same creator as the original animated films.
For months, the studio diligently searched for an acceptable budget before finally giving the green light to the project.
Lexi Barta, the Vice President of Production Development, is managing this project for the studio. DeBlois has enlisted WME and Lichter Grossman to represent them throughout the process.
