How to Train Your Dragon [Universal - 2025]

Universal prépare une adaptation en prises de vues réelles de Dragons (How to Train Your Dragon en VO), pour une sortie américaine le 14 mars 2025.
Réalisateur des deux derniers opus, après avoir co-réalisé le premier avec Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois assurera la mise en scène du projet, qui marquera ses grands débuts hors de l'animation.

The Hollywood Reporter a écrit:

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Live-Action Movie in the Works from Dean DeBlois, Universal

DeBlois, who steered the original and beloved animated trilogy from DreamWorks Animation, is making his live-action debut as Universal takes a page out of the Disney playbook.

The dragons and Vikings are taking to the skies once again, this time in live action.

Taking a massive swing, Universal Pictures has put in motion a How to Train Your Dragon live-action movie, with Dean DeBlois, the filmmaker behind the original animated trilogy, back in the saddle as writer, director and producer.

The feature project is already steps into the development process. Universal has dated the feature for a March 14, 2025 release. And sources also say the casting process is already underway.

This new Dragon will adapt the trilogy of movies that were made by DreamWorks Animation and released in the 2010s to great acclaim. The first movie, released in 2010, earned Academy Award nominations for best animated film and best score. The second and third notched best animated film Oscar nominations. The trilogy was also a hit with audiences, grossing more than $1.6 billion at the box office.

The franchise is one of the crown jewels of DreamWorks Animation and spawned television series that aired on Cartoon Network, Netflix and Hulu.

Using the books by Cressida Cowell as a jumping-off point, How to Train Your Dragon focused on the special friendship between a young and unheroic Viking boy named Hiccup and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health. The movies told Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to combat humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love. And uniquely, they did so by consistently aging the protagonists commensurately with the story, becoming a true “coming-of-age” story.

Jay Baruchel voiced Hiccup with the supporting characters of the Viking boy’s friends, including Jonah Hill as Snotlout, Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs, T.J. Miller as Tuffnut and Kristen Wiig as Ruffnut.

DeBlois wrote and directed the first movie with Chris Sanders and then took the reigns solo for the 2014 and 2019 outtings. (Sanders went on to direct DreamWorks Animation’s 2013 entry, The Croods.)

DeBlois is making his live-action debut with the feature. Helping him make the transition will be veteran movie and theatre producer Marc Platt, whose credits range from Legally Blonde to La La Land to Universal’s upcoming adaptation of Wicked. Platt will produce via his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions alongside Adam Siegel, president of Marc Platt Productions.

One of the creative challenges facing the filmmakers is trying to find the balance of making the dragons appealing and friendly, like some were in the original movie, and realistic.

It’s hard to understate the big risk Universal is taking. On one level, the studio is journeying on a path already trod by Disney, which has made making live-action adaptations of its animated classics part of its moviemaking agenda. It’s a road that has yielded $1 billion hits, such as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, and strong or artistically creative takes such as Cinderella and Cruella. But it has also generated less well-received films such as Lady and the Tramp and stinkers like Pinocchio. And there’s a danger that the latter can tarnish the beloved nature of the classics or characters, although that can be hard to quantify.

It’s unclear whether, in success, Universal would seek to translate other DreamWorks Animation movies into the live-action realm (Shrek or Po, anyone?). This is, however, the first time a live-action remake is being made by the same creator as the animated movies.

The studio worked hard on trying to find the right and palatable budget for several months before finally giving the go-ahead for the project.

Lexi Barta, vp production development, is overseeing the project for the studio.

DeBlois is repped by WME and Lichter Grossman.

Moi qui n’aime pas les remakes live Disney, c’est dur de voir Universal et DreamWorks s’y mettre aussi.
Cette tendance m’énerve, c’est si rabaissant pour l’animation. Comme si revoir une histoire qu’on aime, mais cette fois en live action, ça apportait un plus.

Clairement cette nouvelle ne m'enchante absolument pas !!! Les personnages sont si attachants dans les films d'animation, et j'ai rarement autant pleuré que devant Dragons 2 ou 3. Pour moi ça aurait du s'arrêter là.

Comme Brozen et beaucoup d'autres, cette mode du remake ne me plaît vraiment pas.

Je n'ai pas hâte.
Je ne vois pas la nécessité de refaire ces films. Je vois ça comme de la condescendance vis-à-vis de l'animation...
La seule chose qui me rassure un peu, c'est que le papa de la trilogie reste derrière la barre, mais honnêtement, ça ne me donne pas spécialement envie.

@Brozen et @Flo..., vous êtes deux à parler de remake mais pour l'instant, on ne sait pas si ce film en sera un. Ce sera peut-être le cas mais pas forcément, cela peut aussi être une nouvelle histoire où tout du moins un reboot.
Jean-Christophe & Winnie n'était pas un remake par exemple.

Avec toute l'exploitation de la franchise Dragons qui continue de se développer (comme la série Dragons : les neuf royaumes ou la création de lands dans des parcs), je regrette vraiment qu'ils n'aient pas laissé à Dean DeBlois la possibilité de faire une tétralogie, voir pentalogie, et accordé plus de soins aux court-métrages.

La trilogie Dragons était assez éloignée des livres de Cressida Cowell, mais avec le retour de Dean DeBlois, j'ai du mal à croire qu'il va vraiment s'éloigner de sa version. Dans le même temps, je suis assez curieux de voir ce qu'il va proposer en prise du vue réelle.

Le 3ème film n'étant sorti qu'il y a 4 ans, je trouve cela vraiment tôt pour faire un remake et/ou reboot. Comme @MadEye, je trouve qu'ils envoient un message assez condescendant vis à vis de l'animation. Le procédé est déjà discutable chez Disney, mais au moins une génération s'est écoulée entre le film d'animation et son adaptation "Live".

Je suis un très grand fan de la trilogie Dragons, ce sont d'ailleurs mes films d'animation préférés, donc forcément face à cette nouvelle je suis à la fois autant intrigué que craintif, mais malgré tout, le fait que ce soit Dean de Blois à la tête du projet me donne plutôt confiance, c'est son bébé et il a bien affirmer ne pas vouloir détruire l'âme de ces œuvres, c'est aussi pour ça que je ne pense pas que ce sera un remake pur et simple.

J'ai hâte d'avoir plus d'informations sur tout ça en tout cas

Flounder69 a écrit:

Dean DeBlois assurera la mise en scène du projet, qui marquera ses grands débuts hors de l'animation.

Ses grands débuts hors de l'animation, en matière de fiction.
Il a réalisé en 2006 Heima, un rockumentaire  sur le groupe Sigur Rós, groupe du chanteur Jónsi, que tous les fans de Dragons connaissent (peut-être sans le savoir).


On peut voir qu'il sait proposer de magnifiques images, aussi en prises de vue réelles.

Mason Thames (Black Phone) et Nico Parker (Dumbo, The Last Of Us) seront Harold et Astrid dans cette version Live-Action de Dragons.

The Hollywood Reporter a écrit:

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Live-Action Remake Finds Its Hiccup and Astrid

'The Black Phone' star Mason Thames and 'The Last of Us' actress Nico Parker will star in Dean DeBlois' live-action directorial debut.

Universal’s live-action adaptation of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon has found its human riders.

Mason Thames, who starred in Universal’s horror hit The Black Phone, and Nico Parker, the rising actress who was last seen in HBO’s The Last of Us, are set to star as Hiccup and Astrid in the feature being directed by Dean DeBlois.

Universal has dated the feature for a March 14, 2025, release and is planning on a film shoot this summer.

Using the books by Cressida Cowell as a jumping-off point, How to Train Your Dragon focused on the special friendship between a young and unheroic Viking boy named Hiccup and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health. The movies chronicled Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to combat humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love.

The character of Astrid travels her own arc through the trilogy, moving from someone who has disdain toward the dragons to bonding with one of her own, and moving from a foil to Hiccup to becoming his confidante and eventual partner.

Jay Baruchel voiced Hiccup in the animated trilogy, while Astrid was voiced by America Ferrera.

The search for the live-action counterparts took many months of looking for actors who could grow into the roles as much as the characters themselves grew into maturity in the movie franchise. The franchise was unique in that each installment made jumps in the age of the protagonists to highlight life events and make it a true “coming-of-age” story.

DeBlois is writing and directing the project. Producing are three-time best picture Oscar nominee Marc Platt and Adam Siegel via Marc Platt Productions.

VP production development Lexi Barta will oversee the film on behalf of Universal.

Fifteen-year-old Thames appeared on three episodes of Apple TV+’s acclaimed drama For All Mankind before nabbing the lead in Black Phone, Scott Derrickson’s adaptation of the Joe Hill short story produced by Blumhouse and released by Universal in 2022. The movie proved to be a box office and commercial hit, putting Thames on the radar for other teen roles.

The actor now has two movies in the can, coming-of-age party comedy Incoming and adventure-thriller Boys of Summer with Mel Gibson. He is repped by WME and Brillstein Entertainment.

Parker made her acting debut as a lead in Tim Burton’s live-action adaptation of Dumbo, made by Disney in 2019. She did a stint on HBO series The Third Day opposite Jude Law and Naomie Harris and appeared in Lisa Joy’s sci-fi mind-bender Reminiscence with Hugh Jackman. In Last of Us, one of the biggest hits from HBO in years, she played the daughter of the dangerous would-be lone-wolf survivor Joel, played by Pedro Pascal.  

The actress, who will next be seen opposite Woody Harrelson and Laura Linney in Laura Chinn’s Suncoast, is repped by WME and Curtis Brown.

Alors le remake de Dragons ne m'intéresse pas vraiment mais je dois réagir 

Il y a une polémique qui reproche a dreamwork d'avoir engagé une actrice noir et non blanche pour jouer Astrid 

Alor sur le fond je peut comprendre car oui une noir viking c'est historiquement incohérent mais juste savoir d'où l'actrice elle est pas blanche ?

Et ne me sorter pas des couleurs style " Elle est café au lait " ou je sais pas quoi elle est blanche j'ai le même teint de peau que elle voir en ce moment je suis plus mate à cause du soleil et je suis considéré comme blanc 

J'ai l'impression que la polémique a était volontairement créé par les média car tout les articles disent " Dreamwork cast une actrice noir pour jouer astride " en mettant évidemment que des photos où elle a les cheveux friser 

Alor elle est pas noir son père c'est le réalisateur Ol Parker qui est blanc et sa mère c'est l'actrice Thandie Newton qui est à moitié noire et à moitié blanche elle a un quart de sang noir tu parle ça fait pas d'elle une noire 

D'ailleur si vous vous souvenez elle avait jouer dans le remak de Dumbo de Tim Burton ( où elle avait les cheveux lisse je précise) les gens qui on vue le film a l'époque vous vous êtes vraiment dit qu'elle était noir ou afro descendante ou je sais pas quoi ? 

Bref je voulait vraiment intervenir car sur le net ça prend des proportion de dingue ça crie au wokisme au quotas au blackwashing au grand remplacement au racisme anti blanc etc alor que voilà

Selon Deadline, Gerard Butler reprendra son rôle de Stoïck dans cette version live action.

Deadline a écrit:

Gerard Butler Reprising ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Role In Universal’s Live-Action Adaptation

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures‘ live-action adaptation of the DreamWorks Animation franchise How to Train Your Dragon is bringing back a familiar face, as sources tell Deadline that Gerard Butler, who voiced Hiccup’s father Stoick in the original movies, will reprise the role. Mason Thames and Nico Parker are set to star as Hiccup and Astrid, with Dean DeBlois directing, writing and producing.

The film is set to bow on June 13, 2025.

The new pic will draw audiences deep into DWA’s imaginative lore. Working from a single narrative tapestry, the adventures of Hiccup and Toothless have captivated fans across three films that have grossed more than $1.6 billion combined.

Marc Platt is producing the live-action movie for his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions alongside Marc Platt Productions president Adam Siegel. VP Production Lexi Barta will oversee the film on behalf of Universal.

While the studio went with new faces for Hiccup and Astrid since the actors that had previously voiced the characters are now adults, the idea of having Butler return as Stoick, the strong-willed Viking chief who is also a single father trying to raise his son, was too good to pass up. Known for his action-heavy roles like the Olympus Has Fallen franchise and 300, Butler’s role in How to Train Your Dragon was a fan favorite, and his casting allows the studio to pay a proper tribute to the original cast.

Butler remains one of the busiest action stars in town, with thrillers Plane and Kandahar both bowing this year as is the sequel to his 2018 action movie Den of Thieves.

Butler is repped by Alan Siegel Entertainment and CAA.

D'après The Hollywood Reporter, Nick Frost sera Gueulfor.

The Hollywood Reporter a écrit:

‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Live-Action Remake Adds Nick Frost as One of the Vikings (Exclusive)

Dean DeBlois, who spearheaded the original trilogy from DreamWorks Animation, is making his live-action debut.

Nick Frost has entered the Viking village.

Frost, perhaps best known for his starring turns in Edgar Wright movies such as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, has joined the cast of Universal Pictures’ live-action adaptation of DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon.

Dean DeBlois, who co-wrote and directed the original and revered trilogy, is steering the new feature, returning as writer, director and producer.

The project already has Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us) set to star as Hiccup and Astrid, the young teens who befriend dragons. Gerard Butler, who voiced Stoick the Vast, the leader of the Viking clan and Hiccup’s father, is reprising his role in the flesh.

Frost will play Gobber the Belch, the trusted friend and adviser of Stoick.

Using the books by Cressida Cowell as a jumping-off point, How to Train Your Dragon focused on the special friendship between a young and unheroic Viking boy named Hiccup, and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health. The movies chronicled Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to combat humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love.

Producing along with DeBlois are Marc Platt, via his Universal-based Marc Platt Productions, as well as that company’s president, Adam Siegel. VP of production Lexi Barta is overseeing the film on behalf of the studio.

Universal has set a June 13, 2025, release date for the feature.

Frost has starred opposite Simon Pegg in Wright’s trio of movies known as The Cornetto Trilogy — Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End. He also wrote and starred in Area 51 road trip comedy Paul. In recent years, the actor has been spending time on the small screen, appearing in shows such as CBS’ Why Women Kill, HBO’s The Nevers and AMC’s Into the Badlands.

Frost has several films in the can, among them Krazy House, a comedy horror starring Alicia Silverstone, which is premiering at Sundance. He will also appear in Corin Hardy’s Whistle, the follow-up to 2018’s The Nun.

He is repped by Independent Talent Group and Think Tank Management.

Le tournage commence.

Dean DeBlois a écrit:

First day of the shoot! We’re all excited to get underway!