Few fans asked for a live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, but it’s coming all the same. Universal seems to have a lot of faith in the adaptation, and not for no reason. Director Dean DeBlois, who’s shepherded the franchise since its inception, has returned to translate the story from animation. Ideally, his involvement will keep the spirit of How to Train Your Dragon alive, and based on the reaction the film received at this year’s CinemaCon, the franchise is still in capable hands.
Universal and DreamWorks premiered How to Train Your Dragon at CinemaCon, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. We Live Entertainment’s Scott Menzel called the film “a visually stunning and emotionally engaging retelling,” while Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier claimed it “captures the magic of the original in almost every way.” Many critics are calling it the best live-action remake of all time. Given audience aversion to the trend, the competition isn’t stiff, but this is still great for Universal. The studio has invested a lot into the franchise’s revival, and that risk appears to be paying off. The warm CinemaCon reception could set up How to Train Your Dragon for a successful box office run this summer, and with a newly announced sequel on the horizon, it needs all the momentum it can get.
Yes, a sequel to the live-action How to Train Your Dragon is already in the works. After screening the film, DeBlois took the stage at Universal’s CinemaCon panel alongside actors Gerard Butler and Nico Parker. The trio thanked the audience for attending the premiere and “creating such a special memory for us” before DeBlois announced its follow-up. “We are so excited to give your theaters a big summer title in two years’ time,” the director said.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 will be released on June 11, 2027, and will adapt the second installment of the animated trilogy. Butler and Parker will return alongside star Mason Thames, who plays unlikely hero Hiccup Haddock. The first How to Train Your Dragon follows Hiccup’s Viking community as they form bonds with the wild dragons that once terrorized them, while its sequel sees them band together against a villain who wants to subjugate dragons for his own benefit. It’s much bigger in scale, so the pressure’s definitely still on. But if the first reactions from CinemaCon are anything to go on, the franchise will be flying high for years to come.
