The How to Train Your Dragon franchise began in 2003 as a novel series written by Cressida Cowell before being adapted into a 3D animated film in 2010 by DreamWorks and turning it into a worldwide phenomenon. Toothless became a pop culture icon, and the original film saw two sequels, various television series, toy lines, comics, video games, exhibitions at museums, and even a live show with actors and animatronic dragons that toured the world. It was DreamWorks’ most successful franchise until it ended in the third and final film in 2019. Now in 2025, the original film receives a live-action remake with the original director, Dean DeBlois, returning to the director’s chair, as How to Train Your Dragon is ready to soar through the skies and into cinemas worldwide.

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, defies centuries of traditional dragon-fighting practice when he befriends a feared Night Fury dragon whom he names Toothless. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the foundations of Viking society. Hiccup is determined to prove that Vikings and dragons can co-exist and put their violent history behind them for good.

Mason Thames stars as Hiccup, the son of Stoick the Vast, who is also the Chief of Berk. Although he is talented in designing mechanisms to make various tasks easier, he is known to be awkward and clumsy, with no ambition to be a dragon-hunting Viking like most of the people of Berk. Mason manages to deliver a similar charm and personality as Jay Baruchel did as the voice of Hiccup in the original film, showing plenty of character development.

Nico Parker portrays Astrid Hofferson, a fearless, tough and ambitious fellow student in dragon fighting training. She is the ideal child that Stoick wishes he had, and she desires to one day be Chief of Berk. Hiccup has a secret crush on her, but she is anything but impressed with him. Nico’s version of Astrid may look different from her animated counterpart, but she brings out the same tough but caring personality that America Ferrera did in the original film.

Gerard Butler was the original voice of Stoick the Vast and reprises the same character in this live-action remake. He sounds exactly like he did in the 2010 film, which will no doubt please longtime fans of the franchise and even add a touch of nostalgia for them. Gerard Butler is well known for his tough-guy roles, and his performance clearly shows how passionate he is about this role. He has an incredible presence onscreen and does an amazing job of literally bringing the character to life.

Nick Frost plays Gobber the Belch, the blacksmith of Berk and close friend of Stoick. He is also the trainer of the aspiring dragon hunters, and his experience clearly shows. Craig Ferguson voiced the character in 2010, providing plenty of comedic relief with his lighthearted personality and wisecracking jokes, but he can get serious when he needs to. Nick Frost does just as good a job portraying Gobber on the big screen and is a natural fit for the character.

Julian Dennison does a great job of playing Fishlegs, showing his vast knowledge of different dragons, but he doesn’t do well when dealing with pressure. Gabriel Howell plays Snotlout, who has a different personality from his animated counterpart but is just as arrogant, full of himself and craves attention. Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn portray twin siblings Ruffnut and Tuffnut, who also have personalities different from those in the original film. They don’t get as much screen time, but when they do, it doesn’t feel like they make the most of it to do anything memorable other than bicker with each other. Of all the supporting cast, Ruffnut and Tuffnut are the most underwhelming and had better portrayals in the original movie.

The movie’s real star is, of course, Toothless, the legendary Night Fury dragon. The hard-working animators all did an outstanding job of creating a lifelike Toothless with realistic features and looking like a real animal but has the same adorable appearance and mannerisms he did in the 2010 film. There is so much detail to admire in Toothless, with all his scales and big green eyes. He can convey different emotions with his facial features and body language without looking too cartoony.

This version of Toothless is slightly more mature than 15 years ago, but retains the same charm and personality he’s known for. Some fans may be divided on which Toothless they prefer, but it should be noted that the movies are very different from the books. Toothless was originally coloured green with red membranes in his wings, had a different personality and was the size of a cat. The new version of Toothless and the other dragons seems to mix the animated movies and the animatronic dragons from the live show that toured the world.

The visual effects and set pieces are breathtaking to look at. The costumes, weapons and more look phenomenal on screen. Everything has so much attention to detail that it’s easy to get distracted by even the small things in every scene. All the dragons look so lifelike. It feels like they could be real animals that could jump out of the screen and are on par with the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. Seeing them fly high up in the air gives that feeling of adrenaline and adds so much to the film’s emotion that it needs to be seen to be believed.

The cinematography is truly something to behold. Seeing Vikings and dragons emerge from the fog is a visual no one will forget anytime soon. The battle scenes are epic proportions and show how prepared the Vikings are and how much they’ve learnt from their decades of experience battling dragons—that is, of course, until they encounter something bigger than they ever imagined.

Regarding live-action remakes, some have found success but, for the most part, have been criticised for various reasons. Disney has become notorious for this by remaking many of their classic animated films featuring characters that have become the faces of Disney, and most of them fail to capture the same magic.

When it was announced that DreamWorks would be remaking How to Train Your Dragon into a live-action film, it was immediately met with scepticism and criticism, with many believing it was going to be a pale imitation just like the Disney remakes because “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Despite their similarities and connected history, DreamWorks is not Disney, and it’s safe to say that the 2025 version of How to Train Your Dragon is one of the best examples of a live-action remake.

It’s unlikely that DreamWorks will go the Disney route and remake all of their animated films into live-action since most of their franchises don’t have human characters and simply won’t work as live-action films. Still, they seemed to have done the impossible and proved that it can be good. The third and final film of the original trilogy, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, didn’t feel like it lived up to its full potential and its ending left fans unsatisfied, so the remakes could be the second chance the franchise needs to right that wrong, as a sequel has already been confirmed and is due for release in 2027. Let’s just hope Disney doesn’t use this to justify making more live-action remakes that nobody asked for.

A live-action remake of 2010’s How to Train Your Dragon may not have been what fans wanted, but it somehow manages to be good and deliver fan service rather than feel like it’s trying to overshadow what came before it. The original trilogy and all its spinoffs will always have a special place in our hearts, and the live-action version feels like something that can co-exist instead of competing or erasing the past.

It’s also a great way to attract new fans, especially children who weren’t born when the original films were the biggest craze of their time. The main and supporting cast are solid, especially Gerard Butler, portraying the same character in animation and real life with the same energy and passion and will be a real treat for longtime fans. He steals the show more than once in the best way possible.

Many immediately criticised DreamWorks for remaking their most successful film franchise, and they had every right to do so. This live-action remake was done right and could prove the doubters wrong. With the original director, Dean DeBlois, in charge, it’s a faithful reimagining made for the fans. 2025’s How to Train Your Dragon is an exciting new beginning ready to take flight, take us on an epic emotional adventure, and steal our hearts once again in a world full of dragons.

Written by: Sammy Hanson