Director’s Doubts: Will Fans Embrace the Live-Action How to Train Your Dragon?

Filmmaker Dean DeBlois has been nominated for three Oscars and is renowned for penning popular films such as (2002) and the animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. However, when it came time to create the live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, DeBlois admitted that he had concerns about how fans would respond.

Deblois is back to work on the movie adaptation, inspired by Cressida Cowell’s books, as both writer and director. The live-action film will hit theaters on June 13th. This production made its initial debut at CinemaCon and had a recent official premiere at Universal’s Epic Universe’s Isle of Berk.

How to Train Your Dragon Director: “I Wasn’t Confident”

During the debut of the Epic Universe film, which features Mason Thames and Nico Parker, Deblois shared some concerns he had prior to the initial screening. “For the first time, we were showing it to anyone,” Deblois said. “I wasn’t necessarily worried, but I was confident in the movie itself. However, I wasn’t sure if people would accept it. You see, they might be too accustomed to the animated versions.

Alternatively, there’s a debate about the necessity of the film, as DeBlois pointed out, with questions like “Why is it here?” and “The timing isn’t right,” or “The animated films are satisfactory.” However, despite its resemblance to the 2010 animated movie “How to Train Your Dragon”, DeBlois mentioned that certain adjustments were implemented to improve upon the original.

DeBlois shared, “We’re tasked with convincing our audience that it’s valuable. To enrich the characters and make the action more engaging, we’ve explored different paths and added depth to the story’s mythology.

How to Train Your Dragon Trilogy

FilmWorldwide Box Office EarningsRotten Tomatoes Critic ScoreRotten Tomatoes Audience Score
How to Train Your Dragon (2010)$494.8 million99%91%
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)$621 million92%90%
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)$539.9 million90%87%

DeBlois said the First Film Was Rushed

Previously this year, DeBlois discussed the contrast between the original film and its live-action counterpart. He collaborated with Chris Sanders and William Davies on the 2010’s “How to Train Your Dragon”. The filmmaker expressed, “Regarding something so close to our hearts, it feels like fulfilling an ambition we had. The initial movie was produced under pressure, and I am incredibly proud of it. However, there are areas where we could have improved.

Although DeBlois expressed concerns about the film’s haste, “How to Train Your Dragon” was still nominated for two Academy Awards in 2011, with the category of Best Animated Feature Film among them. In an earlier interview, he expressed his hope that the live-action adaptation would stir up a touch of nostalgia for fans.

DeBlois expressed that he hopes the new experience will resonate with the same warmth and nostalgia as the original film, while adding depth. Out of all the possible paths we could have taken, this one felt the most natural to him, as he takes great pride in that animated movie.

How to Train Your Dragon hits theaters on June 13. The animated trilogy is

Read More

2025-05-26 21:35