‘I Was Certainly Worried.’ How To Train Your Dragon’s Director Got Candid About How The Audience Would React To A Live Action Version

The live-action adaptation of “How To Train Your Dragon” won’t make it to theaters until June 13th, 2025, but before its official debut, the director Dean DeBlois, cast members Mason Thames and Nico Parker, and producer Adam Siegel walked down the blue carpet to unveil the Isle of Berk section of Epic Universe. The movie was recently shown for the first time at CinemaCon, and the director admitted that he had no idea how it would be received beforehand.

Creating art is seldom a simple task, and when you’re recreating art that fans have already formed opinions about, the act of unveiling it to the world can be quite nerve-wracking. When I inquired DeBlois about the audience response to How To Train Your Dragon live action, he openly discussed the apprehension he felt before showing the film for the first time.

This is the first occasion we’ve shown it to anyone. To be honest, I wasn’t exactly worried about the movie itself, but rather unsure if people would accept it. T “Why was this live-action version made?” Some say it’s too early or argue that the animated films are sufficient as they stand.

I understand your perspective. There have been many live-action films that have received positive reviews and attracted large audiences, such as Lilo & Stitch this weekend. However, some movies, like the recent Snow White, have faced significant criticism that affected their box office performance upon release. Therefore, initial impressions of remakes like this are crucial.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of watching “How To Train Your Dragon” in a theater with an audience. In novels, characters are sometimes described as making “oohing” and “aahing” sounds, but it often feels like an exaggeration. However, there is a moment in that movie – let me emphasize this without giving away any spoilers – that made me truly comprehend the meaning of those words for the first time. The audience’s expressions of joy were indeed audible.

The film shares many similarities with the original version, but, as DeBlois mentioned to me, they introduced modifications to enhance and elevate the movie above its 2010 counterpart.

Instead, let’s strive to persuade our audience of its value. To achieve this, we ventured into various avenues to enhance the characters and increase interactive experiences, thereby enriching the overall narrative and subtly expanding the lore.

Despite differing opinions on narrative adjustments, this movie is absolutely breathtaking when viewed on a grand scale. I wasn’t prepared for it, but I found myself shedding tears twice during the film. The studio’s enthusiasm for the project is palpable; they’ve even gone as far as planning to bring the second HTTYD movie to life-action format and constructing an entire area of a theme park, complete with three incredible Epic Universe rides, centered around cherished characters like Hiccup and Toothless.

If everything about it appeals to you, don’t miss out on it. It will be played in IMAX, and my advice is to watch it on the largest screen available for an enhanced experience.

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2025-05-25 19:07