It turns out Toothless will be taking to the skies in live-action.
Universal Pictures has greenlit a live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Dean DeBlois, who directed the entire How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, will return to write, direct, and produce.
And in a show of confidence, Universal has already set a March 14, 2025 release date.
The franchise primarily follows a young Viking named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, voiced by Jay Baruchel, who eventually becomes a dragon expert alongside his trusty companion Toothless, a rare Night Fury dragon.
How to Train Your Dragon has been one of DreamWorks Animation’s strongest and most reliable properties. The first film, which was co-directed by Chris Sanders, grossed nearly $500 million globally after its release in 2010, spawning two sequels – 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 and 2019’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. All three movies received critical acclaim, and were each nominated for that year’s Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
A TV series, DreamWorks Dragons, aired on Cartoon Network from 2012 to 2014 before moving to Netflix under a new subtitle, Race to the Edge, in 2015, where it would run for six more seasons. Universal also partnered with Netflix for two other related TV shows: DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders and the currently airing DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms.
Prior to taking on How to Train Your Dragon, DeBlois was best known for writing and directing 2002’s Lilo & Stitch. He’s also credited as story co-head on 1998’s Mulan.
Alex Stedman is a News Editor for IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
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