Director: Dean DeBlois

Cast: Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler

Synopsis:

From three-time Oscar® nominee and Golden Globe winner Dean DeBlois, the creative visionary behind DreamWorks Animation’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, comes a stunning live-action reimagining of the film that launched the beloved franchise. On the rugged Isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone, For All Mankind) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society. With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker; Dumbo, The Last of Us) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost; Snow White and the Huntsman, Shaun of the Dead) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.

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When a story lingers in the hearts of audiences for over a decade, any attempt to revisit or reinvent it walks a fine line between nostalgia and redundancy. How to Train Your Dragon (2025) dares to tread that path, offering a refreshed interpretation of DreamWorks’ cherished world of Vikings and dragons.

As a lifelong lover of animated cinema and fantasy epics, I approached this reboot with cautious excitement — and I left thoroughly moved, reminded of the magic that comes when imaginative storytelling meets technical excellence.

© Marc Norgaard