'How to Train Your Dragon 2' Live-Action Could Deviate From Animated Sequel
Universal and DreamWorks Animation's live-action take on How to Train Your Dragon faces the opposite problem that most adaptations do — where faithfulness to the source material is usually a concern, the remake adheres too closely to its roots, sparking criticism that it serves little to no purpose.
With a sequel set for 2027, there are plans for a slight tweak to the creative approach. Speaking to DiscussingFilm, director Dean DeBlois shared that the forthcoming outing may deviate from the original 2014 animated feature, as he seeks to address and fix a few 'regrets'.
'It's very amorphous right now. I think there's something about the second animated movie that most fans prefer out of the trilogy, and I want to hold on to that aspiration. [ How to Train Your Dragon 2 ] was like our Empire Strikes Back , where everything got bigger and broader. Characters get richer and things get scarier, as well,' said the filmmaker.
'That said, there are still regrets I have — having written and directed the second film — that I would love to address in the live-action version. So, we don't necessarily have to colour inside the lines [in terms of the original's story and plot], but it's an exploration at the moment. I'm literally writing the script right now.'
That's to say nothing has been cast in stone, including casting, which opens up the possibility of starring yet another alumnus. In a separate interview with the outlet, actor Gerard Butler, reprising his role as Hiccup's father, Stoick the Vast, in the live-action pic, expressed hope for Cate Blanchett to return as Hiccup's long-lost mother, Valka Haddock, who first appeared in the animated sequel.
No matter the outcome, there's no denying that How to Train Your Dragon continues to fly toward success. The remake notched US$198 million worldwide in its opening weekend, with ticket sales coming in as one of the top-10 starts for a live-action movie, including the seventh-biggest internationally.
Based on the novel by author Cressida Cowell, the series follows the adventures of a scrawny misfit teen named Hiccup in the mythical viking village of Berk, who befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless — defying a long-standing tradition where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for centuries. Mason Thames ( The Black Phone ) and Nico Parker ( The Last of Us , Dumbo ) star as the lead pair of Hiccup and Astrid in the live-action rendition.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Culture
18 hours ago
- Geek Culture
Cancelled 'Dungeons & Dragons' RPG By 'Counter Strike: GO' Developer Leaked Online
Gameplay footage and concept art from developer Hidden Path Entertainment's cancelled Dungeons and Dragons RPG have leaked online, offering a glimpse at an open-world RPG that almost was. Hidden Path, the studio behind the Defense Grid series and co-developers of the 2012 multiplayer FPS Counter-Strike: Global Offensive , first started working on the project four years ago, as made known via a series of job listings by the studio for a 'AAA, third-person, open-world fantasy RPG that will be taking place inside the Dungeons & Dragons franchise.' The project, codenamed Project Dante , was unfortunately short-lived, as one of the studio's founders, Michael Austin, announced its cancellation in 2024 via a post on LinkedIn, stating that the studio had been 'in numerous active discussions to find replacement funding', and ultimately had 'no choice but to pause development on that project and reduce the company size until we have an opportunity to return to it', letting go 44 developers as a result. Now, an eight-minute video and various concept art for the doomed title have leaked online, offering a tease of what could have been. This leak comes from MP1st, with gameplay clips showcasing its third-person exploration and combat. The game would have featured a companion system, with the leaked video detailing the player character accompanied by two other characters, Kavir and Ri Om, who assist with combat and puzzle-solving. Early footage of its cinematics, voice work and even an entire song sung by NPCs were shown, although most were place-holders. A collection of concept art was also leaked, including various Dungeons and Dragons imagery like a five-headed hydra, a party facing off against a volcanic dragon, and an adorable white cat with wings, alongside art for the various characters players would meet in the game. According to MP1st, the game was believed to be near the final stages of its development when it was cancelled, with its unfortunate fate likely being a part of a series of five cancellations by publisher Wizards of the Coast in early 2023, making it a real shame that a project so far along in its development was axed so suddenly. Still, there are many more Dungeons and Dragons titles in the works for fans of the iconic tabletop franchise, including a single player action-adventure game from the former director of Respawn's Star Wars Jedi games, Stig Asmussen, and his new studio Gian Skull, alongside a magic-focused title from Ubisoft alumni Jeff Hattem's Invoke Studios. Let's hope these titles will actually see the light of day and not suffer the same fate as Project Dante . Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Dungeons & Dragons Hidden Path Entertainment Leaks
Geek Culture
18 hours ago
- Geek Culture
Nintendo Switch 2 Faces Dire Third-Party Game Sales Despite Successful Launch
Despite enjoying a massive launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 is reportedly suffering from rather lukewarm sales of third-party games, as most players flock towards first-party Nintendo titles like Mario Kart World . This news comes from TheGameBusiness' Chris Dring, who went through the console's latest game sales figures surrounding its launch. Citing data from research companies Circana and NielsenIQ, Dring notes that 48% of physical game sales in the UK and 62% of sales in the US were first-party titles, when excluding the console's Mario Kart World bundle. If the bundle was taken into account, however, the figure would be further increased to 86% in the UK, although statistics for the US were not presented. Mario Kart World For context, the Nintendo Switch 2 launched with only three new physical first-party titles: Mario Kart World , and the two enhanced editions of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom . On the other hand, there were a total of 13 physical third-party games, including CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 , Konami's Survival Kids , and Square Enix's Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster . Speaking to TheGameBusiness, one unnamed third-party publisher noted dire sales figures for its Switch 2 launch sales, stating that it was 'below our lowest estimates'. Dring also noted that despite the newest console's figures being an improvement compared to its predecessor's launch, which saw 89% of physical sales at the time being from first-party games, most third-party Switch 2 games 'posted very low numbers'. As to the reason for such disappointing numbers, Dring suggested that this could be due to the console's enhanced backwards compatibility, leading to players jumping back into the original Switch's back catalogue, coupled with the fact that almost all of the third-party Switch 2 launch titles are ports of already released games, meaning they are likely titles already played and completed by players on other platforms. Survival Kids Despite this report, some sources are actually painting a different picture. US sales tracker Mat Piscatella, who works at Circana, for example, took to Bluesky to state that third-party sales of Nintendo Switch 2 games in the US were actually 'far better' than those of the original console when it launched. CD Projekt Red also shared the sentiment, reporting that Cyberpunk 2077 was the 'best-selling third-party game during the launch of Switch 2', and that the game did 'reasonable numbers'. Amidst the conflicting reports, Dring adds that he was told by many major publishers that Nintendo is 'actively trying to push third-party games this time around', with the hopes that sales will pick up in the coming months once other notable third-party titles like EA Sports Madden 26 and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 are released. For Nintendo's first-party titles, the console has some big-hitters in its pipeline, including Donkey Kong Bananza , Pokémon Legends: Z-A and enhanced editions of Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Mario Party Jamboree . Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Mario Kart World Nintendo Nintendo switch 2
Geek Culture
18 hours ago
- Geek Culture
‘Wind Breaker' Live-Action Film Adaptation Ignites Fighting Spirit In Dec
The fighting spirit that runs in the veins of Furin High School will continue into the silver screen, as a live-action film adaptation of Wind Breaker has been announced. Following the broadcast of the anime's second season finale, a new X/Twitter account opened to share a first-look teaser of the upcoming feature. Kentaro Hagiwara ( Blue Period , Tokyo Ghoul ) directs the project, with Yosuke Masaike ( Anime Supremacy! ) and Yoshitaka Kamo serving as scriptwriter and producer, respectively. Not much else is known, including cast details and story specifics, but it is set to be released in Japanese theatres this December. An accompanying visual was also revealed, as seen below: Based on Satoru Nii's delinquent action manga, Wind Breaker follows Haruka Sakura, who prides himself on being a skilled fighter while growing up as an outcast due to his unconventional appearance and lack of social skills, and his goal to become the best. The anime debut ran from April to June 2024, followed by a second season from April to June 2025. CloverWorks, whose credits include The Promised Neverland , Bocchi the Rock! , and Spy x Family , helmed both seasons, featuring series composition by Hiroshi Seko ( Chainsaw Man ), character designs by Taishi Kawakami, and music by Ryo Takahashi ( SK8 the Infinity ). 'Welcome to Furin High School, an institution infamous for its population of brawny brutes who solve every conflict with a show of strength. Some of the students even formed a group, Bofurin, which protects the town. Haruka Sakura, a first-year student who moved in from out of town, is only interested in one thing: fighting his way to the top,' reads the full synopsis for the series. The Wind Breaker live-action movie hits Japanese cinemas sometime in December. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Wind Breaker Wind Breaker live-action
