Universal is getting in on the live-action… action for the first time with the upcoming How To Train Your Dragon movie. However, in the case of this live-action version, one of the major filmmakers behind the animated movie has returned to tell the story himself in a new way. Dean DeBlois, the writer/director behind the DreamWorks trilogy, is making his fourth movie about Hiccup and Toothless with this flick. He recently shared why he decided to make the movie despite having some negative viewpoints on past live-action remakes.
In recent years, Walt Disney Studios has made its strategy clear – it might just remake everyone of its classic animated movies into the medium of live action. Following the House of Mouse having a ton of commercial success on that front it’s no surprise that there’s not only more upcoming live-action Disney remakes among the 2025 movies and beyond, but How To Train Your Dragon as well. When CinemaBlend attended a Universal event for the movie, the writer/director said this about how the project was born:
I just wanted to know as much as I could about [making live-action movies]. And I've had a few false starts. So there was a movie back in 2004 that had a flash of green light with Disney that fell apart. And so, it's always been this challenge to try to get in there. And even on this one when the Actors Strike happened, before ever starting [production]. But, yeah, strangely, even though since 2019 when Dragon 3 came out, I spent four or five years just selling projects, original live-action projects, writing drafts, getting paid to do that, but not getting any of them green lit. And then all of a sudden Universal comes to me with this idea: ‘Hey, what if we do a live-action [How To Train Your Dragon]?’
As Dean DeBlois shared with myself and a group of other journalists while at a reception at the Universal offices in Los Angeles, since wrapping up the trilogy of How To Train Your Dragon back in 2019, he’s been hard at work trying to bring a new original idea to life, with little luck. (For example, the same year How To Train Your Dragon 3 was released, he was attached to write/direct a movie version of Micronauts.) However, he didn't have much luck until Universal approached him about a remake for How To Train Your Dragon. As DeBlois continued:
It kind of put my own convictions to the test and I feel like a bit of a hypocrite because I've always felt like live-action remakes are often disappointing replacements of the animated movie. But then I also thought, I don't wanna watch someone else do it, and this could be the opportunity to jump in with a big-budget movie with all of these amazing people working in a world that I know with characters that I love. And so if I'm gonna do it, I wanna be involved. And, so it's been this crazy race to catch up and to learn as much as I can. I was super honest with the crew. I just said, look, I'm the rookie here, but I'll be a foot and study and I'll always come at it from a story perspective. It created an environment that was actually pretty fun and respectful.
In past years, Dean DeBlois has not held back his opinions on animated movies being adapted live-action movies. Back in 2020, DeBlois said he was “not interested” in live-action remakes and found them “lazy on the part of the studio” and a “missed opportunity to put something original into the world” (via Variety). Three years later, DeBlois signed on to make one himself, not necessarily because it was his idea, but because he figured if it was going to be made, he should be the one at the helm.
DeBlois’ words certainly bring up some shortcomings going on with the Hollywood system where executives are perhaps shutting down original ideas and deciding instead to put their money into remakes. Not only is How To Train You Dragon being handled this way, DeBlois’ beloved work on Lilo & Stitch is being revisited with 2025’s live-action remake as well.
I can’t wait to see what DeBlois does with the property in live action. Check out my reaction to the early footage DeBlois showed us at the event and see the movie in theaters on June 13.
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