Live Action “How to Train Your Dragon” Adaptation on the Way

Dean DeBlois turned in one of the best animated series of all time with the gorgeous How to Train Your Dragon franchise. While none of the films took home a Best Animated Feature Oscar, they're still beloved, and spun off three separate shows and five short films.

But there's apparently more to tell about Hiccup and his dragon buddy Toothless. In 2025, DreamWorks will release the first live-action story in the series. DeBlois will write and direct once again, but no other details or crew have been announced.

Collectively, the franchise has grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide, and that's not even counting the kid-focused live shows and theme park attractions. Plus, dragons have only grown in popularity in the last decade, with Game of Thrones and its House of the Dragon prequel.

The new How to Train Your Dragon film soars into theaters on March 14, 2025.

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About Kip Mooney

Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.