A new image from the live-action remake ofHow to Train Your Dragonhas been revealed. It will be the fourth feature-length movie adapted from the Cressida Cowell book series of the same name, after a trilogy of DreamWorks animated features that debuted between 2010 and 2019 and has cumulatively grossed $1.63 billion in addition to earning four Oscar nominations. The franchise follows Hiccup (played by Mason Thames in thelive-actionHow to Train Your Dragon), the son of the chieftain of the Viking village Berk, who is training to fight dragons but ends up befriending the wounded dragon Toothless.
Empirehas now shared an exclusive first-look image from the live-actionHow to Train Your Dragon. It showsHiccup in his battle armor in the training arenain a scene where he is preparing to pretend to fight Toothless, as he cannot bring himself to slay his new friend. While the live-action Toothless has not yet been revealed, the image showcases Mason Thames in costume as his character, with other Viking characters watching from the stands. See the full-sized image below:
What This Means For How to Train Your Dragon
The Live-Action Remake Seems Reasonably Faithful
The fact that Hiccup will be pretending to fight Toothless isa slight twist on the scene in the original movie, in which Hiccup’s final exam sees him trying to peacefully tame a different dragon, only for it to be enraged by his father Stoick the Vast, which forces Toothless to intervene and be captured. However, the new image reveals that the costumes, set design, and general sense of storytelling and locations are somewhat similar to the original animatedHow to Train Your Dragonmovies.
More imagery of the human characters may be coming soon.
The image’s release also indicates how far the movie is in its production timeline, asit wrapped filming in May ahead of its planned June 2025 premiere date. While the dragons may not yet be fully rendered, more imagery of the human characters could be coming soon. This would allow further glimpses at the live-actionHow to Train Your Dragoncast, which also includes Nico Parker as Hiccup’s classmate and love interest Astrid Hofferson, Gerard Butler reprising his role as Stoick the Vast, Nick Frost as the blacksmith Gobber the Belch, and Julian Dennison as Hiccup’s best friend Fishlegs Ingerman.
Our Take On The New How To Train Your Dragon Image
It Continues The Modern Live-Action Trend Of Desaturation
One negative element of this new image is that it seemingly reveals thatHow to Train Your Dragonhas not avoided a trend that has plagued recent live-action remakes includingThe Little MermaidandThe Lion King. While the original animated movies were colorful, theremakes have tended to be low-contrast and desaturated. The domination of bland grays and browns in the Hiccup image implies the new movie has embraced this aesthetic. However, the arena is one of the least colorful settings in the original movie, so it remains to be seen how further locations in the remake are rendered.
How to Train Your Dragon
Cast
How to Train Your Dragon, released in 2025, depicts the story of Hiccup, a young Viking who defies tradition on the isle of Berk by befriending Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their friendship uncovers the true nature of dragons, challenging entrenched Viking perceptions and societal norms.
