The live-action How to Train Your Dragon

remake gets a new video, teasing the movie’s focus on practical sets and action. Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, who also co-directed and co-wrote the 2010 animated original, the upcoming fantasy adventure film follows the adventures of Hiccup (Mason Thames), a Viking who forges a bond with a dragon named Toothless, which just might be the key to the survival of both dragons and humans. As seen in the How to Train Your Dragon trailer, the movie will faithfully recreate the Isle of Berk, the setting for much of the animated film.

Universal Pictures now shares a new featurette-style trailer for How to Train Your Dragon, which highlights the production’s focus on creating the Isle of Berk using mostly practical methods. The video shows off the mᴀssive arena that was built where much of the film’s action takes place, in addition to the vast Great Hall, and the village of Berk itself. Also included in the video is a taste of the kind of practical effects the movie has in store for audiences, with one moment teasing the use of a pyrotechnic display. Check out the video below:

What This Means For The How To Train Your Dragon Remake

Will It Avoid A Disney Complaint?

Disney has been making live-action remakes of its animated classics for years, and one common complaint levied at these films is that they don’t always feel necessary since the originals still hold up. This is especially true for a movie like The Lion King (2019), which was mostly CGI anyway. This complaint could certainly apply to Universal and How to Train Your Dragon, but the use of practical sets and effects could help to alleviate this, as it creates a larger gap between the animated version and the live-action version, even though their stories will be the same.

Though there is clearly a big focus on practicality in order to give the film a tactile feel, VFX will still be a very necessary part of the movie. Toothless, for example, will obviously be a CGI creation in the How to Train Your remake, as will the other dragons. Green or blue screen will also likely have been used for the scenes in which Hiccup and Toothless are flying, and many of the practical sets will probably be extended and enhanced digitally.

Our Take On The How To Train Your Dragon Featurette

Practicality Could Set The Remake Apart

If an animated movie is going to be remade in live-action, focusing on practicality could be a great way to make the remake standout. Seeing the How to Train Your Dragon cast members interacting with real sets could enhance the immersion and really help Berk come to life in a way that the animated film could never do. The film may struggle to wow audiences with its story, which is a carbon copy of something many have already seen, but it could add a new flavor to this story with its setting.

What’s more, the practical sets could result in better performances. Instead of being surrounded by a green screen, an actor being able to see and feel their environment can be grounding, adding to their own sense of immersion, in addition to the audience’s. It remains to be seen how the How to Train Your Dragon movie will fare with audiences and critics, but viewers can evidently expect an ambitious take on the Isle of Berk.

Source: Universal Pictures