It makes sense why the live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2 is already in the works. The How to Train Your Dragon franchise kicked off in 2010 with DreamWorks’ animated movie of the same name, which was a loose adaptation of the children’s book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell. It was followed by a second animated installment in 2014 and a third in 2019. The original animated trilogy has collectively grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide against a combined reported budget of $439 million.
After a hiatus of more than half a decade, the film franchise has returned with 2025’s How to Train Your Dragon, which is a live-action remake of the original movie. While there have been some minor changes to the source material, it is a particularly faithful remake, especially considering the fact that it was helmed by Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the original movie with Chris Sanders and directed the following two installments on his own. The cast of the new movie includes Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, and Harry Trevaldwyn.
How To Train Your Dragon 2 Was Announced Months Before The Remake Came Out
& It’s Coming Quick
The upcoming How to Train Your Dragon 2, which will be a live-action remake of the second installment in the original animated trilogy, was officially announced in April, two full months before the theatrical release of the first live-action movie. The sequel is set to premiere on June 11, 2027, almost exactly two years after the current installment. If the sequel is as faithful as its predecessor, it will follow Hiccup (Mason Thames) and Toothless discovering a cave full of wild dragons, finding Hiccup’s long-lost mother Valka, and defending their home village of Berk from the warrior Drago.
In the original animated movie, Valka was voiced by two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett and Drago was voiced by two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou.
This move to rush a sequel into production is unusual, even for the most successful live-action remakes. For instance, of the roughly 20 live-action remakes or reimaginings that Disney has produced so far, four of which have grossed more than $1 billion, only four (101 Dalmatians, Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, and The Lion King) have so far received sequels, prequels, or any sort of feature-length follow-up. However, this is DreamWorks’ first live-action remake, so there is less precedent for how they approach their live-action properties.
I Understand DreamWorks’ Confidence In A Sequel After Watching How To Train Your Dragon
The Movie Is A Surefire Hit
Now that I’ve seen the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, I completely understand why the sequel has been fast-tracked. While it indulges in one of the bad habits of live-action remakes, which is leaning so far into realism that the color palette becomes muddy and lacks vibrancy in many scenes, that issue is systemic and has not prevented other movies from connecting with audiences in a major way. Meanwhile, there are many things that the movie gets very right.
Hiccup’s bond with Toothless is perfectly captured…
For instance, the pH๏τorealistic CGI effects bringing the dragons to life are convincing, giving the imaginary creatures weight and menace while also highlighting how Hiccup might find Toothless adorable. In general, Hiccup’s bond with Toothless is perfectly captured, and the casting of the other kids in his dragon-fighting training group bring the original animated characters to life in a satisfying way. This has all been borne out by the How to Train Your Dragon box office, which is projected to have a global debut of more than $200 million, exceeding its reported $150 million budget in a matter of days.
How To Train Your Dragon’s Remake Makes Me Even More Excited For The Sequel
The Sequel Will Embrace The Best Parts Of The 2025 Movie
The new movie comes alive during every scene where Hiccup and Toothless bond, which makes me particularly excited for How to Train Your Dragon 2. The original installment features Toothless and Hiccup overcoming their mutual distrust, so they are not a true duo onscreen for much of the movie. In fact, Toothless is in very little of the first hour. However, this is not the case for the other How to Train Your Dragon movies, which means that the live-action sequel should have much more of the single best element of its predecessor, most likely making it even better.
