It’s safe to say that the How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake has been a mᴀssive success, with the project clearly breathing a whole new lease of life into this beloved adventure franchise. Since a live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is just around the corner, audiences are rightly excited about what the future of this series could look like in this new, fresh medium.

The live-action remake has been teased as being darker than the original sequel, which has sparked some interesting questions about its tone and style. There are plenty of theories about How To Train Your Dragon 2, particularly regarding how effectively this bigger, bolder story will be translated to the live-action format, but audiences should have faith that Dean DeBlois can pull it off again.

The first movie was such an enormous hit that DreamWorks understandably didn’t think twice about greenlighting a second, which should speak to the firm vision the studio has in mind for this franchise. That being said, some major decisions will have to be made along the way that could easily disrupt this harmony among viewers.

How To Train Your Dragon 2’s Remake Shouldn’t Use A 5-Year Time Jump Like The Animated Film

The Actors Aren’t The Right Age For The Time Jump To Work

One of the most noteworthy aspects of How to Train Your Dragon 2’s story is the five-year time jump that allows the characters to notably age up before tackling this new journey. Since DreamWorks has approved the live-action remake for this sequel so quickly, there won’t be enough time in the real world for Mason Thames, Nico Parker, and the rest of the main cast to age at the same speed as their characters.

This poses an interesting challenge for the sequel, and one that fundamentally affects the movie’s key themes of growing up and adopting responsibility. Since very few details have been released about How to Train Your Dragon 2, the sequel may have some twists in store that would make it distinct from the original movie.

It could even ditch the five-year time jump altogether, weaving subtler details into the narrative that force the characters to grow emotionally before displaying the same physical growth. This time jump is certainly a challenge for the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, but it’s also a welcome opportunity for the live-action remakes to develop an idenтιтy of their own and drift away from the source material slightly.