After bringing the animated classic How to Train Your Dragon to live-action, DreamWorks and Universal have plans to remake the sequel with How to Train Your Dragon 2. Since debuting in 2010 with its first film, the series has become one of the most beloved and successful franchises that DreamWorks Animation has ever produced. The original animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy ran until 2019, and it seemed the franchise ended on a high note with the third movie.

However, the 2025 remake directed by Dean DeBlois initiated the process of adapting Hiccup and Toothless’s saga for live-action, with How to Train Your Dragon 2 serving as the second installment of the new trilogy. While the live-action How to Train Your Dragon didn’t make that many changes to the original story, it’s unknown how much the sequel will differ from its source material. Nevertheless, it is clear the filmmakers have big plans for their epic fantasy follow-up.

The Latest How To Train Your Dragon 2 News

Cate Blanchett May Star In The Live-Action Sequel, But It’s Too Early To Tell

DeBlois revealed to ComicBook.com in June that How to Train Your Dragon 2 is still in the “early days” of production. This was expected, given that he stated this during the first film’s opening week. Nevertheless, DeBlois shared his hope that Cate Blanchett would reprise her role from the animated trilogy as Hiccup’s mother, Valka Haddock.

Though Blanchett hasn’t been confirmed for the sequel yet, DeBlois thinks she is waiting for a script, having told her that the role of Valka will “always be hers to turn down first.” For example, despite this uncertainty, DeBlois was able to convince Gerard Butler to reprise his role as Stoick from the animated films. Since he brought Butler back, DeBlois could also get Blanchett to return as Valka. Considering the upcoming movie’s release date, the production will need to cast her soon rather than later so that production can get underway.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Confirmation

The Sequel Was Revealed Before The Original Film Even Came Out

At CinemaCon in April 2025, Universal Pictures announced that they are developing a live-action remake of 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2. The fact that this sequel film was announced before the first live-action movie even premiered in theaters demonstrates the filmmakers’ confidence in successfully recreating the animated trilogy. This was coupled with the first screening of the new How to Train Your Dragon, which was greeted with positive responses from viewers.

According to Variety, DeBlois shared his excitement about creating How to Train Your Dragon 2 after announcing it during the CinemaCon presentation. After screening How to Train Your Dragon to much fanfare, the director said he was thrilled to give theaters a “big summer тιтle in two years’ time.” Indeed, the sequel was given its release date at the same time as its announcement.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Release Date

The Second Remake Is Coming In 2027

The live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2 will premiere in theaters on June 11, 2027, just two years after the release of the franchise’s first remake. This release date also puts How to Train Your Dragon 2 a week after the currently-scheduled premiere of Sony’s Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, giving it considerable compeтιтion in theaters during summer 2027. However, their release dates being so close to each other has the potential for audiences to enjoy an exciting double feature akin to 2023’s “Barbenheimer” sensation. Currently, the How to Train Your Dragon franchise includes:

Though it took four years after its predecessor for the animated How to Train Your Dragon 2 to be released, the remake already seems to have a story planned out, making it easier to develop. The same is true with casting, as much of the core cast from the first film is expected to return. Likewise, producing a live-action/animated movie is easier to complete than a fully animated feature, since the former doesn’t require fully rendered environments and characters.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Cast Details

Are Actors From The First Remake And The Second Animated Film Returning?

It hasn’t been confirmed whether the cast of 2025’s How to Train Your Dragon will reprise their roles for the sequel. However, given the plot of 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2, it’s a safe bet that Hiccup, Astrid, Stoick, and their Viking peers will return for the next remake. Since the sequel introduced multiple new characters to the franchise, particularly Valka, 2027’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 will likely do the same, particularly if it intends to expand upon the sequel’s story and lore. The presumptive cast of How to Train Your Dragon 2, as it stands now, includes:

Likewise, the second animated film introduced characters like the villainous Drago Bludvist and Eret, played by Djimon Hounsou and Kit Harington, respectively. If the sequel could bring Butler and Blanchett back to the franchise, it could also feature Hounsou and Harington reprising their roles for the live-action remake as well. In order to make its 2027 release date, production will have to begin either at some point this year, or very early in 2026, so additional casting details should be announced in the coming months.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 Story Details

It Seems Like The Live-Action Sequel Will Adapt The Animated Source Material

While the story of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is unconfirmed, it’s safe to say that it will be mostly the same as its animated counterpart. The live-action remake is a near sH๏τ-to-sH๏τ remake of the 2010 animated film’s story, preserving the original narrative with only minor revisions. It appears that the 2027 sequel will follow the same approach to adapting 2014’s How to Train Your Dragon 2, which featured a darker tone comparable to The Empire Strikes Back.

The animated sequel saw a 20-year-old Hiccup, unsure of whether he could be the next Viking chief of Berk, reuniting with his long-lost mother, Valka, and trying to stop the warlord Drago from enslaving all dragons with his giant Bewilderbeast. Like in the original trilogy, the remake reveals that Valka is believed to have been killed by a dragon, setting up her live-action appearance in the sequel.

Staying true to the original story would allow How to Train Your Dragon 2 to please fans of the animated film, and continue the story after How To Train Your Dragon‘s ending. On the other hand, it would be interesting to see how the sequel could build upon and improve the animated film’s story. Since DeBlois can draw on the public’s feedback about the original film, the director can create a remake that addresses its flaws while retaining what audiences loved about it.

Source: ComicBook.com, Variety