The Rotten Tomatoes score of How to Train Your Dragon has now been revealed. In this near sH๏τ-to-sH๏τ remake, How to Train Your Dragon retells the story of the young Viking Hiccup as he forms an unexpected bond with the dragon Toothless, forever changing the relationship between humans and dragons. Months before the premiere, the first reactions to the live-action DreamWorks remake were generally positive following its screening at CinemaCon. Since then, official reviews have also been great, hinting at its faithfulness to the original 2010 movie.

Per Rotten Tomatoes, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon has debuted with an impressive 82% score, based on 60 critics’ reviews. The debut score is far below the original movie, which holds a 99% Tomatometer score. On the other hand, it also marks the first movie in the franchise to not land in the 90s, as all the following sequels have. Nevertheless, the remake has debuted with a fresh designation, which bodes well for DreamWorks.

What This Score Means For How To Train Your Dragon

The Reviews Agree It’s Generally Faithful To The Original

While Disney launched the idea of remaking live-action IPs, How to Train Your Dragon will mark the first attempt under Universal Pictures. It appears that they have succeeded in their first try, with critics and a few audiences commending the live-action version for its faithfulness and match in quality to the original 2010 movie. ScreenRant‘s Sarah Moran is one of many reviewers to share this sentiment, giving high praise to its visuals and the performances of the cast. She also rated the movie with 8 out of 10 stars.

With these positive reviews, it’s a good sign for the How to Train Your Dragon franchise and Universal Pictures ahead of its release. Firstly, it alleviates many concerns about the remake’s necessity, following some criticism of its direct copy of the original. Even before the movie’s release, the studio had already confirmed the development of a live-action sequel, which will cover the events of the 2014 movie. The movie is scheduled for June 11, 2027. The first live-action is already projected to make around $80-100 million at the box office, which indicates the audience’s interest in the franchise regardless of the backlash and controversies.

Our Take On The Reviews For The How To Train Your Dragon Remake

How To Train Your Dragon’s Success Was Inevitable, Even In Live-Action

It’s no surprise that 2025’s How to Train Your Dragon has already gotten such positive reviews since the co-director of the animated movie also helmed the remake. Dean DeBlois’s involvement as director ensured that the story would be done right in live-action and capture what audiences loved about the original film. Additionally, since the 2025 movie is an almost exact recreation of the animated film, it has managed to stay true to the original when adapting such an acclaimed IP.

Live-action remakes of animated films have had a bad reputation as of late, particularly due to Disney’s recent batch of divisive films. Nevertheless, based on its reviews, How to Train Your Dragon seems like it will finally break this stigma and present a worthwhile remake that will reinvigorate the franchise for modern audiences.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes