The director of How to Train Your Dragon explains why the remake cut a beloved Hiccup and Toothless scene. Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, DreamWorks’ 2025 live-action film is an adaptation of both the animated How to Train Your Dragon and Cressida Cowell’s children’s book series of the same name. The movie follows Hiccup (Mason Thames), a young Viking who defies tradition when he befriends a dragon, ultimately changing his world forever. The film carefully balances familiarity with new material. However, according to DeBlois, one iconic scene from the original had to be cut from the final product.

In a recent interview with Variety, DeBlois, who also wrote and directed the animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, revealed that a post “Test Drive” scene where Hiccup and Toothless are interrupted by a group of mischievous little dragons was cut during editing. Although the scene was sH๏τ in its entirety, DeBlois explained it was cut because it slowed down the film’s pacing and offered redundant information. Similarly, another scene where Astrid (Nico Parker) almost discovers Toothless was deemed non-essential. Read the director’s full comments below:

The scenes we cut were actually filmed. When Hiccup and Toothless are resting after the midpoint scene of what we call the “Test drive,” and they look to the sky together, they’re accosted by little terrors that try to steal their fish. Hiccup observes that dragons are not so fireproof. In the film, it felt like it was dragging the pace down, and it was delivering information that we were already getting. It was cute, but it wasn’t contributing anything, and if anything, it was actually causing it to sag in terms of its pacing. Similarly, another scene that we trimmed was a moment when Astrid nearly catches Hiccup red-handed. He’s snuck Toothless into the blacksmith stall, and it’s the middle of the night. Astrid finds him there, and he’s trying to cover up and dissuade her from investigating any further. Toothless is making a bunch of noise inside the blacksmith stall, and it was a near miss. It was a cute moment, another bit of Hiccup’s flawed flirting and Astrid’s aggression and suspicion. She wants to get to the bottom of what’s going on. But it was slowing the pace down, and so both scenes will exist as bonus content when we eventually put out the home video version of the movie.

What The Cut Scenes Mean For How To Train Your Dragon

The Deleted Scenes Show How Carefully The Remake Was Crafted

This makes it clear that the How to Train Your Dragon remake is not just copying and pasting the original; it’s fine-tuning it. Though the deleted scenes were filmed and included meaningful character interactions, they didn’t offer anything new to the story. By removing them, the filmmakers were prioritizing clarity and momentum over nostalgia or filler moments. While sequences like the “little terrors” attack or Astrid’s late-night quest might have worked before, these edits reflect the intent of keeping the narrative focused, emotionally engaging, and accessible to new and returning audiences.

The decision to save these scenes for the home release also shows an understanding of the audience. Viewers who love the lore and were perhaps upset that those moments were missing from the movie can still enjoy them without them interfering with the theatrical pacing. Rather than overstuffing the film with redundant scenes, the team chose to streamline the story and offer the cut scenes as bonuses. This strategy shows how carefully this remake was thought out and demonstrates exactly why How to Train Your Dragon is a box-office success.

Our Take On How To Train Your Dragon’s Deleted Scenes

Bonus Scenes Add Value Without Disrupting The Final Cut

While it’s always bittersweet to learn about deleted scenes, especially when they sound as charming as these, DeBlois’ explanation makes sense. Every movie has to find its rhythm, and in the case of How to Train Your Dragon, the live-action remake had to walk a тιԍнтrope between pacing and fan service.

Cute moments like Hiccup’s near-miss with him or Toothless dealing with fish-stealing dragons would have delighted longtime fans, but if they slowed the narrative or fell into redundancy, their removal was a smart call. It’s better to leave audiences wanting more of How to Train Your Dragon than risk overstaying a scene’s welcome.

Source: Variety