The live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is coming soon, and the franchise’s most gut-wrenching moment will be even more impactful. The 2025 remake recreates the animated film beautifully, but it is nearly a sH๏τ-for-sH๏τ remake.
The story remains the same, and most of the film’s most iconic scenes and dialogue are essentially carbon copies of the original. Still, it’s hard not to get swept away by the remake as the DreamWorks movie is beloved for good reason, and so is its sequel. Since director Dean Deblois is returning for 2027’s HTTYD 2, it’s likely it will remain similar to the animated sequel.
There are many reasons to be excited about the upcoming sequel, including the possible return of Cate Blanchett as Valka, Hiccup’s mother, and Djimon Hounsou as Drago, the film’s main antagonist. However, HTTYD 2 also includes Stoick’s death, and I’m dreading how much more that scene is going to hurt in live-action.
Stoick’s Death Is Going To Hit Way Harder In How To Train Your Dragon 2’s Remake
The Remake Made Stoick More Compelling
In the first HTTYD, Stoick is a likable but complex character. He loves his son, but is disappointed in Hiccup’s lack of killer instinct. When he discovers his son’s gift for training dragons, he’s initially disgusted, as he has only known hatred and war with the creatures. However, he eventually accepts his son’s perspective and learns to adopt Hiccup’s ways for the betterment of his people.
Gerard Butler reprises the role in the 2025 remake and proves that nobody else can play the Viking. He brings the same masculine, tough persona to the How to Train Your Dragon character, but still makes him charismatic. The character is also improved in a few ways, as he has a stronger connection to his people, including Astrid, and a more satisfying arc regarding his relationship with Hiccup.
His death in the sequel is upsetting for several reasons beyond the fact that he sacrifices himself to save his son from a brainwashed Toothless. The pair finally work as a team, and it’s shattered in a moment where Stoick shows the ultimate form of love for Hiccup. It also occurs shortly after Valka reunites with them, allowing a brief time when their family is restored.
Seeing the other characters’ reactions will also be devastating, as Mason Thames, Nico Parker, and Blanchett can deliver the necessary emotion for this sequence.
While audiences can prepare for this scene in the sequel, it will likely be even more heartbreaking. Butler is perfect in the role, and it will be sad to see him go, even though this is where his character’s story ends. Seeing the other characters’ reactions will also be devastating, as Mason Thames, Nico Parker, and Blanchett can deliver the necessary emotion for this sequence.
Even though audiences know what’s coming, many of the most affecting scenes from the animated film hit the same in live-action. DeBlois knows how to recreate his own scenes, and he will likely deliver the same gut-punch to Stoick’s death in How to Train Your Dragon 2.
