Universal Studios Announces Live-Action Remake of “How to Train Your Dragon 2”

by Annika April 3, 2025

Universal Studios is preparing for the release of its live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon 2”, set to open in cinemas on June 11, 2027. The announcement was made during CinemaCon, with franchise veterans Dean DeBlois, Mason Thames, and Nico Parker returning for the sequel project. The first live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” is scheduled for release on June 13.

Universal Studios Announces Live-Action Remake of “How to Train Your Dragon 2”

– Universal announced the release of a live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2, set to premiere on June 11, 2027.
– Returning members of the original franchise include Dean DeBlois as director and writer, Mason Thames as Hiccup, and Nico Parker as Astrid.
– This remake intends to provide depth in character relationships and mythology that may have been lacking in the original, according to DeBlois.

Universal Studios has announced its plan for a live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2. The movie’s release date was publicized during the studio’s presentation at CinemaCon on Wednesday, as it’s set to make its debut in cinemas on June 11, 2027. The first live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, which is a retelling of the 2010 DreamWorks Animation’s hit by the same name, is scheduled to premiere on June 13.

The second installment of the franchise will see Dean DeBlois returning to both write and direct. He will be joined by Mason Thames, reprising his role as Hiccup, and Nico Parker, back as Astrid. DeBlois has been a part of the franchise from the start and has even directed this year’s How to Train Your Dragon, which is a live-action remake of the 2010 film he co-directed with Chris Sanders.

During the event, DeBlois, Parker, and fellow actor Gerard Butler made the sequel announcement. Universal is enthusiastic about the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, as evidenced by the first complete film – chronicling Hiccup’s kinship with the dragon Toothless – being screened earlier Wednesday for attendees of CinemaCon.

The animated version of How to Train Your Dragon 2 was released in 2014 and starred the vocal talents of Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, and America Ferrera. The Oscar-nominated movie’s narrative follows Hiccup (voiced by Baruchel) and Toothless as they unearth a scheme to control an army of dragons.

At a press briefing regarding the newly live-action reboot of How to Train Your Dragon that The Hollywood Reporter attended earlier this year, DeBlois went into detail about the thinking behind this summer’s film.

DeBlois explained that due to a demanding production timetable and restricted resources with the initial DreamWorks film, there were aspects they overlooked. He mentioned that there were characters and relationship depths they could have done more justice to, and with the reimagination of the story, these exclusions were meticulously dealt with. This new film maintains faithfulness to the original story while embellishing character relationships, adding depth, and enhancing the mythology that was perhaps absent originally.

The franchise was originally conceived by author Cressida Cowell in her book series. In the live-action films, DeBlois, Marc Platt, and Adam Siegel are acting as producers.