The first full-length official trailer has landed for How to Train Your Dragon, Universal’s live-action adaptation of the 2010 DreamWorks Animation hit. The film is both written and directed by Dean DeBlois, who also helmed the animated trilogy. Take a look above.
The story follows Hiccup (Mason Thames, The Black Phone), an awkward but inventive young Viking who’s never quite fit in among his dragon-slaying kin. His world shifts when he encounters a rare Night Fury and, instead of killing it, chooses to befriend it—challenging everything his people believe about dragons. His decision puts him in direct conflict with his father, Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated films), and forces him to forge his own path. With the determined Astrid (Nico Parker, The Last of Us) and the village’s eccentric blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost, Shaun of the Dead) by his side, Hiccup sets out on a journey that could reshape Berk’s future.
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The supporting cast includes Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), Gabriel Howell (Bodies), Bronwyn James (Wicked), Harry Trevaldwyn (Smothered), Ruth Codd (The Midnight Club), Peter Serafinowicz (Guardians of the Galaxy), and Murray McArthur (Game of Thrones).
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise’s mix of heartfelt storytelling, strong character work, and stunning animation has drawn it a massive following over the years. The films collectively earned four Academy Award nominations and a worldwide gross of over $US1.6 billion. So, the pressure is definitely on for this adaptation to deliver.
The film is part of the Filmed for IMAX Program, which offers filmmakers IMAX technology to help deliver grand visuals. And on that front, the trailer looks gorgeous, though it remains to be seen whether the film can capture the emotional depth and heart that made the original so resonant. Given how well the CG animation has held up over the years, some may wonder if a live-action retelling is even necessary—Toothless looks nearly identical to his animated counterpart, which highlights the conundrum (if the design were too different, fans would be up in arms, but if it’s all the same… ). Whether this adaptation can stand alongside its predecessor or ends up feeling like a beat-for-beat retread remains to be seen. Hopefully, it does the original justice.
How to Train Your Dragon is set to open in Australian cinemas on June 12th and in the U.S. on June 13th.
