To celebrate the hugely anticipated release of the live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, we had the pleasure of chatting to the film’s stars and director to find out more.
On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone, For All Mankind) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.
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With the fierce and ambitious Astrid (BAFTA nominee Nico Parker; Dumbo, The Last of Us) and the village’s quirky blacksmith Gobber (Nick Frost; Snow White and the Huntsman, Shaun of the Dead) by his side, Hiccup confronts a world torn by fear and misunderstanding.
As an ancient threat emerges, endangering both Vikings and dragons, Hiccup’s friendship with Toothless becomes the key to forging a new future. Together, they must navigate the delicate path toward peace, soaring beyond the boundaries of their worlds and redefining what it means to be a hero and a leader.
Firstly, we speak to the new iterations of Hiccup and Astrid, namely Mason Thames and Nico Parker, who tell us about the unique pressures of bringing the story and characters to life, how they helped bring their own spins on the famous roles, working with amazing puppets to help them “feel” the dragons and Toothless, and the art of dragon flying.
Next, director Dean DeBlois tells us about his challenges in bringing the film to live-action after co-directing the original animations, the undertaking it took to get Berk and the dragons into the real world, why having puppets on set was key to making the story work and how his work on classic cartoon The Racoons helped mould his career.
You can watch the full interviews below:
How to Train Your Dragon opens in UK cinemas on June 9th.
