How to Train Your Dragon
Short description
On the island of Berk, Vikings and dragons have been enemies for generations, and Hiccup has never fit in with his tribe's warrior traditions. The inventive but underestimated son of chief Stoick surprises everyone when he befriends Toothless, a Night Fury, a dragon type his people dread. What grows between them shows that dragons are not the monsters the Vikings believe them to be, which puts the community's long-held assumptions under strain. Hiccup faces this alongside the determined Astrid and the village blacksmith Gobber.
The film is a live-action retelling of the 2010 animated feature of the same name, directed and written by Dean DeBlois, who also directed the animated trilogy that began with that film and continued with parts two and three. Mason Thames plays Hiccup, with Nico Parker as Astrid, Gerard Butler returning as Stoick, Nick Frost as Gobber, and Gabriel Howell and Julian Dennison among the supporting cast. DeBlois produces with Marc Platt and Adam Siegel.
Made for about 150 million dollars, the film took in roughly 637 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.7 from about 128,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.9 from over 3,000 votes, while the critics' score stands at 6.8 from 261 reviews, so audiences have rated it somewhat more warmly than critics did.
What's left behind the scenes
- The director, screenwriter, and producer Dean DeBlois himself played the episodic role of a fat Viking.
- According to Dean DeBlois, a test drive scene was cut from the film during editing, in which Hiccup and Toothless are hindered by mischievous baby dragons. DeBlois explained that it slowed down the overall pace of the story and overloaded the audience with unnecessary information. He also didn’t consider a scene in which Astrid, played by Nico Parker, almost bumped into Toothless to be particularly important.
- Mason Thames traveled to London for auditions several times. For approximately two weeks after that, he didn't hear back from anyone and assumed he hadn't been cast, but then director, screenwriter, and producer Dean DeBlois called him and asked if Thames would like to play Hiccup.
- While working on the film in Ireland, Gerard Butler's mother fell ill, and the actor would travel to Scotland to visit her on weekends. She passed away in February 2025, and at the decision of director and screenwriter Dean DeBlois, the film is dedicated to her memory. DeBlois discussed this idea with the management of Universal Pictures and included dedication lines in the final credits. This came as a surprise to Butler.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
