Yesterday, Universal Pictures released the first official teaser trailer for the live-action How to train your dragon film. While the trailer got all the high marks that moviegoers have come to expect from Hollywood’s trend of making live-action remakes of beloved animated classics, a very vocal majority of people online dismissed the film’s entire existence. Now, 24 hours after the trailer’s release, the director of the animated and live-action film has broken his silence, justifying the upcoming film as a worthwhile adventure.

In a first video on YouTube, director Dean DeBlois – sporting the most comfortable-looking sweater in the world – cuts straight to the chase and explains why he helmed a live-action remake of the beloved DreamWorks animated film.

“I decided to visit it again How to train your dragon because it felt like an amazing opportunity to not only direct a live-action film, but also to jump back into a world that I honestly miss,” said DeBlois.

The three-time Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning director continued to express his love for the series, noting his appreciation for films that weave a poignant message into their captivating adventures.

“My hope is that those who… How to train your dragon movies will want to see what we did because it comes from love and respect,” he continued. “This whole thing is one big gigantic adventure and I wake up every day with a feeling of gratitude that I get to do this.”

Along with DeBlois’ justification for the live-action film’s existence was a heartwarming moment that captured the moment he revealed that actors Mason Thames and Nico Parker were given the roles of Hiccup and Astrid.

“When it comes to Nico and Mason, these two just came alive in the room and suddenly I felt like they both embodied the core characters of Hiccup and Astrid in a way that no one else could,” DeBlois said. DeBlois’ co-signing of the two young leads couldn’t have come at a better time, as social media has already spawned racist hate campaigns against Parker for being cast in a movie about flying dragons while black.

The first animation How to train your dragon film, based on Cressida Cowell’s best-selling book, was released in 2010. It follows a young Viking named Hiccup who befriends a dragon named Toothless. Together they embark on a clandestine journey, deepening their friendship while hiding their newly forged bond from Hiccup’s tribe, known for slaying dragons. The series subsequently received two sequels, five short films and two TV series. Only time will tell whether the live-action film will live up to the high bar set by the original animated film, or whether it will become yet another drop in the bucket of Hollywood’s obsession with live-action filmmaking.

How to train your dragon releases in theaters on June 13, 2025.

Want more io9 news? Find out when to expect the latest releases from Marvel, Star Wars and Star Trek, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.