For almost a decade, the How to train your dragon trilogy produced a heartbreaking coming-of-age story that focused on the bond between boy and beast. And now director Dean DeBlois – who directed all three animated films and co-directed the first film with Chris Sanders – is making the jump to live-action with the story that started it all. Yes, young Viking Hiccup and his not-so-scary dragon friend Toothless are about to take on a whole new dimension, as the island of Berk is summoned into real life.

As DeBlois tells Empirethe move to live-action places a different emphasis How to train your dragon; a new weight, both physically and emotionally. “It’s so complicated in its stakes – there’s a completely believable, photo-real dragon stomping around trying to kill it,” says the director, recalling the scene where Hiccup has to pretend to face Toothless for the benefit of Berk’s dragon-fearing people .

While much of the excitement will come from seeing how the adorable Toothless is depicted in this version of the story, there is also the matter of Hiccup – the little boy who defies tradition and comes to show his people that dragons are not necessarily the be an enemy. Enter Mason Thames, best known for his starring role in The black phone. Since the character “represents all the strange loners, and there are many of us,” DeBlois says, it seems like Thames was a perfect fit for inhabiting Dragon‘s young human hero. “There was a bit of awkwardness, but also a vulnerability for him that (came) with the fact that he was 15 when we auditioned him,” the director says. Prepare for an adjustment that gives Hiccup and Toothless… well, more teeth.

Read more about How to train your dragon in Empire‘s Ultimate 2025 Preview, led by Andor Season 2 – in the January 2025 issue. Order a copy online here. How to train your dragon coming to UK cinemas in June.