The live-action remake of ‘How to train your dragon’ finds his hiccup and Astrid

Universal’s live-action adaptation of DreamWorks Animation How to train your dragon it has found its human riders.

Mason Thames, who starred in the Universal horror film The black phoneand Nico Parker, the up-and-coming actress who was last seen on HBO The Last of Uswill play Hiccup and Astrid in the film directed by Dean DeBlois.

Universal dated the feature film for release as March 14, 2025, and is planning a film shoot this summer.

Using Cressida Cowell’s books as a starting point, How to train your dragon centered on the special friendship between a young and not very heroic Viking boy named Hiccup and Toothless, a wounded dragon that he nurses back to health. The films chronicled Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to fight humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the pain of getting over the loss of a parent, and first love.

Astrid’s character navigates her arc through the trilogy, going from someone who despises dragons to bonding with one of her own, and from a foil to Hiccup to becoming her confidant and eventual partner.

Jay Baruchel voiced Hiccup in the animated trilogy while Astrid was voiced by America Ferrera.

The search for the live-action counterparts took many months with the story looking for actors who could grow into the roles as much as the characters themselves have grown to maturity in the film franchise. The franchise was unique in that each installment made leaps in the ages of the protagonists to highlight life events and make it a true “coming of age” story.

DeBlois is writing and directing the project. Producers are three-time Best Picture Academy Award nominee Marc Platt and Adam Siegel via Marc Platt Productions.

Vice President of Production Development Lexi Barta will oversee the film on behalf of Universal.

15-year-old Thames appeared in three episodes of the acclaimed Apple TV drama, For all humanitybefore entering the benefit Black phoneScott Derrickson’s adaptation of the Joe Hill story produced by Blumhouse and released by Universal in 2022. The film proved to be a box office and commercial success, putting Thames on the radar for more teen roles.

The actor now has two movies in the can, coming of age comedy, Arrivingand adventure thrillers Summer boys with Mel Gibson. He is represented by WME and Brillstein Entertainment.

Parker made his lead debut in Tim Burton’s live-action adaptation of Dumbo, made by Disney in 2019. He worked on the HBO series The third day alongside Jude Law and Naomie Harris and appeared in Lisa Joy’s sci-fi film Reminiscence with Hugh Jackman. In The Last of Usone of HBO’s biggest hits in years, she played the daughter of the dangerous would-be lone wolf survivor played by Pedro Pascal.

The actress, who we will see next to Woody Harrelson and Laura Linney in Laura Chinn’s sun coast, is represented by WME and Curtis Brown.