The first trailer has been revealed for the new live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon was announced and is now set for release next year. The film features Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Gerard Butler, and Mason Thames.

Now, Universal Pictures has released the trailer for How to Train Your Dragon. Check it out below:

The trailer opens with a long shot of Berk, the Nordic island where How to Train Your Dragon is set. The voice of Butler's Stoick speaks to Hiccup, saying "When you carry this ax, you carry all of us with you." Hiccup maintains that he does not have it in him to kill dragons while showing a swarm of CGI dragons. As the trailer continues, more familiar story beats, including Hiccup's introduction to Toothless, are revealed. In addition to the trailer, the official @HTTYDragon page released a poster for the film, which can be found below:

What This Means For How To Train Your Dragon

How To Train Your Dragon Takes Inspiration From The Original

Link Image

Based on this trailer for How to Train Your Dragon, it seems the live-action version of the story will follow a very similar structure to the animated film. Like the animated movie, to prove himself as a Viking, Hiccup attempts to slay a dragon, but cannot bring himself to do so when he sees the soulful eyes of Toothless for the first time. The trailer ends by showing the first connection between Toothless and Hiccup, so the extent to which the How to Train Your Dragon live-action film follows the original remains to be seen.

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In addition to the story similarity, several elements are mimicked fairly directly from the animated film. The trailer's conclusion, for example, features the iconic shot in which Hiccup calmly lays his hand on Toothless' snout. The score at the end of the trailer also sounds nearly identical to that of the Oscar-nominated original score from the first movie. The latter detail makes sense because composer John Powell is returning to score the live-action film. The homage to the first movie suggests this live-action version will stay fairly faithful.

Our Take On The How To Train Your Dragon Trailer

The Design Choice Is A Risk

Hiccup holding Toothless' face in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

One of the most notable similarities between the previous How to Train Your Dragon trilogy and this trailer is the design of Toothless. While other characters look a little bit different from their original counterpart, Toothless is scaled to look nearly identical to the dragon in the animated How to Train Your Dragon. The sense of familiarity might endear people to the movie, but it might draw harsher comparisons. As this trailer rolls out, it will be interesting to see how audiences react to its visual style.

How to Train Your Dragon is set for release on June 13, 2025.

Source: Universal Pictures, HTTYDragon/X

How To Train Your Dragon (2025) Official Poster
How to Train Your Dragon
Release Date
June 13, 2025
Runtime
116 Minutes
Director
Dean DeBlois
Writers
Dean DeBlois
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Mason Thames
    Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
  • Headshot Of Nico Parker In The 2024 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises
    Astrid Hofferson
  • Headshot Of Gerard Butler
    Gerard Butler
    Stoick the Vast
  • Headshot Of Nick Frost
    Nick Frost
    Gobber the Belch

How to Train Your Dragon, set on the Viking island of Berk, follows Hiccup, a young Viking who challenges tradition by befriending a Night Fury dragon named Toothless. Their bond reveals new insights about dragons and transforms Viking society's understanding of these creatures.

Studio(s)
DreamWorks Pictures
Distributor(s)
Universal Pictures