Check this out:

Besides Hiccup (Mason Thames), the group includes Astrid (Nico Parker), Snotlout (Gabriel Howell), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison), Ruffnut (Bronwyn Hames), and Tuffnut (Harry Trevaldwyn). If you look closely, you’ll also see Nick Frost dressed as Hiccup’s mentor Gobber.

Admittedly, the movie is trying its best to look just like the original animated film—which was a visual spectacle all on its own. But based on what we saw in the featurette, there are already some changes in store. For one, the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut don’t look alike at all in the movie—with the two having a ‘C-3PO/R2-D2’ visual dynamic.

With original movie director Dean DeBlois at the helm, there’s no doubt that the live-action HTTYD will stay true to the spirit of the original movie. I just hope that there’s enough difference in this film to justify a live-action remake; because every animation fan just can’t seem to fathom why they would decide to remake a beloved film into live-action in the first place.

I mean, that’s something out of Disney’s wheelhouse.

Hopefully DeBlois can pull this off in live-action; and hopefully have some different surprises in store.

Catch How to Train Your Dragon when it comes to cinemas on June 13.

The movie is set to release in the summer of next year, and Universal Pictures just dropped their first teaser for the live-action How to Train Your Dragon. Check this out:

On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup (Mason Thames; The Black Phone, For All Mankind) stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler, reprising his voice role from the animated franchise), Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society.

If you’ve watched the original film, you’ll know that the live-action film takes a lot of visual cues from the animation. The dragon pit pretty much looks the same, as well as Hiccup’s moment with Toothless where the dragon lets him touch its nose.

With the original movie already being a spectacle by itself though, I’m curious if the live-action film has anything new to bring to the table. Sure a lot of the dragons look more detailed, but is there anything new to bring to the table storywise?

Maybe they can set-up characters like Hiccup’s mother and other franchise villains earlier, but I’m really hoping they go a different direction with the third film because that honestly could have been brushed up more storywise.

Dragons will soar in theatres when How to Train Your Dragon comes to cinemas on June 13.

According to Variety, the film has added Julian Dennison (Hunt for the Wilderpeople), Gabriel Howell (Bodies, Nightsleeper), Bronwyn James (Masters of Air, Wicked), and Harry Trevaldwyn (The Bubble) to the cast. They will play the rest of Hiccup’s peers who also find their own dragons to train.

Dennison will play Fishlegs, Howell will play Snotlout, and James and Trevaldwyn will be the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut. In the original animated film, the roles were played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fishlegs), Jonah Hill (Snotlout), Kirsten Wiig (Ruffnut), and T.J. Miller (Tuffnut).

Before the announce of thee cast members, we know that the How to Train Your Dragon live-action movie already hired Nick Frost as Gobber and Gerard Butler as Stoick; the main duo of Hiccup and Astrid will be played by Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us).

Though production is currently ongoing, we have yet to get an official look at any of the cast of the costumes. We don’t even know what a live-action Toothless is going to look like. With the way the dragons looks so cartoonish in the original animation, I’m wondering if they’re going to go a more realistic route with this adaptation.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

How to Train Your Dragon is set to come out June 13, 2025.

This was his post on IG:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dean DeBlois (@dean.deblois)

So far, only four cast members have been revealed; Gerard Butler will be reprising his role as Stoick the Vast in live-action and the movie has also cast Nick Frost to play Stoick’s friend and Hiccup’s trainer as Gobber. As for the lead roles of Hiccup and Astrid, the film has cast Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (Dumbo, The Last of Us).

It’s worth noting that DeBlois was also the original director behind the animated films; so fans can be assured that the live-action iteration is going to be in good hands. Then again, Dave Filoni has been praised for his work in animation, but I still think he’s the weakest director when it comes to the Disney+ Star Wars shows which are live-action.

With production just having recently started, it could be a while before we get our first look at the live-action How to Train Your Dragon. I’m just excited to know what kind of approach they have for the creature design, because they look fine for animation, but could be a bit silly for live-action.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

The live-action How to Train Your Dragon is expected to come out June 13, 2025.

Here’s the first look at gameplay for DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing:

An all-star cast of some of your favorite DreamWorks characters brings the fun and hilarity to high-speed kart racing action like never before! Race on 20 different DreamWorks-themed tracks, including Shrek’s Swamp, New York City Zoo from Madagascar, Isle of Berk, and more! 20 of the most iconic DreamWorks characters: Shrek, Po, Tigress, Puss in Boots, Hiccup, Astrid, Boss Baby, and other top favorites all come together in a kart racing experience like no other.

If an IP didn’t go the kart-racing route—like Disney with Disney Speedstorm—they usually go for a Smash Bros. clone like Nickelodeon did with their All-Star Brawler or WB with Multiversus. I guess you really can’t fault DreamWorks for trying to mine something out of their valuable IP; it may take a while to develop a full movie or a solo game, but with kart racing clones they can probably entice multiple fandoms to check out the game with several characters involved. Plus, they can save on the pre-development as kart racers and Smash clones already have specific formulas on how they work with just a few tweaks expected here and there.

We don’t know how DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing will last over time, but it should keep Shrek and How to Train Your Dragon fans interested as they wait for the next movies to come down the line in the next few years.

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is set to launch on Nov. 3.

As per insider Daniel Richtman (via The Direct), HHTYD directr Dean Deblois is said to be working on a live-action How to Train Your Dragon project for Universal. We don’t have any details besides that, but we can immediately assume the film will retell the story of Hiccup and Toothless as they discover the true nature of dragons together.

So far, there are three movies in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, with several spinoff series. The latest series, Dragons: The Nine Realms, actually takes place more than a thousand years after the time of Hiccup, and has modern-day kids discovering the existence of dragons.

 While I would understand if the live-action film would want to tell the story of Hiccup, I would actually love to have the story move forward and just pick-up after the events of Hidden World. Personally, I thought that Hidden World kind of missed the landing, especially when it came to the separation of both Hiccup and Toothless, but I would love to see the two reunite down the line in a film filled with more dragons and crazy villains.

A live-action How to Train Your Dragon hasn’t been officially announced, but you can catch Dragons: The Nine Realms now streaming on Peacock.

As per the official announcement, Kung Fu Panda 4 is in development and is set to release March 8, 2024. Here’s the post:

This is the moment you’ve all been waiting 4. #KungFuPanda 4 hits theaters on March 8, 2024. pic.twitter.com/7xufMNOgyL

— DreamWorks Animation (@Dreamworks) August 12, 2022

The last movie saw Po’s arc completed with him teaching all the villagers how to use Chi, so I’m curious what kind of story we would get for the fourth movie. If I were to make a guess, they could bring the story outside of China and have Po exploring all the different kinds of martial arts, but then again, they could go the legacy route and have Po deal with finding his protégé and who will become the next Dragon Warrior.

Though the movies weren’t as meme-worthy as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda still remains one of the more successful animated properties from DreamWorks, and it’s great that we might see another film. With the original Kung Fu Panda launched back in 2008, the franchise would be sixteen-years-old when KFP 4 releases in the next two years. I guess it’s safe to assume that we could get a story that’s a bit aged up. I mean, every animated film series tends to grow up with its original audience. They did it for the How To Train Your Dragon movies and Frozen 2; what are the odds the same will happen with Kung Fu Panda?

Catch Kung Fu Panda 4 when it hits theaters March 8, 2024.

Here’s the official description:

Set 1,300 years after the events of How To Train Your Dragon, dragons are now just a legend to the modern world. When a geological anomaly opens up an immense, miles-deep fissure in the Earth’s surface, scientists from all over the world gather at a new research facility to study the mysterious phenomenon. Soon a group of misfit kids, brought to the site by their parents, uncover the truth about dragons and where they’ve been hiding — a secret they must keep to themselves to protect what they’ve discovered.

While the pitch to have mythical creatures hang around in the modern day is interesting, it’s kind of sad to think that humans and dragons were never really able to co-exist again after the events of Hidden World. With the franchise’s main theme focused on the bond between Hiccup and Toothless, it’s kind of a lackluster end to suddenly have them separated.

Though I don’t expect Hiccup to make an appearance, I’m sure he’s going to be alluded to in some way in the series. Hopefully they manage to find a way to bring Dragons back to theaters because those movies were fantasy spectacles that deserve the blockbuster budget.

Catch Dragons: The Nine Realms when it premieres on Hulu and Peacock on Dec. 23.

Check it out:

With Hidden World ending with human and dragonkind separating worlds, it looks like the sequel is going to take place generations into the future (1300 years later, to be precise), hopefully in a time where humans and dragons can co-exist once again.

We don’t have any story breakdown, but we do have a blonde dragon rider on what looks to be a descendant of Toothless. I guess the series really leaned in on the dragons acting like cats, and they have this new night fury patterned after a modern house cat. Besides that, we have some modern buildings and windmills.

So far, the only cast member revealed for the show is Jeremy Shada (Adventure Time), and the showrunner will be John Tellegen. While I’m expecting a whole bunch of human characters to appear, we should also expect a new variety of dragons to make their debut in the show as well. Hopefully we can even see how the story of Hiccup ends, because it’s kind of tragic to think that he and Toothless never got to reunite with each other after The Hidden World.

Dragons: The Nine Realms comes to Hulu and Peacock on Dec. 23.

Source: Collider