At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, attendees were treated to an advance screening of Universal Pictures’ live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, and the overall reaction was overwhelmingly positive.
The film, written and directed by Dean DeBlois, is based on the DreamWorks animated movies, which DeBlois also worked on. The cast includes Mason Thames (The Black Phone) and Nico Parker (The Last of Us) as Hiccup and Astrid, alongside Gerard Butler, who reprises his role as Hiccup’s father, Stoick the Vast, from the original films.
The screening at CinemaCon was a preview of the film before its theatrical release in June, and was attended by film industry professionals, invited media, and content creators. io9’s Germain Lussier was in attendance, and here are his thoughts:
The live-action #HowToTrainYourDragon captures the magic of the original in almost every way. All the big moments are there, all the heart and excitement too. Wonderful performances all around. My only gripe is the new stuff, while good and subtle, never elevates things enough. pic.twitter.com/4ReJ9WQYE2
— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) April 2, 2025
Other attendees also shared their reactions on social media:
#HowToTrainYourDragon is excellent!! It is by far one of the best live-action adaptations, but I still prefer the animated film. The casting is perfect, and the emotion is palpable. Thanks to its acting and character dynamics, I was emotionally engrossed, and I did fall in love… pic.twitter.com/wGvFPjhMj7
— Rosa Parra (@rosasreviews) April 2, 2025
#HowToTrainYourDragon was, simply, incredible. The flight scenes were awe-inspiring, that action was dynamic/riveting, and it retains all the heart and humor along the way. Wasn’t exactly sold on this live-action remake before, but I’m blown away. #CinemaCon https://t.co/78sN7t6FFT pic.twitter.com/85r1mW4rA0
— Jordan Maison @CinemaCon (@JordanMaison) April 2, 2025
#HowToTrainYourDragon is the best live-action adaptation film I’ve seen. Big fan of the original, and it was everything that I wanted to see- the score, the acting, and the VFX were PERFECT.
Cried a few times. I’ve never loved a CGI creature more than Toothless. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/X8IgYvfoEu
— Dorian Parks (@DorianParksnRec) April 2, 2025
How to Train Your Dragon does live action remakes of animated classics right. Dean DeBlois nigh perfectly adapted the original. It’s like watching a classic in a whole new experience. It exceeded all my expectations! #HowToTrainYourDragon #CinemaCon #CinemaCon2025 pic.twitter.com/XFIvowCyux
— Jeffrey Harris (@Wheeljack83) April 2, 2025
Took the family to see a screening of the live action #HowToTrainYourDragon movie, coming out this June, they LOVED it, here with director @DeanDeBlois and Christian and Glen from Framestore #❤️🐉 #ToothlessForever #dragonsareREAL pic.twitter.com/tNiUQVMMGX
— Cressida Cowell (@CressidaCowell) Source Link
