Disney isn't the only studio betting big on live-action adaptations of beloved animation properties.
However, Universal and DreamWorks Animation have confirmed to Deadline that the upcoming live-action How To Train Your Dragon remake has been delayed due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike against the AMPTP.
The good news is that the film's release date has only been delayed by a few months as its release date has shifted from March 14, 2025, to June 13, 2025.
The bad news is that the SAG-AFTRA strike remains ongoing. While the two sides have reportedly made progress towards reaching a deal, it's been reported that the two sides remain very far apart on the important issue of AI and the usage of an actor's likeness.
Dean DeBlois, who wrote and directed all three animated How To Train Your Dragon films has signed on to write and direct the live-action film.
Mason Thames, who most recently starred in The Black Phone, is set to portray Hiccup. Nico Parker (daughter of Thandie Newton), who played Sarah Miller in The Last of Us, will portray Astrid.
The franchise, which has amassed over $1.6 billion worldwide at the box office, is based on the award-winning children's book series from Cressida Cowell.
The animated movie centers on Hiccup, a young Viking who becomes friends with Toothless the dragon. The Vikings of Berk, Hiccup's clan, have been at battle with dragons for many years, but Hiccup questions these customs and learns that dragons are not as terrifying as many believe them to be.
The film series has been acclaimed for depicting Hiccup and Toothless' connection and demonstrating how friendship can transcend prejudice and fear. The film franchise is also appreciated for Hiccup's transformation into a hero who stands up for what he believes in even when everyone else is against him.
How To Train Your Dragon Official Synopsis: A winning mixture of adventure, slapstick comedy, and friendship, How to Train Your Dragon rivals Kung Fu Panda as the most engaging and satisfying film DreamWorks Animation has produced. Hiccup (voice by Jay Baruchel) is a failure as a Viking: skinny, inquisitive, and inventive, he asks questions and tries out unsuccessful contraptions when he's supposed to be fighting the dragons that attack his village.
His father, chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), has pretty much given up on his teenage son and apprenticed him to blacksmith Gobber (Craig Ferguson). Worse, Hiccup knows the village loser hasn't a chance of impressing Astrid (America Ferrera), the girl of his dreams and a formidable dragon fighter in her own right. When one of Hiccup's inventions actually works, he hasn't the heart to kill the young dragon he's brought down. He names it Toothless and befriends it, although he's been taught to fear and loathe dragons.