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How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is a live-action reimagining of DreamWorks’ 2010 animated adventure. Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, who also directed the original trilogy, the film brings Hiccup, Toothless and the Viking island of Berk into a physically filmed world with digitally created dragons.
The movie is no longer an upcoming release: it opened in U.S. theaters on June 13, 2025. Here is the confirmed release information, trailer timeline, cast, story setup, technical details and current home-viewing options.
What is How to Train Your Dragon (2025) about?
The story follows Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the inventive but underestimated son of Stoick the Vast, chief of the Viking settlement of Berk. Berk’s people have spent generations fighting dragons, but Hiccup’s life changes when he encounters and befriends a wounded Night Fury he names Toothless.
That relationship forces Hiccup to question the assumptions behind Berk’s war with dragons. The central conflict remains familiar to viewers of the animated film: Hiccup must decide whether to follow the violent traditions of his community or prove that Vikings and dragons can understand one another.
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- Runtime: 126 minutes
The 2025 production is based on the first animated film, which was loosely adapted from Cressida Cowell’s book series. It is a live-action feature rather than a new animated installment; the dragons are digitally created within a live-action production.
How to Train Your Dragon release date
The film was released theatrically in the United States on June 13, 2025. Some international listings used June 12, 2025, so the exact opening date depended on the market.
Universal originally planned to release the film on March 14, 2025. Production delays associated with the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes led to the move to June. The old March date should not be treated as the current release date.
Trailer release dates
Universal released several major pieces of video promotion in the run-up to the theatrical opening:
| Trailer or promotion | Release date |
|---|---|
| Official teaser trailer | November 19, 2024 |
| Official full trailer | February 12, 2025 |
| IMAX trailer | May 6, 2025 |
The IMAX campaign promoted the film as part of the Filmed For IMAX program. The trailers highlight Berk, Hiccup’s first encounter with Toothless, the Viking-dragon conflict and the scale of the film’s flying and battle sequences.
Cast and characters
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Mason Thames | Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III |
| Nico Parker | Astrid Hofferson |
| Gerard Butler | Stoick the Vast |
| Nick Frost | Gobber the Belch |
| Gabriel Howell | Snotlout |
| Julian Dennison | Fishlegs |
| Bronwyn James | Ruffnut |
| Harry Trevaldwyn | Tuffnut |
Peter Serafinowicz and Ruth Codd also appear in supporting roles.
Gerard Butler is the notable principal performer returning from the animated films. He voiced Stoick in the original trilogy and plays Stoick on screen in the live-action version. The other main young characters are played by a new live-action cast, including Mason Thames as Hiccup and Nico Parker as Astrid.
Who made the film?
Dean DeBlois wrote and directed the 2025 film. His involvement is significant because he co-directed the original How to Train Your Dragon and directed its two sequels. The new film therefore comes from the filmmaker most closely associated with the original trilogy’s storytelling and visual identity.
- Writer and director: Dean DeBlois
- Producers: Marc Platt, Dean DeBlois and Adam Siegel
- Music: John Powell
- Source material: Cressida Cowell’s book series
- Rating: PG for sequences of intense action and peril
- Runtime: 2 hours, 5 minutes
John Powell also scored the animated trilogy, making his return one of the film’s clearest creative links to the earlier movies. His score retains the sense of aerial movement and sweeping adventure associated with the original series while supporting the live-action setting.
Where can you watch How to Train Your Dragon?
The film moved from theaters to home viewing in stages:
- Digital rental and purchase: available from July 15, 2025.
- 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD: released August 12, 2025.
- Prime Video: Amazon’s U.S. listing currently offers the film to rent or buy. A Prime membership is not required for those transactions.
Amazon’s listed U.S. prices are $19.99 to rent and $29.99 to buy. A rental gives customers 30 days to begin watching and 48 hours to finish after playback starts. Digital prices and platform availability can change, particularly outside the United States, so check the store serving your region before renting or buying.
Is there a How to Train Your Dragon sequel?
A live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2 is planned for U.S. theatrical release on June 11, 2027. The sequel’s scheduled date indicates that Universal is treating the 2025 film as the beginning of a new live-action series rather than a one-off remake.
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The basic premise and principal characters come from the 2010 film, but the presentation is different. Instead of animation carrying every element of the world, the remake combines live-action performances and locations with digitally created dragons and effects. That changes the texture of Berk, the sense of physical scale and the way Toothless interacts with Hiccup.
It is best understood as a new screen version of the same foundational story, not as a continuation of the animated trilogy. Viewers should also avoid assuming that the original cast has reunited: Butler is the major returning principal actor, while the rest of the central live-action ensemble is new.
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When was How to Train Your Dragon (2025) released?
It opened in U.S. theaters on June 13, 2025. Some international markets listed June 12, 2025.
Is How to Train Your Dragon (2025) animated?
No. It is a live-action production featuring digitally created dragons. It reimagines DreamWorks’ 2010 animated film.
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Who plays Hiccup and Toothless?
Mason Thames plays Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. Toothless is a digitally created dragon rather than a character portrayed by an on-screen actor.
Where can I watch the 2025 film at home?
It is available to rent or buy digitally, including through Prime Video in the United States. Physical 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD editions were released on August 12, 2025. Availability and pricing vary by region.
The Bottom Line
How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is Dean DeBlois’ live-action reworking of the Hiccup and Toothless story. It stars Mason Thames, Nico Parker and Gerard Butler, opened in U.S. theaters on June 13, 2025, and is now available through digital and physical home-release formats. A live-action sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, is scheduled for June 11, 2027.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
