The How to Train Your Dragon live-action movie is coming in hot—literally. The first official trailer just dropped, and guess what? Gerard Butler is back, ready to shout dramatic Viking dad wisdom at his son once again.
Hiccup, Dragons, and Questionable Viking Parenting Choices
The new adaptation follows the same classic “What if Vikings stopped fighting dragons and just… chilled?” storyline. We’ve got Mason Thames as the scrawny, misunderstood Hiccup, Nico Parker as the take-no-nonsense Astrid, and Nick Frost as Gobber, the village’s local blacksmith who probably has a degree in unsolicited life advice.
In case you’ve been living under a rock (or maybe a dragon-sized boulder), here’s a refresher: Berk is a rough-and-tumble Viking island where dragons are considered public enemy number one—kind of like raccoons in a suburban neighborhood, but much bigger and way more flammable. Hiccup, son of Chief Stoick the Vast (played once again by Gerard Butler, because who else could yell “HICCUP!” with such fatherly disappointment?), isn’t exactly your typical Viking. Instead of smashing things with an axe, he prefers, you know, innovation—which, in Viking terms, is basically witchcraft.
But then Hiccup does the unthinkable—he befriends Toothless, a Night Fury dragon who looks like a cross between a salamander and a very misunderstood puppy. Suddenly, everything Hiccup knows about dragons is flipped on its horned head. Could dragons actually be nice? Do they have to set things on fire? Will his dad ever stop giving him disapproving looks?
Dragons, Drama, and an Existential Viking Crisis
Of course, it wouldn’t be How to Train Your Dragon movie without some high-stakes Viking drama. Enter Astrid, the fiercest warrior-in-training with zero patience for Hiccup’s nonsense, and a whole cast of villagers who are either extremely brave or extremely confused. Together, they must navigate the chaos of humans and dragons trying to coexist—oh, and also, deal with an ancient threat that could destroy everything. No pressure.
The film also stars Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, and Murray McArthur—aka, a lineup of people who are about to spend a LOT of time dodging dragon fire and pretending to ride invisible CGI creatures.
When Can You Witness Viking Mayhem?
The live-action How to Train Your Dragon will swoop into theaters on June 13th—so start practicing your best battle cry and emotionally prepare yourself for the inevitable “Dad, please believe in me” speech. It’s going to be legendary.
