How to Train Your Dragon Director on Bringing Toothless to Live-Action (Exclusive)

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Exactly fifteen years ago, DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon” graced the big screen, marking the beginning of a cherished series!

The fantastically animated film “How to Train Your Dragon,” based on the book by Cressida Cowell, was ingeniously brought to life by renowned animation writers/directors Chris Sanders (The Wild Robot) and Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch). This movie turned out to be a massive critical success, a financial giant ($500 million in worldwide earnings), and even received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

78 days from now, I’ll be thrilled to witness DeBlois’ fresh take on the live-action/animated version of “How to Train Your Dragon”! This new rendition promises exciting updates on our cherished characters like Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (Mason Thames), Astrid Hofferson (Nico Parker), and Toothless the Night Fury dragon. Can’t wait!

Dean DeBlois talks How to Train Your Dragon live-action feature film

In a fresh Instagram post, the director/writer of the upcoming adaptation, DeBlois, paid tribute to the lasting impact of the How to Train Your Dragon book series and movie franchise.

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Recently, we had an exclusive conversation with DeBlois, who shared insights on how his upcoming live-action “HTTYD” movie maintains creative links to its earlier animated counterparts and discussed the intricate difficulties in translating animated characters into reality.

Dean DeBlois reveals a specific connection between the animated & live-action How to Train Your Dragon films

In the animated trilogy of “How to Train Your Dragon,” DreamWorks Animation vividly depicted the realm of Berk and its dragons. However, when it came to the live-action version, Framestore – a British visual effects and computer animation studio – along with their team, collaborated with Dean DeBlois to make the animated dragons appear authentic within the real-world sets and locations of the Isle of Berk.

As a gaming enthusiast, I can’t help but share my excitement about collaborating with the brilliant minds at Framestore. Their passion for preserving the magic of the animated realm and crafting a stunning hybrid, live-action experience is truly contagious!

Deblois shared that animators are particularly excited about tasks like this one. “In fact, we had so many talented individuals eager to work on this project within Framestore that we had a wealth of choices,” he explained. To ensure the best results, they even invited Simon Otto, head of character animation in animated films, to collaborate with their animators and discuss references and performances. The team has also licensed methods to create emotive dragons without resorting to overly cartoonish stereotypes.

The director made it clear that their method for animating dragons compatible with Vikings wasn’t anthropomorphic. Instead, they aimed to convey emotions similar to those of pets such as dogs and cats. They spent a considerable amount of time discussing how to express these emotions without losing the expected charm of a character while still staying within appropriate boundaries. However, they admitted that they had momentarily crossed this line but then returned because it no longer felt like an animal.

It’s all in the eyes: the key to making How to Train Your Dragon‘s Toothless real in any medium

In any medium, Toothless – the wordless yet deeply expressive Night Fury dragon discovered injured by Hiccup in the forest – serves as the emotional core of the franchise’s tale. When viewers grow attached to him, they are essentially embarking on the story together.

Deblois emphasized that from the outset, it was essential for the success of this live-action adaptation to develop a CGI Toothless who could interact realistically within our world’s physics, while still delivering a captivating performance.

In Deblois’ words, Toothless is a unique case because his oversized eyes, which are unnatural even for a whale, presented a challenge. Reducing their size made him less appealing and less likeable very quickly. Therefore, we had to strike a balance where we could exaggerate nature by enlarging his eyes, but also emphasize the realistic details such as rippling muscles, convincing scales, textures, wet gums, and teeth. Our hope is that we can convince you with these details that Toothless could coexist with other animals and humans. In the end, I hope you’ll watch it and say, “I believe it. That character seems real.” Maybe I’m too close to it, but I have faith that this will be the outcome.

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2025-03-27 17:31