Unraveling Insights Provided by the Director of How to Train Your Dragon, Regarding Frequently Asked Conundrums
As I trekked towards Universal recently, I was brimming with questions about the upcoming live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon. The film, with its recently unveiled trailer, is a revamp of one of my beloved—and arguably among the finest—recent animated masterpieces. It's nothing short of a cinematic triumph, teeming with emotion, thrill, and perfection. So, the enormity of remaking it left me perplexed. "Why such a revival? Is it purely for the financial windfall? Will fans derive any benefit from it?" These questions echoed in my thoughts as I attended a presentation by writer-director Dean DeBlois. And to my surprise, responses to these queries—and several others—started to unfurl.
Firstly, it's important to understand that DeBlois himself harbored a lukewarm sentiment towards live-action remakes, viewing them only as viable options when there exists a compelling reason to do so. For How to Train Your Dragon, the enticing proposition was the chance to delve deeper into the characters, particularly Astrid, who were somewhat underdeveloped in the original film. Furthermore, explore the rich mythology of the Viking world. DeBlois characterized the live-action version as the definitive vision he would've crafted if they'd had the time and resources in 2010.
This notion was making itself evident in the first scene DeBlois presented, a reimagined version of an argument between the young Vikings—Hiccup (Mason Thames), Astrid (Nico Parker), Fishlegs (Julian Dennison), et al.—and some dragons. The new iteration expanded upon the humor in the original, placing more emphasis on Astrid's commanding presence and how it shaped her personality.
Another question that had intrigued me was how the dragons would manifest in the live-action version. Would they retain their iconic appearance, or be redesigned to fit the new medium? DeBlois explained that they aimed to maintain the distinctive silhouettes and personalities of the dragons, while also giving them a more formidable and realistic edge. In essence, the dragons would retain their animated essence, paired with live-action sensibilities.
The dragons' design was also behind one of my other burning questions: would composer John Powell reprise his iconic score for the live-action version? Powell was, according to DeBlois, engaged in composing a new score, balancing the need to preserve the beloved aspects of the original while infusing some novelty.
The evening culminated in the showing of the film's most memorable scene: Hiccup's pacifist revelation, which would effectively change his father's—played by Gerard Butler—perception of dragons. While the tone and plot remained largely faithful to the animated film, some additional details—such as Hiccup's dragon adversary being literally engulfed in flames—gave the new scene a fresh feel that successfully built upon the original.
In keeping with the film's upcoming release, I broached the topic of the proposed How to Train Your Dragon theme park within Universal's Epic Universe, and how it might interact with the film's creation. DeBlois revealed that the park's creators had presented their vision to him roughly a year prior, basing the project on How to Train Your Dragon 2, and offering a more child-friendly adaptation. DeBlois admitted he was intrigued to check it out but was keeping his expectations in check.
As I recapped the evening, it became clear that this live-action adaptation was not merely an exercise in recapturing past successes. Rather, it was a unique chance to rekindle the world of How to Train Your Dragon in a brand-new medium, infusing it with new life, dimensions, and experiences. With a renewed sense of excitement, I looked forward to the film’s June 13 release.
The writer-director, Dean DeBlois, mentioned that he saw the live-action version as an opportunity to delve deeper into underdeveloped characters like Astrid and explore the rich Viking mythology, which is a significant aspect of the 'future' adaptation of 'How to Train Your Dragon'. In the upcoming movie on Io9, fans can expect to see the dragons with a more formidable and realistic edge, retaining their animated essence alongside live-action sensibilities.
