How To Train Your Dragon Remake: A Nostalgia Trap That Needs To Fail

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Summary

  • The live-action remake of How To Train Your Dragon looks to copy the success of Disney but lacks originality.
  • Dreamworks risks hindering innovation by prioritizing reboots over fresh ideas in animation studios.
  • Fans should skip the 2025 film to support the creation of new and original animated stories.

2010’s “How To Train Your Dragon” is one of my all-time favorite modern animated masterpieces. The upcoming live-action adaptation of HTTYD, DreamWorks’ first remaster of an existing animation, has certainly generated a lot of buzz. Many are eagerly waiting to see if it will meet expectations. However, for the sake of keeping the bar high in the animation industry and avoiding this trend of constant reboots, I hope this movie doesn’t do as well as expected.

There’s a concerning pattern emerging in the world of Western animation, as studios seem overly focused on finding the next big cash cow. This obsession with financial triumph has led many companies to focus more on sequels and remakes of established properties, such as Barbie, and films based on popular brands. The animation industry hasn’t escaped this creative drought either. Pixar, for instance, is increasingly churning out sequels for franchises like The Incredibles and Toy Story. Illumination, meanwhile, is obsessed with its Despicable Me universe. However, Disney takes the cake in this regard. It has been relentlessly remaking its classic Golden, Silver Age, and renaissance films into live-action CGI blockbusters. Few of these remakes have been critically acclaimed, often falling short of their enchanting animated predecessors or failing to recapture their original magic.

Recently, the trend of reviving old franchises, often referred to as “viral reboot syndrome”, has been adopted by studios other than Disney, who were previously hesitant. For instance, Dreamworks, known for its success with the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy, which concluded with The Hidden World in 2019, is now following this path. Fans were taken aback when they learned in 2023 that a live-action remake of The Hidden World was underway. Interestingly, the upcoming 2025 film appears to be nearly identical to the 2010 animated original it’s based on, offering little to no difference. One may wonder why Dreamworks decided to revisit this story so soon.

Dreamworks Didn’t Have A Good Reason For Commissioning This Reboot – It’s Just Following Disney’s Formula

As a passionate cinephile, I must confess that the upcoming remake of “How to Train Your Dragon” seems somewhat peculiar, considering the original animated trilogy concluded merely six years ago. Most live-action Disney remakes, despite their questionable creativity, are primarily based on decades-old productions, catering to a new generation who may not have experienced the originals. However, “How to Train Your Dragon” is both too recent and too popular for such an overhaul.

What makes this unique is that Dean DeBlois, the same writer and director who brought us the original trilogy, is spearheading the live-action adaptation. He expressed his desire to return due to his longing for the characters and the world. Yet, with the exact same creative force driving the project, one wonders what “How to Train Your Dragon” (2025) brings other than a nostalgic money-grab?

It’s great if DeBlois’ motivations are noble, but it seems Dreamworks greenlit this film outright mimicking Disney’s success due to their massive financial returns. While critics and fans might argue that Disney should concentrate on fresh animated tales, the buying power of audiences is telling a different story. With Disney’s live-action remakes proving to be financial titans, it makes perfect sense for them to stick with this strategy. For instance, “The Lion King” (2019) grossed $1.6 billion at the box office and “Beauty and the Beast” (2017) made a staggering $1.2 billion. Given such income, any studio executive would be eager to duplicate that formula.

It’s clear even to an outsider that Dreamworks is eyeing a piece of this box office phenomenon. However, for the sake of groundbreaking cinema and the lasting success of original animated films, this live-action remake should flop. If How To Train Your Dragon (2025) thrives and Dreamworks interprets its success as a sign to focus on reboots rather than new concepts, the animation industry could suffer creatively. Studios might shy away from taking risks, which means that films inspired by innovative creations like Dreamworks’ The Wild Robot (2024) or Sony’s Spider-Verse franchise may never reach the screen.

Live-Action Remakes May Be On The Way Out, But It’s Better For This Film To Be Killed In The Crib

It seems that the pace of Disney’s live-action adaptations might be slowing down significantly. One reason is that Disney is running out of original content and older properties to revamp. This situation resembles a snake consuming itself, as it resorts to films from the 2000s and 2010s for more remakes, such as the planned Lilo & Stitch (2025). Additionally, there are hints that these productions may not yield the same profits they once did. Similar to the waning interest in superhero movies, audiences might be growing weary of live-action reboots. For instance, Snow White (2025) fell short of its budget, earning a disappointing $170 million. Consequently, Disney has postponed the live-action remake of Tangled indefinitely.

Despite Disney potentially scaling down its remake projects, other studios might view this time of industry unpredictability as an opportunity to step forward. For instance, DreamWorks could initiate a fierce competition in animation with the aim of dominating the live-action movie scene.

Dreamworks Has Failed To Realize An Obvious Opportunity With This Live-Action Remake

In this live-action adaptation, there seems to have been a significant missed chance to align more closely with Cressida Cowell’s original books. The How To Train Your Dragon trilogy appears to deviate quite significantly from its source material. Apart from retaining names such as Hiccup, Stoick the Vast, Snotlout, Toothless, and locations like the Isle of Berk, the films present a unique and independent perspective on their characters, storylines, and world-building.

In 2025, they’re remaking the live-action version of the animated trilogy, but it would have been thrilling to see Cowell’s initial concept unfold on the silver screen instead. Hiccup Haddock in the source material is a lot skinnier and more pitiful compared to his on-screen portrayal. Astrid’s original character, Camicazi, plays a more significant role in the story as the heir to a different tribe called the Bog Burglars rather than just being a love interest. Instead of the sleek reptile dragon that audiences are familiar with, Toothless is presented as a small, underdeveloped creature (with an unexpected ironic lineage as a dragon) in this version.

2025’s “How To Train Your Dragon” remake might resonate with fans yearning for a nostalgic trip down memory lane. However, before buying a ticket, it’s essential to recall why the original 2010 film was so successful. Dreamworks achieved this by consistently venturing into fresh and innovative storylines. If you aim to support animation that produces timeless classics, it might be wiser to give this movie a miss and convey to studios that live-action reboots may not be worth the investment.

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2025-04-12 17:54