How to Train Your Dragon’s Live Action Remake Points to a Worrying Future

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Summary

  • Dreamworks’ live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon” follows Disney’s trend of unnecessary remakes.
  • Financial success drives the push for remakes, but critics and fans question the need for them.
  • DreamWorks may be headed down the same path as Disney, with the potential for unnecessary remakes in the future.

The fresh trailer for DreamWorks’ impending live-action reboot of their 2010 animated hit, “How to Train Your Dragon”, has been unveiled. This new version seems poised to open a new page in the company’s history, although not necessarily a positive one. The trailer appears to carry over much of the original’s aesthetic and ambiance into live-action, even mirroring some of the animated film’s most memorable scenes. It appears to be a remarkably accurate rendition, yet it stirs up similar queries that have accompanied many of DreamWorks’ competitors, such as Disney, in their recent live-action reboots. The primary query: what is the purpose behind this?

Disney has raked in significant financial gains with its series of reboots of classic animated movies. For instance, “The Lion King” from 2019 grossed over a billion dollars globally, and “The Little Mermaid,” released in 2023, made more than half a billion. However, films such as the controversial “Pinocchio” in 2022 have left much to be desired. Despite the financial success of this approach, many fans and critics argue that these remakes are superfluous and fail to capture the essence that originally endeared those movies to audiences. If “How to Train Your Dragon” performs well at the box office, it could signal DreamWorks is treading a similar, potentially concerning path.

DreamWorks’ Creative Struggles

DreamWorks Animation has frequently found it challenging to escape Disney and Pixar’s dominant presence in the animation world. While Pixar consistently garnered critical praise, box office success, and multiple Oscar wins for Best Animated Feature, DreamWorks often failed to reach those lofty heights. Some of its most profitable franchises, such as Shrek, Madagascar, and Trolls, are criticized for lacking the depth found in Pixar’s productions, with a focus on fast-paced entertainment for children rather than the emotional impact that movies like Up or Wall-E had.

As a movie enthusiast, let me tell you that “How to Train Your Dragon” stands out as one of DreamWorks’ most triumphant productions. It garnered widespread acclaim and raked in substantial box office earnings. The narrative, derived from Cressida Cowell’s novels, presents an underdog hero challenging centuries of tension between humans and dragons. Unlike some of their other projects that struggled to evoke strong emotions, this one did so remarkably well. Not every sequel maintained the same level of quality, but last year’s “The Wild Robot” proved to be a significant exception. From a commercial perspective, if DreamWorks were to remake any of its films into live-action, “How to Train Your Dragon” would undeniably be a smart choice.

From a creative perspective, however, the remake doesn’t seem quite compelling yet. While it could be said that Disney’s live-action adaptations offered an opportunity to refresh some timeless tales for a newer generation unfamiliar with the original hand-drawn movies, and at the same time capitalize on the fond memories of older viewers who grew up with them, the gap between the original “How to Train Your Dragon” (released fifteen years ago) and its remake appears too small for a fresh take. The fact that Gerard Butler reprises his voice role from the initial film adds to the questionable value of this project.

In addition, the similarity between the initial impression and the original is quite striking due to the creative team seemingly overly devoted to the source material, as suggested by the trailer. The dragon designs, especially Toothless, seem strikingly similar to their animated counterparts, with the sets and costumes appearing almost like live-action versions of the original animation. If the film had managed a distinct visual style that respectfully referenced the original without slavishly copying it, it would have been more convincing as a fresh perspective on the story. Instead, by the end of the trailer, one is left wondering why DreamWorks didn’t simply re-release the original movie in theaters instead.

Why How to Train Your Dragon Might Point to DreamWorks’ Future

As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but notice the challenging times faced by Hollywood right now. The double whammy of the Covid-19 pandemic and the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes has certainly put a halt to production, and now, with wildfires causing additional delays, the industry seems more cautious than ever.

Movies have always been about both art and business, and it’s clear that the studios are reacting like any business when profits dip. DreamWorks, in particular, appears to see this as a chance to capitalize on some of its own nostalgia. With Gen Z viewers, who grew up with their movies, now reaching an age where they might reminisce about their childhood, it seems like the perfect time for DreamWorks to revisit those beloved stories.

As a passionate cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but notice the surge in live-action adaptations of animated films, and it seems that studios like DreamWorks and Disney are more than willing to oblige this trend, as long as audiences keep showing up to watch them. If “How to Train Your Dragon” performs as well as expected, we might soon find ourselves witnessing the transformation of Megamind’s exaggerated head into latex prosthetics, or perhaps a dose of photorealistic animal antics in a live-action “Madagascar.” Even Bad Bunny could potentially step into the shoes of Shrek! The success of these remakes will ultimately decide whether DreamWorks embarks on an era of reimagined classics, and while they may lack catchy tunes like Disney, their offerings are sure to be unique in their own way.

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2025-02-13 01:34