How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A young Viking outcast forms an unlikely bond with a feared dragon, challenging the traditions of his people.
The story
On the rugged Isle of Berk, Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations. Hiccup, the inventive but overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, finds himself an outcast among his peers. During a dragon raid, he manages to shoot down a rare Night Fury. Instead of killing the beast, he chooses to befriend it. This secret bond with the dragon, whom he names Toothless, begins to reveal the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society and the long-standing conflict between the two species.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Dragons frequently attack the village of Berk, and Hiccup, the 16-year-old son of Chief Stoick, attempts to prove his worth through mechanical inventions. After shooting down a Night Fury, he finds the dragon in a cove and befriends it, naming it Toothless. He builds a harness and prosthetic fin to help it fly. Meanwhile, Stoick prepares to destroy the dragons' nest. Hiccup is forced into dragon-fighting training with other teens, including his crush, Astrid. During a flight with Toothless, they discover a massive dragon, the Red Death, which commands other dragons. During a final exam, Stoick captures Toothless and disowns Hiccup. Astrid and the other teens eventually join Hiccup to reach the nest. They face the Red Death, and Hiccup and Toothless ultimately defeat the beast, causing it to explode. Stoick realizes his mistake and reconciles with his son. The film ends with the villagers and dragons co-existing peacefully, and Hiccup and Astrid beginning a relationship.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 125
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Dean DeBlois
- Writers
- Dean DeBlois · writer
- Cast and characters
- Mason Thames · Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III; Nico Parker · Astrid Hofferson; Gerard Butler · Stoick the Vast; Nick Frost · Gobber the Belch; Gabriel Howell · Snotlout Jorgenson; Julian Dennison · Fishlegs Ingerman; Bronwyn James · Ruffnut Thorston; Harry Trevaldwyn · Tuffnut Thorston
- Genres
- fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- friendship; overcoming prejudice; coexistence
- Tone and mood
- adventure
- Premise and plot tags
- live-action remake; fantasy; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- 2003 novel by Cressida Cowell
- Franchise connections
- How to Train Your Dragon
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics and was well-received by audiences.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 61 · scale: 100 · review count: 43; CinemaScore · score: A · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 94% · scale: percentage
- Awards and nominations
- Best Special Visual Effects · British Academy Film Awards · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film features several scenes re-created shot-for-shot from the original animation.; The actor playing Stoick the Vast wore a costume weighing 90 pounds.; The film was shot using the IMAX format.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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