The upcoming How to Train Your Dragon (2025) live-action remake has fans excited about how it will connect to the original trilogy. It aims to bring the iconic story of Hiccup and Toothless to life in a whole new way. However, many are wondering if this remake is a How to Train Your Dragon prequel, which would explore events before the original films, or a sequel that continues the story.
Let’s dive in to explore the place of the 2025 live-action remake in the How to Train Your Dragon universe.
Is How to Train Your Dragon (2025) a sequel or prequel to original trilogy?
Despite some confusion, How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is neither a prequel nor a sequel. Instead, it’s a faithful live-action remake of the first film in the trilogy.
Unlike a prequel that would explore events leading up to Hiccup’s story or a sequel continuing the third film’s storyline, the live-action film is a remake of the 2010 animated classic. It retells the story of Hiccup, a young Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon. This upcoming film is a scene-for-scene recreation of the original, maintaining the same plot and key moments while enhancing them with live-action techniques.
The cast includes Mason Thames as Hiccup and Nico Parker as Astrid. Meanwhile, Dean DeBlois returns as the director to ensure the adaptation stays true to the original’s tone and themes. The live-action format reimagines the village of Berk, its Viking inhabitants, and the dragons with greater visual realism.
Iconic moments like Hiccup’s first bond with Toothless, the test of loyalty between humans and dragons will likely feature in the live-action remake. It will also include the climactic battle with the Red Death, which has been recreated with attention to detail. This adaptation uses modern CGI to bring dragons to life in a way that feels tangible while preserving the emotional weight of the original scenes.
By retelling the story of the 2010 movie in a live-action format, How to Train Your Dragon (2025) introduces a new generation to the franchise. Furthermore, it gives long-time fans an updated experience of a timeless tale.