'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQG/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMTIFf/EACEQAAIBAwMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIDAQQSIQAFEQYTMXGh/9oACAEBAAE/AJaD69m2zLGKMIARPHuboz4440/pSsS9iu7TlYUjdcWfmv/EABcRAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECABH/2gAIAQIBAT8Ah5SG/8QAFhEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIA/9oACAEDAQE/ALBkXf/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The upcoming How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake has been controversial, to say the least. From fans not wanting their favorite animated film to be turned into live-action to fans criticizing the first teaser, the discourse around it has been mixed. However, one of the more egregious controversies surrounding the film has been the casting of Nico Parker in the film.
Nico Parker will star as Astrid in the upcoming How to Train Your Dragon live-action remake. While Astrid in the original animated flick was of white ethnicity, Parker is of mixed ethnicity. This has led to her receiving backlash for being in the film, with many netizens online sharing racist comments aimed at her. However, the director of the film, Dean DeBlois, came to her defense recently.
Trending
When a fan on Instagram was defending the casting of Parker in How to Train Your Dragon, DeBlois replied to him. Agreeing with the fan, the director said:
"We're crafting a fantasy, not historical fact."
The director also spoke about how they auditioned many actors who looked similar to their animated counterparts. However, at the end of the day, they went with actors who "best embodied" the personalities of the characters.
"We auditioned many actors for the roles, including actors who looked like their animated counterparts. But we chose the actors who best embodied the spirit and personality of the characters, since the tribe in this version is made up of descendants of the finest dragon fighters from everywhere the Vikings had ever traveled (which historically was far and wide - Vikings mixed with many cultures)," said Deblois.
Dean DeBlois confirms How to Train Your Dragon (2025) won't be a shot-to-shot remake
In the same comment, Dean DeBlois also confirmed that the upcoming How to Train Your Dragon movie won't be a shot-to-shot remake of the original film. Many fans recently have been criticizing the reasoning for the film given an uprise in live-action remakes in Hollywood. However, DeBlois spoke further about what he is trying to do with the film.
Having directed the original film as well, DeVlois revealed that he is not trying to make a shot-to-shot remake of the previous film. Rather, he is only sticking close to iconic moments from the original so that they can honor it.
"We're not making a shot for shot remake. We just struck close to key moments to honor the original - which I remain very proud of. The tease features a few of those moments. Instead of a completely new tale, we aimed to embellish and deepen, without abandoning the story that fans love," said Deblois.
The original How to Train Your Dragon film came out in 2010 and focused on the friendship between the dragon called Toothless and its rider, Hiccup. The official synopsis of the remake reads:
"On the rugged isle of Berk, where Vikings and dragons have been bitter enemies for generations, Hiccup stands apart. The inventive yet overlooked son of Chief Stoick the Vast, Hiccup defies centuries of tradition when he befriends Toothless, a feared Night Fury dragon. Their unlikely bond reveals the true nature of dragons, challenging the very foundations of Viking society."
Starring Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nico Parker, Nick Frost, and more, the film releases in theaters on June 13, 2025.
