Live-Action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Director Responds to Astrid Casting Backlash
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Seemingly following in the footsteps of Disney, whose live-action remakes are now more frequent than their animated movies, DreamWorks has decided to give us a live-action remake of one of its most famous series, How to Train Your Dragon. The live-action remake of the first movie is scheduled for a 2025 release, and we have recently received some new footage from the movie.
And while we could debate the purpose of such a live-action remake (especially when they could’ve made another animated movie, seeing how the series was a proper hit), it is happening, and there is not much we can do there.
The first visuals look pretty nice if you ask us, and we are sure that the film will retain some of the charm of the original animated series.
But, as you might have assumed, there are also some controversies surrounding the upcoming movie and the biggest one at this point is the casting of Nico Parker, daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton and filmmaker Ol Parker, as Astrid, one of the film’s central characters. In light of the backlash, the movie’s director has issued a response.
Cressida Cowell started her How to Train Your Dragon novel series back in 2003; as of the time of writing, the series consists of 12 novels, the most recent of which – How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury – was released back in 2015.
The first animated film was released in 2010, and since then, two additional animated films and an animated series have been released by DreamWorks, forming the How to Train Your Dragon animated franchise.
The movies were a big hit for DreamWorks and are considered classics of modern animation, which is why it did not surprise us that the company wanted to create more content based on the franchise. But the manner in which DreamWorks decided to tackle the franchise now… well, that came as a bit of a surprise.
Instead of a fourth film, DreamWorks decided to make a live-action remake of the first animated film, also titled How to Train Your Dragon, which is set for a June 13, 2025 release as of the time of writing.
Dean DeBlois, who worked on all three animated movies, is coming back as director for the live-action movie as well, while the movie will feature Mason Thames as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast, Nico Parker as Astrid Hofferson, Nick Frost as Gobber the Belch, Julian Dennison as Fishlegs Ingerman, Gabriel Howell as Snotlout Jorgenson, Bronwyn James as Ruffnut Thorston, Harry Trevaldwyn as Tuffnut Thorston, and Ruth Codd as Phlegma, with Peter Serafinowicz and Murray McArthur in as-of-yet-undisclosed roles.
Of course, as you can imagine, the casting of Nico Parker caused a lot of backlash because the young actress doesn’t really look like Astrid from the animated movies, and that is something that the “fans” don’t like. In response to all the backlash, DeBlois took to Instagram to comment on the whole situation:
In case you’re unable to see the post, here is what DeBlois said:
Exactly. 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).
Still, we’re crafting a fantasy, not historical fact, and all will be revealed in time. 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.
Yes, Nico Parker is not blonde or Caucasian as Astrid from the animated series, but who cares? The point is to hire a talented young actress who can deliver the role in the best way possible, and there shouldn’t be any issue with her physical appearance.
This is why we can only voice our support for Parker, and based on the images we have, she seems to fit in perfectly!
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