Audiences at CinemaCon this morning got their first look at the live-action remake of “How to Train Your Dragon,” the first time it’s premiered ahead of its release this summer. But Universal is so sky high on the film, the studio announced during its CinemaCon presentation Wednesday that it has already greenlit a sequel.
Universal has dated “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” yet another live-action adaptation of the DreamWorks Animated film, to open in theaters June 11, 2027. It opens a week after “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” which Sony also just dated during its CinemaCon presentation.
Director Dean DeBlois — this franchise has been his baby since the very first animated film back in 2010 — will be back in the director’s chair for the sequel.
“How to Train Your Dragon 2” is an adaptation of the 2014 film specifically, not a new story extending off the live-action film. That film detailed heroes Hiccup and Toothless’ encounter with hundreds of new wild dragons in an ice cave and a mysterious Dragon Rider who threatens the peace.
That film outperformed the original “How to Train Your Dragon” and made $621.5 million. We’ll see if we get a live-action version of “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” which was the third animated film that released in 2019.
The new live-action film, which opens on June 13, stars Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Julian Dennison, and Gerard Butler reprising a role that he originated as a voice actor, now taking on the live-action role. No cast was announced for the sequel, though stars Gerard Butler and Nico Parker were present on stage at CinemaCon following the premiere of the film earlier in the morning.
Universal in its presentation at CinemaCon also teased its upcoming “Jurassic World Rebirth,” “Bad Guys 2,” and its upcoming “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie,” which added Kristen Wiig and Gloria Estefan to its cast. And as a special treat, Universal’s entire presentation was accompanied by a 43-piece orchestra led by conductor Rickey Minor, which played an excerpt from composer John Powell’s score following the sequel announcement.
