It was fun to see a few animated classics come to life in a live-action movie, but as soon as Hollywood learned that it’s an easy cash grab that does not require an original thought or risk, the market was filled with unnecessary live-action remakes. How To Train Your Dragon has also joined the list, and surprisingly Dean DeBlois is also on board!
He is the mastermind behind the original franchise, so to see him helm the live-action remake feels a bit odd. Especially when he has previously expressed a strong dislike for the same. So, what made DeBlois sign up for something that he would’ve avoided at any cost?
Why Did Dean DeBlois Return For How To Train Your Dragon Live-Action Remake?
Not all heroes wear capes, but Dean DeBlois certainly should! He hasn’t hopped onto the live-action remake of How Train To Your Dragon for money, but to protect his legacy. The studio was going to greenlight the project, with or without him. DeBlois wanted to make sure that he was a part of it so he could make the right creative calls, without letting the movie go astray.
The film is set to release in June 2025, and according to the filmmaker, it won’t be a scene-by-scene remake of the 2010 film. However, from whatever clips we’ve seen so far, it looks pretty close to a scene-by-scene remake, and netizens have also pointed this out.
However, DeBlois was the one who co-wrote the script, so we can trust that he’s committed to bringing something authentic to the screen while keeping the essence of the original films alive. As of now, we can only hope that he doesn’t let the studio mishandle the remake and taint his beloved franchise.
What Dean DeBlois Thinks About Remakes
In a 2020 Q&A for Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival’s online edition, Dean DeBlois was brutally honest while expressing his thoughts on live-action remakes (via Variety). He described it to be “lazy on the part of the studio.”
I think it’s easy to go back to something successful that a really talented team put years of hard work into and then redo it… but to me, that is a missed opportunity to put something original into the world.
In the interview, he was referring to the remake of Lilo and Stitch, and he seemed to be quite skeptical about whether or not they could match the charm of the original.
Lilo & Stitch has such a quirky, singular voice… The idea of another team coming in to remake it as a live-action movie, without [the original creators] involved, is kind of crazy
DeBlois does not like the idea of these low-effort remakes, but if it were to happen, he would like the original team of creators to lead such projects. This is perfectly in line with what he’s trying to do with How To Train Your Dragon, ensuring that the film remains in safe hands, and preserving its creative legacy.
You can watch the How To Train Your Dragon animated trilogy on Prime Video, Max and Hulu.
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