DreamWorks and Universal might be following Disney on their recent strategy of reviving their animated classics into live-action films, with the beloved How to Train Your Dragon rumored to be their first attempt after the incredible success of the franchise.
After shining both on the big and small screen, the saga is set to expand its universe in a very different way. According to a posting of insider Daniel Ritchman on Patreon (via The Direct), Universal Pictures is in active development of a live-action version of the story of Hiccup and Toothless, which would be written and directed by Dean Deblois, who was in charge of the last two films.
At the moment, it is unknown if it would be an adaptation of the original 2010 film or a completely different story within the same universe, with flesh and blood versions of the characters we already know or introducing a new set of protagonists, such as some of the tv shows have done.
How to Train Your Dragon is set in a mythical world where a Vikings' realm is threatened by the presence and attacks of dragons. The story centers on Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn’t fit in with his tribe’s longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup’s world is turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view.
The How to Train Your Dragon Franchise
How to Train Your Dragon is loosely based on the book series of the same name by British writer Cressida Cowell, which has a total of 12 books, which has given DreamWorks a lot of source material to work on and a wide variety of stories to tell.
After the first film's success, the studio did not hesitate to green-light a sequel, which arrived in 2014. The popularity continued, and so, five years later, Hiccup and Toothless returned for the third and last movie installment, but not the last thing we could enjoy from the franchise.
In 2013, the saga's first series premiered, divided into three parts, making up a total of 8 seasons and 118 episodes. In 2019 the second show arrived, divided into two parts with six seasons and 53 episodes. Finally, in 2021 the third series was released, consisting of 4 seasons and 26 episodes, the last one released in November 2022.