The live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie is causing quite a stir. Live-action Toothless and Hiccup are stealing everyone’s hearts, and their movie isn’t even out yet. In fact, the buzz has been so loud around How to Train Your Dragon‘s live-action outing that a sequel movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2, already has a release dateOpens in a new tab. We’ll have to wait until June 13 to immerse ourselves in the live-action universe properly. But when June does arrive, we’ll be as spoiled for How to Train Your Dragon riches as a dragon in their hoard. In addition to the movie, Insight Editions is releasing a gorgeous tome that takes us inside the art and making of live-action How to Train Your Dragon. To get you properly (and even more) excited about all of the above, Nerdist has your exclusive look into The Art and Making of How to Train Your DragonOpens in a new tab.
You can check out our reveal of the first-ever interior pages from the incredible artbook below. And yes, these do include new images of and details about your favorite How to Train Your Dragon characters, Hiccup and Astrid, and their live-action incarnations.
The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon: A New Direction
Our first exclusive page reveal from The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon gives us a brand new look at the whole cast of the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie and, of course, writer-director Dean DeBlois. In the image, we see Gabriel Howell’s Snotlout, Nico Parker’s Astrid, Harry Trevaldwyn’s Tuffnut, Bronwyn James’ Ruffnut, Mason Thames’ Hiccup, and Julian Dennison’s Fishlegs.
This inside look at The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon shares some important insights about the history of the franchise, including details fans might not know. For instance, that How to Train Your Dragon is actually based on a book series!
The artbook book reveals:
The brainchild of author Cressida Cowell, the characters have undoubtedly left a significant impact on pop culture. First published in 2003, Cowell went on to pen twelve novels over the span of twelve years, all chronicling the adventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, selling more than sixteen million copies around the world in forty-two different languages. “I cannot believe that something that I wrote in my little garden shed in London has now turned into this,” muses Cowell.
Additionally, Producer Matt Platt praises director-writer DeBlois, noting, “Dean was the right filmmaker and storyteller for the live-action version, not just because he created the animated film and its successor films and directed all three of the animated films, but because he lives inside this world and these characters. There is something about Dean that is a little bit just like Hiccup. He’s someone I think that, through his life journey, came into who he was, so he understands this kid, he understands his psychology, and he understands his behavior. And that’s really important when you’re thinking about marrying a storyteller, a filmmaker, to material.”
The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon: Exclusive Reveal of Hiccup Page
Our second exclusive page reveal from The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon is all about live-action Hiccup, played by Mason Thames. Hiccup, alongside the adorable Toothless, is the beating heart of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, so he was critical to get right. We love this look at Thames’ take on the character and what the page reveals about his take on the role.
“Hiccup’s greatest strength is his empathy,” Shares DeBlois with readers of The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon. “He’s very self-aware and self-deprecating, which is somewhat of an internal defense mechanism.” The book notes, “Hiccup is willing to endure mockery and rejection in order to follow his heart. Throughout his journey, instead of changing himself, he ends up changing the world and the people around him.”
Thames adds that he really wanted to leave his own mark on the beloved character of Hiccup in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie. “We talked a lot about new things we could add to the character while being true to the original, and one of the notes we discussed was not just the darkness of Hiccup, but his sadness and how he would cope with all of that, while just wanting to make his father proud.”
Producer Adam Siegel confirms this, sharing of Thames, “He is Hiccup. He’s a different Hiccup than you watched because he’s flesh and blood and breathing, but he is a boy figuring out his place in the world. Mason has crafted a journey where there’s one Hiccup at the beginning who isn’t sure of that fact, to the Hiccup we get at the end, who knows and is willing to sacrifice everything to make the world a better place.”
We absolutely adored Mason Thames in The Black Phone, where he balanced darkness and sadness under much different circumstances. And after reading these insights from The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon, we have no doubt he will blow us away.
The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon: Exclusive Reveal of Astrid Page
Our third exclusive page reveal from The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon is all about live-action Astrid, played by Niko Parker. We love the way Astrid and Hiccup serve as foils to one another. As the making-of book notes, “A born leader and Viking prodigy, 16-year-old Astrid is focused, athletic, and confident. In other words, everything Hiccup is not. Her greatest aspiration is to one day become the chief of the tribe of Berk. Finding an actor to embody all of those qualities to fill the boots of Astrid was no small feat, but DeBlois found his Astrid in Nico Parker.”
Like many of us, DeBlois first saw Parker in The Last of Us. He shares, “I remember just instantly being mesmerized by her on-screen presence, the way she held the scene opposite Pedro Pascal.” We truly remember those scenes too. And can’t wait to see more of Parker in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon role.
The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon also recounts the first reading between Parker and Thames, and it is adorable. “Mason was the last person that I read with.” Thames shares, “And he came in and I rememoer he was so nervous and so sweet and shy, and I just thought, ‘Oh, you are so perfect.’ I could not have described someone more perfect for the role, and as soon as he started reading, I remember being completely in awe of him. When we left, I said to Lucy Bevan, ‘I want him to get the part more than I want to get the part.'”
Producer Adam Siegel concludes, “Nico is simply luminous the way that she has crafted that arc for her character, the way she reflects off Mason, and the way she lights up a screen and holds a close-up.”
The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon Takes You Behind the Scenes with Concept Art, Interviews, Deep Dives, And More
There you have it, just a taste of what The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon will hold for fans of the live-action movie. The book will come complete with exclusive set photos of the cast and crew, stunning concept art and never-before-seen CGI renders of beloved characters, dragons and locations, plus in-depth interviews with director Dean DeBlois, stars Mason Thames and Nico Parker and other key creators who brought this live-action reimagining to life.
Like the live-action movie, The Art and Making of How to Train Your Dragon will release in June 2025. It will cost $50.00. We can’t wait to uncover the many secrets of Vikings, dragons, and more, as we delve into its beautiful pages.
