Posted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: dean deblois, film, how to train your dragon, Universal Pictures

The Director of How to Train Your Dragon on Crafting Toothless

The director of the live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon reveals what details he wanted to retain in this latest iteration.

Dean DeBlois, the visionary who's partially responsible for the beloved How to Train Your Dragon franchise, is no stranger to balancing fantasy with believability. As he prepares to unveil his live-action adaptation later this summer, DeBlois is now sharing exclusive insights with NBC about reimagining Toothless, the iconic Night Fury, for a photorealistic world. And during this interview, he specifically revealed the delicate tightrope he walked in an effort to preserve the dragon's charm while grounding him in a tangible reality for moviegoers.

How to Train Your Dragon Director Wanted to Retain the Classic Toothless Look

DeBlois explains, "Toothless is an interesting example because the size of his eyes. That doesn't exist in nature, not even on a whale. But the smaller we made them, the less appealing and the less Toothless he became, very quickly. So, we had to find this balance where we're cheating with nature by making his eyes bigger, but we can lean into the rippling muscles over the skeleton, the believable scales, the believable textures, the wetness of the gums and the teeth, and everything else, and hopefully get away with the big green eyes. I hope that's the end result. Maybe I'm too close to it, but I hope in the end, you watch it and say, 'I believe it.'"

The animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, starting with the 2010 DreamWorks hit co-directed with Chris Sanders, captivated audiences with its tale of Hiccup (now Mason Thames) and Toothless, grossing over $1.6 billion worldwide. Toothless' oversized, expressive eyes became his signature, evoking a cat-like charm that DeBlois and his team drew from real-world references like panthers and salamanders. For the live-action leap, partnering with Framestore's VFX wizards, DeBlois aimed to retain that appeal while enhancing realism—a task he admits pushed creative boundaries.

Set on the rugged Isle of Berk with a film entirely embracing its animated source material, the new film reteams DeBlois with stars like Gerard Butler (Stoick) and introduces new faces like Nico Parker (Astrid). How to Train Your Dragon arrives in theaters on June 13, 2025.

Based solely on what we've seen so far, are you impressed by the visuals of this new, live-action-ish version of Toothless and the How to Train Your Dragon story?

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