From Scotland’s Cliffs to Berk: Dean DeBlois and Cressida Cowell reveal the real story behind How to Train Your Dragon

Universal Pictures, distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery, is set to breathe new fire into a beloved classic. On June 13, 2025, How to Train Your Dragon returns to theatres—this time as a breathtaking live-action adaptation helmed by Dean DeBlois, the Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning filmmaker behind the original trilogy. Leading the cast is Mason Thames as Hiccup, the inventive young Viking who redefines what it means to be a hero. Nico Parker stars as Astrid, the fierce warrior with a strong moral compass, while Gerard Butler reprises his iconic role as Stoick the Vast. The ensemble is rounded out by Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Ruth Codd, Peter Serafinowicz, and Murray McArthur.

 

From Scotland’s Cliffs to Berk: Dean DeBlois and Cressida Cowell reveal the real story behind How to Train Your Dragon

 

Set in the Viking village of Berk—besieged by dragons and tradition—the story follows Hiccup’s unlikely journey from misfit to bridge-builder. When he befriends a wounded Night Fury named Toothless, the boy defies generations of fear and anger, forging a bond that transforms not only his destiny, but that of his entire community.

 

But behind the sweeping visuals and fire-breathing battles lies a deeply personal inspiration. As director Dean DeBlois reveals, “For author Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon is surprisingly autobiographical.”

 

Cowell herself explains, “The Isle of Berk is based on a real place. As a child, my family spent summers on an uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland. There were no roads, no electricity—just wilderness—so we'd spend weeks exploring the island, catching fish, climbing cliffs.”

 

That rugged backdrop—steeped in Viking lore and raw imagination—became fertile ground for fantasy. “This part of Scotland was the first place the Vikings landed when they invaded Britain, and it was the last place they left,” Cowell continues. “They believed dragons were real. Growing up surrounded by that history and isolation, I couldn’t help but imagine dragons flying overhead or Viking ships appearing on the horizon.”

 

With themes of courage, empathy, transformation, and the power of choosing a different path, this live-action version rekindles the wonder of the original while inviting a new generation to soar alongside Hiccup and Toothless—this time in stunning, tangible realism.

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