High Stakes Pay Off for DreamWorks and Universal
Behind the impressive success stood a risky move by DreamWorks and Universal: adapting the 2010 animated classic How to Train Your Dragon into live action, keeping Dean DeBlois at the helm. With huge theater attendance, major streaming buzz, and some fans calling it the best role of Gerard Butler’s career, Dragons turned into the cinematic phenomenon of 2025.
Berk’s Story Returns With Fresh Life
The film returns to Berk’s harsh shores, where Vikings and dragons are locked in a longstanding conflict until young Hiccup (Mason Thames), son of chief Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), befriends Toothless the dragon. Based on Cressida Cowell’s books and the 2010 film, How to Train Your Dragon (2025) marked DreamWorks’ first live-action remake, again directed by DeBlois.
Record Ratings and Global Success
Released in France on June 11, 2025, and rated suitable for all audiences, the film drew over 2.5 million moviegoers. With an average 4.1 out of 5 stars from roughly 5,600 ratings, it became the highest-rated fantasy film of 2025 among French audiences, and the most popular film of Gerard Butler’s career in France—even ahead of 300.
Globally, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon earned about $636 million at the box office (approximately €585 million). On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 77% positive critic score and 98% audience approval. According to FlixPatrol, it debuted at number one on Netflix in the US and settled in the top 10 across several other countries.
Faithful to the Original With Visual Power
Longtime fans were struck by how closely the film mirrored the beloved 2010 animated version. One commenter on AlloCiné wrote:
This live-action version recreates almost every scene from the original animated film. No surprises there. The actors are extremely well cast, sometimes looking exactly like their animated counterparts, and their performances are strong. Gerard Butler is convincing, and the special effects are truly stunning.
The photorealistic dragons, windswept coastal scenery, and soaring score by John Powell revived the magic of the animated film with fresh realism. Many said that Gerard Butler’s physical performance as Stoick—after voicing the role in 2010—brought new depth to the complex father figure, though some viewers wished the script brought more new material to Berk’s world.
After its theatrical run, Dragons became available in France on Canal+ and myCANAL. The film is rated “all audiences,” though experts suggest it’s best for children age 6 or 8 and older, since Viking-versus-dragon battle scenes may be intense for younger kids. Riding this success, Universal and DreamWorks have begun work on a live-action sequel inspired by Dragons 2, reportedly slated for 2027.
