How to Train Your Dragon fans praise live-action movie trailer's Toothless despite initial concerns over his design

Toothless and Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon (2025)
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)
How To Train Your Dragon | Official Teaser Trailer - YouTube How To Train Your Dragon | Official Teaser Trailer - YouTube
Watch On

The first trailer for the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie has landed, and fans are already getting emotional over semi-realistic Toothless.

Initially, those who love the animated adaptations of Cressida Cowell's book series were worried about the creature's design, noting that the dragons would look a little uncanny if their computer-generated looks jarred with the real-life actors – but it seems they've been won over by the first promo. Watch it above.

"I have to admit that the CGI for Toothless and the dragons are looking pretty good," said one viewer, as another gushed: "TOOTHLESS IS SO BEAUTIFUL."

"Absolute peak. Toothless looks insane," tweeted a third.

Based on Cowell's book series, the animated film follows Hiccup, an awkward young Viking who nurses an injured dragon, who happens to be a Night Fury, one of the most feared kinds, back to health. Subsequently, he forms an unbreakable bond with the creature, fondly naming him Toothless, and sets out to put an end to his village's tradition of slaying the winged beasts. It went on to spawn two sequels: How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World (2019).

In the new movie, The Black Phone's Mason Thames portrays Hiccup, while Nick Frost, Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), Ruth Codd (The Fall of the House of Usher), and Nico Parker (The Last of Us) round out the supporting cast.

Not everyone was convinced by the trailer, however. "So they literally just took every shot from the original cartoon and remade it with CGI dragons/real people, scene by scene? That it?" wrote one doubter, as another argued: "Seems like a total pointless waste to just retread the original animated movie. Imagine if they actually went and did the same thing they originally did, and made another completely different interpretation of the book, or even just a closer adaptation."

How to Train Your Dragon flies into cinemas on June 13. While we wait, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way.

CATEGORIES
Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.

Read more
How to Train Your Dragon trailer
New trailer for How to Train Your Dragon live-action movie is here, and it looks just as fun and emotional as the animated version
How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon director's "test screening" comments about the animated movie have proved controversial with fans
How to Train Your Dragon trailer
How to Train Your Dragon director feels like "a bit of a hypocrite" because he's always found live-action remakes "disappointing"
Shrek 5 teaser
Everyone is saying the same thing about the new Shrek 5 teaser – why does Fiona look like that?
Ben Grimm/The Thing in the first teaser trailer for Fantastic Four: First Steps
Marvel fans are divided over our first look at The Thing in the Fantastic Four: First Steps trailer
Lilo and Stitch
New trailer for Disney’s live action Lilo and Stitch movie pulls a Sonic redesign, finally giving us the Stitch we have been waiting for
Latest in Live Action Movies
Jack Black as Steve in A Minecraft Movie.
Jack Black almost played a talking pig instead of Steve in the Minecraft movie, until Mojang realized "very, very late" that the story "needed an expert and host"
Rachel Zegler in Disney's Snow White
Disney's live-action Snow White lands divisive Rotten Tomatoes score from first reviews, as critics call it everything from "deeply frustrating" to "enchanting"
Rachel Zegler as Snow White
First reactions for Snow White live-action remake praise a "stunning" Rachel Zegler and "show-stopping" new musical numbers
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda movie: Everything we know so far about the live-action movie
Lilo and Stitch
New trailer for Disney’s live action Lilo and Stitch movie pulls a Sonic redesign, finally giving us the Stitch we have been waiting for
A Minecraft Movie
Minecraft movie's popcorn bucket is an explosive, game-accurate continuation of a cinema trend that shows no signs of slowing down
Latest in News
First-person screenshot from ASYLUM, showing the protagonist's hand holding up a notebook while walking through a dark corridor.
After 15 years and a $120,000 Kickstarter push, this cult horror dev has finally released a successor to their 2006 breakout game
screenshot from Rogue Light Deck Builder showing a claymation figure sitting behind a desk.
With 97% positive reviews on Steam, Rogue Light Deck Builder is a hilarious $3 parody game that takes its name very literally
Lady Dimitrescu and Austin Abrams
The new Resident Evil movie may have found a lead in a Euphoria star
Leatherface and Glen Powell
Glenn Powell could be taking a swing at a new Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Xenomorph in Alien: Earth
New Alien: Earth clip shows the last of another expendable crew
Adam Scott as Mark S and Britt Lower as Helly R in Severance season 2
There might have been another reason for Mark's decision in the Severance season 2 finale