Gerard Butler's mother Margaret fell ill during production in Belfast, so he would go back to Scotland most weekends to be with her. She passed away in February 2025 at age 81. Butler, who grew up without a father, shared how touched he was that director Dean DeBlois paid tribute to her at the end of the live-action remake of the animated franchise: "I was so excited for her to see it, but I had a feeling she wouldn't. So Dean very kindly dedicated the movie to her." DeBlois shared that he brought the idea to Universal Pictures so he could surprise Butler with the dedication. "I knew that the loss of his mother was a deeply felt wound and that he was having a tough time recovering from it," DeBlois said. "So to honor her with a dedication in the credits just seemed like the right thing to do in that moment." Butler, who had already voiced Stoick in the franchise's animated films, shared how his mother knew, "Since I was a kid, I wanted to be an actor. If Stoick had a mum, that would have been my mum. She was an amazing woman, but she was strong, she was fiery, and she was graceful, and she was beautiful. When I saw the movie, I noticed that I had put more of my mother than of myself into that role."
Mason Thames traveled to London for his audition and participated in a chemistry read. About two weeks later, while he was at home, he hadn't heard anything and assumed he wouldn't get the role of Hiccup. Then, he received an email asking him to hop on a call with Dean DeBlois to discuss notes on his audition. Initially, Thames thought the call would lead to a rejection, but instead, DeBlois asked, "Actually, we only have one question: Would you like to play Hiccup in our movie?" Thames revealed that he jumped out of his chair and accidentally broke his light in excitement. He noted that it was a very special moment, filled with pride, as his family shared in his joy.
Dean DeBlois mentioned that Universal Studios wanted the remake to tell the same story. DeBlois stated that Universal informed him regarding the remake: "'We want that story but bring every embellishment you can to it. Let's explore the mythology, deepen the characters, and make it more mature. Let's lean into the action and make it more visceral and immersive.'" DeBlois decided to direct his first live-action movie because he didn't want someone else to adapt his work. "If we are going to do it, I want to be involved because I know where the heart is; I know these characters and this world," he recalled telling Universal. Although he is generally not a fan of live-action remakes of animated films, DeBlois expressed his desire to "take charge of this one to preserve its integrity and pay tribute to the fans." He emphasized that the goal was always to "create another version, but not one that would replace the animated movie." DeBlois acknowledged that it was impossible to satisfy all fans regardless of the changes made. "This version, in my opinion, retains the best aspects of the original while adding good, subtle, and significant enhancements," he said.
Dean DeBlois is the first to direct and write the screenplay for a live action adaptation of an animated film which he also wrote and directed: How to Train Your Dragon.
Dean DeBlois: A fat Viking who is insulted when Hiccup says "the village could do with a little less feeding".