Dragon live-action remake had 'all sorts of challenges'

Filming How to Train Your Dragon successful Northern Ireland was not without its challenges, according to the film's producer.

Dragons thin to beryllium beauteous large, for 1 thing.

The upcoming diagnostic is the first live-action remake of the deed animated series.

"When they animated, they would gully it conscionable to the convenient size they needed it to be," David Cain told BBC News NI.

"But erstwhile you're moving successful existent spaces, a ample dragon is simply a ample dragon and it takes up the abstraction it needs."

Directed by Dean DuBlois, the movie tells the communicative of however a quality and dragon befriend each other, breaking generations of struggle betwixt dragons and Vikings connected the fictional isle of Berk.

And Berk was created successful a fig of locations successful Northern Ireland, including Belfast, Dunseverick Castle connected the northbound seashore and Tollymore Forest.

Many visitors to Belfast's Titanic Quarter volition person noticed the battlements of the Viking village, for instance, built conscionable crossed the roadworthy from the Titanic Studios.

The Sampson and Goliath cranes from the adjacent shipyards towered implicit the acceptable but the dragons near them alone.

And the sets surely impressed Gerard Butler, 1 of the film's stars arsenic Stoick, the Viking leader.

"Experiencing those sets that past are dressed and are lit and person torches connected occurrence successful the large hall, radical get caught up successful that vigor and they judge successful the story," helium said successful a behind-the-scenes movie astir the making of How to Train Your Dragon.

BBC News NI spoke to How to Train Your Dragon's shaper David Cain, conscionable earlier President Trump's announcement that tariffs could beryllium applied to films made successful overseas countries.

How to Train Your Dragon began beingness arsenic a hugely palmy animated trilogy of films from Dreamworks Animation.

And, according to Mr Cain, determination are "all sorts of challenges" successful turning an animated deed into a live-action film, not conscionable the size of the dragons.

"You're trying to remake thing that was loved and cherished and wage homage to the archetypal and support the archetypal fans happy," helium said.

"While astatine the aforesaid clip bringing thing caller and caller to the table."

In Belfast, the accumulation spent respective months successful aboriginal 2024 filming astatine Belfast Harbour Studios and Titanic Studios.

"We besides built important sets connected our backmost lot," David Cain said.

"Obviously a batch of our enactment takes spot connected the mythical land of Berk and its village, truthful we built a batch of our sets extracurricular for earthy airy and earthy weather."

Audiences successful Northern Ireland volition rapidly admit the rugged coastline of Dunseverick, wherever teenagers Hiccup - played by Mason Thames - and Astrid - played by Nico Parker - person a heart-to-heart speech successful 1 of the film's cardinal scenes.

Hiccup befriends the young dragon, Toothless, challenging Viking certainties and the struggle with the dragons.

David Cain said Northern Ireland was "doing everything right" successful trying to pull much large films.

"I deliberation you present person a crushed of endowment successful crew," helium said.

"What we cognize arsenic extras, the guys are conscionable truthful good.

"You've got stages present - I cognize Belfast Harbour is benignant of increasing arsenic a improvement and there's different stages around."

Six years aft it ended, it is wide that Game of Thrones near a lasting legacy.

David Cain thinks that How to Train Your Dragon tin besides surface Northern Ireland to the world.

"Northern Ireland has ever had a bully estimation with the Game of Thrones HBO worldly that's been done determination and there's been galore films made there," helium said.

"We're a large movie and hopefully it'll gully attraction to the endowment and locations and stages and the quality that Northern Ireland has connected offer."

How to Train Your Dragon is successful cinemas connected 13 June.