In the upcoming live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, most of the cast is new, but Gerard Butler has come back to reprise his role as Stoick, Hiccup’s father. This means that Butler will be playing Stoick in the movie set to release in 2025. Not only is this exciting news for fans, but Butler himself expressed that he would have critically analyzed someone else’s performance if he hadn’t been given the chance to play Stoick.
During an interview with TopMob’s Jeff McCobb before the premiere of “How to Train Your Dragon”, it was revealed that actor Gerard Butler almost didn’t play Stoick. Due to scheduling conflicts, it seemed unlikely at first, but then strikes occurred, creating a chance for him to take on the role. In hindsight, McCobb inquired if Butler would have experienced regret or emptiness if another actor had portrayed Hiccup’s father in the film, “Den of Thieves”.
In response, the actor said:
Indeed, it’s an intriguing query. To be honest, I wouldn’t use the term “bitterness,” at least not in a public setting. Instead, I would express sadness. Absolutely, sadness would have been my emotion. And, I might have critiqued whoever played the part, thinking along the lines of, ‘That’s well done, but I would have…’ It’s much like the scene in the movie where Hiccup pulls out the knife and says, “I’d have chosen the hammer.” In that situation, I might have reacted similarly.
It’s not hard to see why Butler might feel attached to the character! The first installment of “How to Train Your Dragon” was released in 2010, with two more sequels following in 2014 and 2019. If you have a Peacock subscription, you can stream all three films. Given that Butler has been portraying Stoick for fifteen years, it’s no wonder he feels deeply connected to the character.
I wondered from the director of How to Train Your Dragon: The Live Action about their feelings seeing the movie with an audience for the first time, and it certainly didn’t fall short of emotions – both tears and cheers.
It’s worth noting that the actor chosen for Stoick should ideally be around the right age, considering Jay Baruchel and America Ferrera, who previously portrayed Hiccup and Astrid, would have grown too old for those roles. Conversely, it might be more fitting to bring back the original actor who played Stoick. This way, the characters maintain a consistent age progression across the cast.
In essence, if I were in his position, I would probably have given an analysis or critique of another actor’s performance as well. As Butler pointed out, it can be challenging not to evaluate someone else’s portrayal of a character you played such a significant role in creating from the start.
Beyond that, the live-action adaptation of “How to Train Your Dragon” has been referred to as a “warm tribute” to the animated version. Upon viewing it, I can also attest that it brings back everything you cherish from the 2010 film. Therefore, if another actor had portrayed Stoick, and Butler had to witness him enacting the same narrative, it would have been challenging not to become fixated on the decisions made.
Luckily, we don’t inhabit a universe where that event transpired. In the latest “How to Train Your Dragon”, Gerard Butler reprised his role as Stoick, and this time he even sported the famous beard! It was evident that he enjoyed every moment of it. Not only did we get to hear him as the valiant leader of Berk, but also watch him in costume, moving around within this dragon-filled world.
You’ll have a chance to witness Gerard Butler reprising his role as Stoick again when How to Train Your Dragon graces movie theaters on June 13th.
Read More
2025-06-10 22:07