Astrid & Hiccup Have Been Cast For The Live-Action How To Train Your Dragon

As Hollywood continues to make live-action versions of beloved animated movies, fans are extra excited to see How To Train Your Dragon come to fruition. The dragons will be a big hit, of course, but also the Norse Vikings who train them. Two of the main Viking characters we’ve all come to know and love from How To Train Your Dragon, Astrid and Hiccup, have been cast for the live-action version. And the choices feel pretty perfect.

Based on the book series of the same name by Cresside Cowell, How To Train Your Dragon tells the story of less-than-heroic Viking Hiccup Horrendous (voiced in the animated series by Jay Baruschel), who lives on the island of Berk with his fearsome dad Stoik (Gerard Butler) and other Vikings who fight dragons as a way of life. Hiccup finds and befriends an injured dragon he calls Toothless and decides there might be a different path forward for the Vikings as dragon trainers and riders, all while falling in love with warrior Viking Astrid (America Ferrera).

The original 2010 movie spawned a decade of television series and sequels, and now a live-action version which will feature two familiar faces as Hiccup and Astrid. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mason Thames of The Black Phone will play Hiccup, while Nico Parker of The Last Of Us will play Astrid. The pair were chosen after months of searching for two actors who could grow into the roles they would play in the coming-of-age franchise, according to THR, and filming is set to get going this summer.

Thames shared news of his casting on Instagram with a message that he is “so excited” to play Hiccup, while Parker shared the announcement alongside a green dragon emoji. Fans of HBO’s The Last Of Us will remember Parker as the ill-fated Sarah Miller, daughter of Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) in the first episode of the series. Parker is also the daughter of Westworld’s Thandiwe Newton.

Considering Thames is 15 years old and Parker is 18 years old, Parker and Thames will have plenty of time to grow into these new roles, as the live-action version of How To Train Your Dragon is scheduled for a March 2025 release from Universal.