Mason Thames, Nico Parker to play Hiccup and Astrid in How to Train Your Dragon

Universal Pictures has found its lead actors for the live-action feature film based on the studio's popular animated trilogy How to Train Your Dragon. Mason Thames, best known for starring in Universal's horror hit "The Black Phone", will play the lead character of Hiccup, according to entertainment news outlet The Hollywood Reporter.

Nico Parker, who made an appearance in HBO's hit series The Last of Us, will essay the role of Astrid in the movie, which will be helmed by Dean DeBlois, the director behind the original animated trilogy. The studio has set March 14, 2025, as the release date of the film.

More about How to Train Your Dragon

How to Train Your Dragon movie series, based on the books by Cressida Cowell, followed the unique friendship between a young and timid Viking boy named Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health. The franchise, which started with 2010's How To Train Your Dragon, chronicled Hiccup and Toothless' quest to combat humanity's prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love. 

DeBlois wrote and also directed the first movie with Chris Sanders. The filmmaker later directed two sequels released in 2014 and 2019 in sole capacity. The voice cast also included Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, TJ Miller, and Kristen Wiig. According to reports, the search for live-action counterparts took many months of looking. The makers were looking for actors who could grow into the roles just like the actors in the animated movie trilogy.   

More About Nico Parker and Mason Thames 

Mason Thames, 15, appeared on three episodes of the show For All Mankind. He later bagged the lead role in the Black Phone, which happened to be a commercial hit. The adaptation of the Joe Hill short story by Scott Derrickson put Thames on the radar for other teen roles. Meanwhile, Nico Parker, 18, made her film debut as Milly Farrier in the 2019 film Dumbo. Recently, she was named a Bright Young Thing by Tatler.  (With inputs from PTI)