Cate Blanchett will play Viking warrior Valka in ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2.’
She’s reprising her role from the animated adventures.
Dean DeBlois is once more writing and directing.
Cate Blanchett is ready to hang with dragons once more.
The actor is becoming the second person from the animated ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ franchise to reprise their voice role in live-action, following Gerard Butler.
Blanchett will join Butler and the rest in ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2,’ which is following last year’s first adaptation.
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Franchise overseer Dean DeBlois, who wrote and directed that first live-action entry is back pulling double duty again for this new one.
Mason Thames (right) as Hiccup with his Night Fury dragon, Toothless, in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Based, like the animated movies, on Cressida Cowell’s books, the stories follow young Viking Hiccup (Mason Thames), who goes against his society’s dragon-battling ways when he befriends one called Toothless.
The second instalment will continue Hiccup’s adventures. Blanchett’s Valka is the long-lost mother of Hiccup, and wife of Viking leader Stoick the Vast (Butler, who also appeared in the first live-action movie).
She has a few movies either in development or headed our way, including new drama ‘Sweetsick’ and sci-fi comedy ‘Alpha Gang.’ And Blanchett is a producer on a comedy called ‘Peaches.’
When will ‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ be in theaters?
Universal Pictures has already scheduled the sequel for a June 11, 2027 release date.
Which isn’t all that surprising, given that the first live-action movie earned $636 million worldwide.
Stoick (Gerard Butler) and Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live- action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Other Movies Similar to ‘How to Train Your Dragon:’
(L to R) Finn (Mason Thames) and The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) in ‘Black Phone 2’, written and directed by Scott Derrickson. Photo: Universal Pictures.
2022’s ‘The Black Phone,’ directed by Scott Derrickson from a script by him and C. Robert Cargill (based on a short story by Joe Hill), was a fresh, supernaturally-slanted take on the serial killer trope, told through the lens of Derrickson’s own childhood memories of growing up in a working-class Denver, Colorado neighborhood in the 1970s. It featured Derrickson’s uncanny ability to craft scenes filled with menace, as well as genuinely harrowing work from Ethan Hawke as the child killer known as the Grabber and Mason Thames as his latest victim.
Although ‘The Black Phone’ was a self-contained story, Derrickson and Cargill have found a way to extend the narrative with ‘Black Phone 2,’ which also brings back Hawke, Thames and Madeleine McGraw as the sister of Thames’ character. Leaning more heavily into the supernatural, and wearing influences like the ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ films and ‘The Shining’ more outwardly, the slow-burning ‘Black Phone 2’ strains at times to force its narrative forward but still delivers an often-frightening and gorier new chapter of the story.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Ethan Hawke and director Scott Derrickson on the set of ‘Black Phone 2’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
It’s four years since Finney ‘Finn’ Blake (Thames) was held captive by the Grabber (Hawke), finally killing him and escaping with the help of calls from the murderer’s previous, dead victims on a disconnected rotary phone in the Grabber’s basement lair. Still plagued by trauma from his encounter, Finn at first does not want to hear that his younger sister Gwen (McGraw) is having psychic dreams – just like their mother, who ended her own life – in which she sees three dead, mutilated boys at a Christian youth camp called Alpine Lake.
After learning from their father (Jeremy Davies, more dazed this time around) that their mother worked at the camp years ago, Gwen insists that she and Finn – along with their friend Ernesto (Miguel Mora, returning from the first film but this time as his doomed character’s brother) — head up there to find out what happened to the boys before the dreams drive her mad. Snowed in with the camp’s manager (Bichir), his niece (Rivas) and a pair of administrators, the group are besieged not just by Gwen’s ever more vivid dreams but physical manifestations as well – and increasing signs that the Grabber himself is reaching out from beyond the grave to take revenge on Finn and Gwen.
The lonely, windswept, snowbound camp, its buildings’ big picture windows looking out on absolute darkness at night, is a highly effective setting for ‘Black Phone 2.’ Derrickson wrings the most atmosphere out of that, but saves his most unnerving moments for Gwen’s dreams, which are filmed in Super 8 (another Derrickson trademark that goes back to ‘Sinister’). The grainy, faded look adds a layer of unreality to the dreams that is hard to shake, especially as the movie’s spirits begin to appear. As in the first film, the director also knows how to get maximum terror out of a ringing phone and a static-filled line – two things that are often more unsettling than most of us want to admit.
Some of the characters – like Finn, Gwen, and Bichir’s Armando, are well-drawn and given more depth, while others, like the Blakes’ now-sober but dazed dad, get the short end of the stick. Perhaps more controversially, Derrickson and Cargill’s script provides the Grabber with more of an origin story this time, while also explicitly making him into a supernatural being. The story also labors to tie the Blakes and the Grabber together in a more unified way. Whether that makes the universe of the film smaller and less mysterious is a matter of debate, but it makes the script more contrived this time around.
The film also bends the grounded vibe of its predecessor to allow for events in dreams to affect the physical world, which brings this narrative closer to that of ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ and its well-loved ‘Dream Warriors’ threequel. It’s not an entirely successful gambit, but it doesn’t detract from the still-heartfelt and genuinely terrifying story at hand.
Although he arguably has less screen time here, Ethan Hawke is still skin-freezing as the Grabber, bringing an intensity to the role that makes him one of the more striking horror creations of the past decade.
But the movie belongs to Mason Thames and especially Madeleine McGraw, both older and wiser – and a masterstroke for Derrickson to get them both back. Finn and Gwen are suffering from PTSD in their own way, and both actors offer up a raw portrait of two kids deeply suffering from trauma. In the end, it’s McGraw’s emotional, complex performance that stands out the most, marking her as an actor to watch.
The supporting cast is capable in all respects, but Demián Bichir also deserves mention: his customary warmth, earthiness, and humanity bring depth and empathy into a character that could have easily been one-dimensional.
Final Thoughts
(L to R) The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) and Gwen (Madeleine McGraw) in ‘Black Phone 2’, directed by Scott Derrickson. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘Black Phone 2’ doesn’t just recycle the first film, like many horror sequels, and while not every new direction it takes works, the film is still a mostly gripping and unsettling affair. Scott Derrickson remains a master of sustaining a mood of dread throughout, and gets the most out of those truly eerie dream sequences.
If the story twists itself to get to where the filmmakers want it to go, and the logic of the movie wobbles from time to time, it makes up for those flaws with some truly great performances, the director’s use of space, shadow, and texture, and the ominous netherworld in which it’s set. If the ‘Elm Street’ movies had kept playing it straight, they might have ended up here.
‘Black Phone 2’ receives a score of 80 out of 100.
In 1982, four years after the events of ‘The Black Phone,’ Finney Blake is trying to deal with the trauma of his experience with the now-dead Grabber. Meanwhile, his sister Gwen starts having terrifying visions of mutilated children and nightmares that include a ringing phone.
(L to R) 2025’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ director Dean DeBlois, and actors Nico Parker and Mason Thames.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of traveling to Oslo, Norway, home of the Vikings, to speak exclusively with writer and director Dean DeBlois, as well as young actors Mason Thames and Nico Parker about their work on 2025’s ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ and the home entertainment release.
DeBlois discussed adapting his own animated movie into live action, the design of the dragons, and deleted scenes, while Thames and Parker talked about joining the beloved franchise, their experience working with DeBlois and Gerard Butler, and the home release’s gag reel.
You can read our full interviews below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews.
(from left) Writer-Director Dean DeBlois (left), Gabriel Howell (center) and Nico Parker (right) on the set of Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Moviefone: To begin with, Dean, can you talk about the challenges of remaking a live action version of your own animated movie?
Dean DeBlois: Well, I think the biggest challenge is I’m very close to it, so the benefit I think, is the distance. It was 15 years ago. I tend never to watch movies that I’ve worked on again. By the time we get through the whole process of mixing and coloring it and putting it out in the world, I’m kind of done. So, I had the benefit of sense memory of the movie and then revisiting the script and looking for opportunities where we could go deeper with character relationships or with mythology and leaning into even more so into the aesthetic of live action. I think those were all directions that were set in place from the very beginning. So, it meant revisiting old material through a new lens.
MF: Mason, what was it like for you to join this franchise and bring the character of Hiccup to life in live action?
Mason Thames: I mean, Hiccup is a character that means so much to me. He’s always meant so much to me, so it’s kind of a factor of going into it that, what can I do differently? But also keep the character the same and respect what Jay (Baruchel) did, and Hiccup’s sarcasm, his wittiness, and his kind of awkward loneliness is something that makes him Hiccup. But going into it, me and Dean had a lot of time to talk about new colors that we wanted to explore. So, it was fun.
(from left) Astrid (Nico Parker) and Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Nico, were you a fan of the franchise before making this film and what was it like for you to step into this incredible world Dean has created?
Nico Parker: Yes. Me and Mason both were huge fans of the animated movies. Such a huge fan. I feel like anyone in our age demographic grew up with these movies and so to get to be a part of it is amazing. I remember even just in the audition process meeting Dean and, regardless of getting the part or anything, just meeting Dean was entirely surreal because this is a person who has so much responsibility in something that has been such a huge part of my childhood. There’s something kind of strange about meeting someone that has that kind of weight in your life. But he is just the loveliest and such a brilliant director and a wonderful person. So, to get to be here and doing all of this is kind of still constantly a pinch-me moment, but is very exciting. He’s literally the best person on the planet.
MF: Mason, what was it like for you collaborating with Dean on set?
MT: Dean is my favorite human being ever. He’s like, the sweetest. No, genuinely. You just want to hug him all the time and it’s like, “Oh, personal space, Mason, remember”. But he genuinely is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and such a fantastic director and filmmaker and artist. I love him so much and I trust him, which is something I value so much. He’s great.
Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Dean, can you talk about the deleted scenes available on the home entertainment release and why those scenes didn’t make the final cut?
DD: The two deleted scenes that we included are “Beach Break”, which is the moment that follows “Test Drive”. So, when Hiccup and Toothless are up flying in the clouds, they become detached and then reattach and fly on intuition. In the animated movie, there’s a scene where they’re now taking a break, just kind of relaxing, cooking some fish, and they get accosted by Terrible Terrors who try to steal the fish. It’s a moment where Hiccup realizes A, dragons aren’t so fireproof on the inside and B, everything we know about them is wrong. We had our live action version of that. We shot it, but we found in the edit, it was in an area of the movie where you could feel the lag, and something was weighing it down. So experimentally, we tried snipping that out thinking we’re kind of telling that story anyway with other scenes and just visually through the narrative, and it survived without it. So, it allowed the pace to increase, but it also just allowed us to move on. Another one is where Astrid almost catches Hiccup red-handed at night in the blacksmith stall with Toothless. Similar, it’s a cute little moment, nice little interaction, but at the end of the day, no real new information was being given to the audience and it helped with the overall pacing to remove it.
MF: Nico, I understand that there will also be a gag reel on the home entertainment release. How much fun was it being on the set, and was it hard not to laugh in between scenes?
NP: It was. I mean, Mason’s so funny, and all the recruits are so funny, and the crew is so funny. I can’t even believe that we made a cohesive movie with how much everyone was laughing. I remember the first time going into the arena. I remember, we turned to Mason and everyone started being like, “Who let you in?” Like belittling him, and I remember they were shooting from behind Mason’s head and the whole time everyone was so funny. Harry (Trevaldwyn) is so funny, Gabe (Howell) is so funny, and Julian (Dennison). Everyone’s so funny. I honestly am surprised that we even had a movie at the end of it because of how much we were breaking.
Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Dean, can you talk about the design of the dragons, particularly Toothless? Did you want them to look like the animated versions, or more realistic?
DD: Both. We wanted to try to keep the overall silhouettes and coloring and personality traits, certainly from the animated movie, and migrate them into a more naturalistic photoreal world where these creatures feel like they could have been part of our animal kingdom. So, I think in every case, except for Toothless, we were able to go back much more to the animal references, whether it was a crocodile or a tropical bird or a big walrus or so on and so forth. But I think when it came to Toothless, he’s meant to be a black panther meets a salamander, but the more we went toward black panther, the more we were losing his character. So, we found that we had to keep the big eyes and the big mouth and the ear plates as part of his personality.
MF: What was it like working with Gerard Butler again and watching him bring his animated character to life in live action?
DD: Well, I think when Gerard Butler was finally able to join us, because at first, he couldn’t do it due to his own schedule, I had such a breath of relief because I know Gerry well even off camera. So, I think we just have this free-flowing energy between us, and I credit him as co-creator of the character. He brought so much to it, the emotion, the nuance, the arc, even in the animated form. So being able to hand that to him and then let him use all his physicality, everything he can bring to the camera as an actor, embodying Stoick with all this mass and that costume. I knew it was going to be great from the start. He completely delivers. He’s a force of nature.
Gerard Butler in ‘How to Train Your Dragon’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MF: Finally, Mason, what was your experience like acting opposite Gerard Butler on this movie?
MT: He’s very funny, but what I love about him is, the energy he brings to set. I mean, he is Stoick the Vast, through and through. Nobody else could play that character like him. When he gets on set and he brings this raw energy to each scene, and whenever we’re in that room, it’s Stoick and Hiccup. Running through the scene repeatedly, it really brings something to it. He’s so amazing and such an incredible actor that I love him so much. But in between takes and stuff, we all joke around and he’s a prankster.
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What’s the story of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025)?
As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.
Who is in the cast of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025)?
2025’s ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ will be available to own at home beginning July 15th.
Exclusive Bonus Features When Purchasing at Participating Retailers:
Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Writer/Director Dean DeBlois
Gag Reel
Love and Legacy: Making ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ – Go behind the scenes to see how the beloved characters and intricate fantasy world were brought to the live-action medium.
Building Berk – Walk onto the set of ‘How To Train Your Dragon‘ and take in the scale, detail, and heart that went into building Berk.
Dreaming Up the Dragons – A glimpse at the technology, artistry, and imagination involved in bringing life-like dragons to the screen.
Fit for a Viking – Witness the elaborate transformations the cast made to embody the Vikings we see in the film.
Forbidden Friendship with Introductions by Writer/Director Dean DeBlois – Watch Mason Thames perform the full Forbidden Friendship sequence with a puppeteer in the early stages of creating one of the film’s most iconic scenes.
Test Drive with Introduction by Writer/Director Dean DeBlois – Hold on tight as we join Hiccup on his first flight with Toothless, and see the various elements that came together to construct the thrilling scene.
Exploring the Isle of Berk at Epic Universe – Explore ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ – Isle of Berk and discover an island where Vikings and fire-breathing dragons exist together in harmony.
Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Dean DeBlois
Mason Thames (right) as Hiccup with his Night Fury dragon, Toothless, in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025) receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Opening in theaters on June 13th is ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ which looks to re-imagine the 2010 DreamWorks Animation title as a blend of live-action and CG creatures.
(from left) Astrid (Nico Parker) and Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Disney has turned the conversion of its animated back catalogue into something of a cottage industry, one that has proved profitable for the most part –– a few misses aside, but with a recent mega-hit in ‘Lilo & Stitch.’
So, somewhat naturally, DreamWorks is going the same route, dusting off a classic from its animation arm’s shelf and giving it a coat of live-action (with the usual CG enhancements) paint.
But even with original co-writer and co-director Dean DeBlois aboard to shepherd it, can this re-envisioned trip to the island of Berk succeed to the same degree as the original, 2010 ‘How to Train Your Dragon’?
Script and Direction
(from left) Writer-Director Dean DeBlois (left), Gabriel Howell (center) and Nico Parker (right) on the set of Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
DeBlois, who launched the original franchise alongside Chris Sanders and then effectively took it over for two other movies, is back here in full charge. And, at least for the most part, he’s going the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” route.
Which in itself is both blessing and curse. This is, once again, the story of inventive young Viking Hiccup (voiced in the original by Jay Baruchel and here played in live form by Mason Thames), who is the son of powerful chief Stoick (Gerard Butler, reprising the role he brought to vocal life). An awkward dreamer, Hiccup wants nothing else but to impress his dad by slaying a dragon, and proving himself in the eyes of the village, which faces endless issues with the marauding reptiles.
Hiccup, largely considered a joke by the other local teams finally manages to down a dragon –– a legendary, mysterious Night Fury, only to discover that things are not exactly what they seem, as the dragons have their reasons for hostility, and the creature he’s encountered soon becomes a friend, one he names Toothless.
Hiccup (Mason Thames) in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
This new movie really is, for the most part, a copy and paste of that 2010 offering, which is not really a bad thing per se, since the first ‘Dragon’ was an emotional and stylish thrill ride with a fine line in comedy.
Keeping to the template, the 2025 example makes tiny tweaks to the narrative, including a little more for Astrid (here played by Nico Parker, inheriting a role played vocally by America Ferrera) to do and some positive nods towards diversity by re-positioning the Viking society as part of a global effort to combat the perceived dragon threat.
And that could well be a winning formula, though the changes that ‘Lilo & Stitch’ made to its own story, while seemingly controversial to some, haven’t hurt its box office results. There was scope to do something a little fresher with Hiccup and Toothless’ adventure, but for the most part, that option wasn’t taken.
As director, DeBlois does a solid joke, helped by a good cast and the cinematography skills of Bill Pope, who helps the island locales (film in Ireland) and the rocky Dragon’s Nest come to vibrant life.
The effects team is also to be congratulated for bottling what makes Toothless work in animated form in his live-action doppelganger –– though once more by sticking closer to the original.
Cast and Performances
(from left) Hiccup (Mason Thames) and Stoick (Gerard Butler) in Universal Pictures’ live- action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Butler throws himself into the role of Stoick, and finds more than simple bluster and bravado as he did last time. In his and DeBlois’ hands, he’s a more complicated character, a father dealing with the loss of his wife and hoping against hope that his son will grow into something more like himself.
Thames ably fills the role of that son, and his Hiccup channels plenty of the energy of the cartoon version.
Parker, boosted by the minor changes to her character, is a winning Astrid, finding her own nuance.
Nick Frost is swapped in to replace Craig Ferguson as blacksmith Gobber, and while his role is different than the crankier Ferguson version, it’s perhaps a little less memorable. But still, perfectly watchable.
Everyone else is either an archetype or a tiny supporting role, but there are some good moments from Julian Dennison as dragon fact aficionado Fishlegs, while Gabriel Howell is a solidly arrogant Snotlout.
Final Thoughts
(from left) Hiccup (Mason Thames) and Astrid (Nico Parker) in Universal Pictures’ live-action ‘How to Train Your Dragon’, written and directed by Dean DeBlois. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Was there a compelling reason to remake ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ other than to squeeze more value out of the franchise? Honestly, not really –– this is a true “grab the audience that grew up with the original, and have them bring their own children” play.
But when the result is a solidly enjoyable as this one, we’re quite happy to give it a pass. And try to keep a dry eye when Toothless is in danger!
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What’s the story of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025)?
As an ancient threat endangers both Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.
Who is in the cast of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ (2025)?
(L to R) Mason Thames and Mel Gibson star in ‘Monster Summer’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Mel Gibson and Mason Thames to talk about their work on ‘Monster Summer’, Thames’ first reaction to the screenplay, Noah’s friendship with Gene, Gibson’s approach to his character, and his experience working with the young cast and actor-turned-director David Henrie.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch the interview.
Mason Thames in ‘Monster Summer’. Photo: Pastime Pictures.
Moviefone: To begin with, Mason, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and joining this spooky family adventure?
Mason Thames: Yeah, the way you just described it is so perfect, but it was just something that you don’t really see very often, and especially getting to work with Mel. I was like, “Oh, this is just a no-brainer,” so I just jumped at it. Especially, David, the director, he was the nicest person I think I’ve ever met in my life, and he had a vision for it, and getting to be a part of that was a lot of fun.
MF: Mel, can you talk about your approach to playing Gene, the great loss he has suffered and the friendship he forms with Noah?
Mel Gibson: Well, he’s lived life and he’s in the third act. So, he’s retired, and he’s obviously got a lot of stuff behind him, pain and stories and experience, and some of the experiences he’s had, he’s forgotten. I think meeting this kid fills a gap that was missing in his life. He was just some old guy with a hat that lived alone. Everyone thinks he buried his wife in the garden, and a lot of stories going around about the guy. Then, of course, he gets to do what he’s good at. He has a talent because he’s an old detective, and so there’s a mystery and they solve this mystery together, and it’s really a buddy movie.
(L to R) Mel Gibson and Mason Thames in ‘Monster Summer’. Photo: Pastime Pictures.
MF: Mason, how would you describe the friendship Noah forms with Gene?
MT: Noah’s father, he died, and he was a journalist. He was missing that father figure, and in a weird way, I don’t think he was seeking it, but he found one with Gene and solving this mystery, and the weird adventure they went on. I really love that dynamic they have. It was fun to do.
MF: What was your experience like working with Mel and creating that relationship with him?
MT: It was a lot of fun. It was easy, especially working with him. We didn’t have much time, but we clicked easily, so it was a lot of fun.
Mel Gibson in ‘Monster Summer’. Photo: Pastime Pictures.
MF: Mel, in addition to being an actor you are also an Oscar-winning director. What was it like working with David Henrie, who is also an actor-turned-director?
MG: I had a lot of empathy, and ditto what Mason said. David’s the nicest guy in the world, honestly. He truly is. So, it was so good to work with him. He’s humble, so that if I had a suggestion, he was like, “Oh yeah, let’s hear that,” or whatever. It’s a no-brainer, also. I had coffee with the guy, and I said, “Let’s go to work, man.” That’s usually what it takes, and then if there’s wrinkles in the script or story points or any of that stuff, you say, “Well, we’re going to be able to take care of that because you and I are on the same page.”
MF: Were there any changes you needed made to the script to play the character?
MG: I don’t know. I’m sure I had a say in what was happening. I even invented a whole backstory for the guy, and then spat it out on camera and it seemed to work. We’ll see.
Mason Thames in ‘Monster Summer’. Photo: Pastime Pictures.
MF: Finally, what was it like working with Mason and the younger cast members?
MG: It’s great. It’s fantastic. I love working with young actors because I think that they’ve got this raw material, this diamond in the rough kind of thing, and you just watch them do it, and there’s a sense of truth in it that you can’t pretend really. It comes from a youthful innocence and exuberance and everything. It’s like, “Hey, that makes me feel younger,” when I work with young people.
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What is the plot of ‘Monster Summer’?
When a mysterious force begins to disrupt their big summer fun, Noah (Mason Thames) and his friends, team up with a retired police detective (Mel Gibson) to embark on a monstrous adventure to save their island.
Demián Bichir has been cast in ‘The Black Phone 2.’
Scott Derrickson is returning to direct.
The horror sequel will be in theaters in October 2025.
Given how successful the original ‘The Black Phone’ was back in 2021 (it made $161 worldwide, which might not seem huge, but the budget was a thrifty $18 million), it’s not surprising that Universal and Blumhouse made a deal with co-writer/director Scott Derrickson to scare up another instalment.
Derrickson is in pre-production now on ‘The Black Phone 2’, which will somehow see the return of Ethan Hawke’s terrifying masked child-snatcher The Grabber.
(L to R) Vance Hopper (Brady Hepner) and Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) in ‘The Black Phone,’ directed by Scott Derrickson.
In case you need a refresher, or don’t know the story of the original, here’s the basic synopsis:
Set in 1978 Colorado, ‘The Black Phone’ is adapted from a short story by Joe Hill and sees the shy 13-year-old Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) abducted by a sadistic killer known as “The Grabber” (Hawke).
Thereafter, Finney is held captive in a soundproof basement, where he discovers a disconnected black rotary phone. Mysteriously, the phone begins to ring, and Finney hears the voices of The Grabber’s previous victims, who offer him advice and clues to escape. Meanwhile, Finney’s younger sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), experiences psychic visions that might help locate him.
Zero plot details have been released for the sequel, though we do know that Hawke, Thomas and McGraw will all be back alongside co-stars Jeremy Davies and Miguel Mora.
As for what the story could conceivably be? We’ll have to wait and see what Derrickson and regular co-writer C. Robert Cargill have cooked up, but there are different ideas to speculate about –– we could be looking at a narrative partly set in the past, exploring the Grabber’s crimes before he took Finney and was ultimately defeated.
Or perhaps the pair could be looking to go down an even more supernatural route, setting the character up to become more of a Freddy Kruger figure who can haunt the people who stopped him.
While Universal and Blumhouse originally scheduled the movie for June 2025, it has since shifted to a surely more appropriate slot of October 17th, 2025.
In this case, it feels less like a cynical IP cash grab and more like a director with a real love for movie history identifying a fresh take on a classic tale.
What’s the story of ‘Night of the Hunter’?
Robert Mitchum in 1955’s ‘The Night of the Hunter.’ Photo: United Artists.
While the story is best known because of the 1955 Robert Mitchum-starring movie, it originates with a 1953 crime novel written by Davis Grubb.
Grubb’s book, and the novel, is the story of Harry Powell, a murderous ex-con who takes up the identity of a preacher in order to do his misdeeds. While in prison, a cellmate slated for execution tells Powell that he hid stolen cash with his kids. Upon his release, Powell finds the widow, woos her and marries her, all in a bid to find the loot. Things only gets worse for the kids from there….
The movie is considered a film noir classic and certainly sets a high bar. The movie, directed by Charles Laughton and also starring Shelley Winters and Lillian Gish, was selected for preservation into the United States National Registry in 1992. It is regularly cited as an influential title by many people working in the industry.
Who else is working on the new ‘Night of the Hunter’?
(L to R) The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) and Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) in ‘The Black Phone,’ directed by Scott Derrickson.
Derrickson will, as usual, work with his regular creative partner, C. Robert Cargill, who co-wrote the likes of ‘Doctor Strange’, ‘The Black Phone’ and the ‘Sinister’ movies. Together, the pair has become a reliable team of filmmakers across different genres.
Right now, the duo is deep in preparing to make the sequel to ‘The Black Phone’, which will reunite much of the first movie’s cast, including Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames, and is scheduled to hit screens on June 27th next year.
When will this new ‘Night of the Hunter’ hit theaters?
There is no release date for the movie yet, mostly because it’s at a very early stage of development and Derrickson and Cargill will be busy on the ‘Black Phone’ sequel for the foreseeable future.
(Right) Robert Mitchum in 1955’s ‘The Night of the Hunter.’ Photo: United Artists.
Gerard Butler is back as Stoic for a new ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.
Mason Thames and Nico Parker are set to star as Hiccup and Astrid.
Regular Director Dean DeBlois is returning to oversee the movie.
While DreamWorks and Universal have so far plumped for new faces in its live-action conversion of the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ animated franchise, it appears that to play broad, noble Viking chief Stoic the Vast there’s no substituting the person who has played him in the three main movies (and one spin-off TV movie).
Gerard Butler, who brought such character to the role, will be donning Stoic’s trademark hair and armor to bring him to shouty life in reality (or as close as you can get in a movie that’ll be full of CG dragons).
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What’s the story of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’?
Hiccup and Toothless from ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’
Adapted from Cressida Cowell’s novel series, which saw its first book hit shelves in 2003, the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ movies focused on the special friendship between a young and unheroic Viking boy named Hiccup and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health.
Set in a Viking island-based village called Berk, the story is set in a world where humans see dragons as a problem––either a sheep-stealing nuisance or deadly threat, depending on the type of beast. We followed Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to combat humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love. And uniquely, the films did so by consistently aging the protagonists commensurately with the story, becoming a true coming-of-age story.
Who is in the live-action version of ‘How to Train Your Dragon’?
Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast in ‘How to Train Your Dragon.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
So far, returning filmmaker Dean DeBlois, who handled all three of the theatrical movies (and is back to write, direct and produce this one), has cast fresh faces to play the main characters.
It remains to be seen whether Deblois taps any of the other voice actors to reprise their roles, though given many were older actors playing teens, it seems doubtful.
When will the new ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ be in theaters?
The movie is currently scheduled to flap on to screens on June 13th, 2025.
Gerard Butler as Brodie Torrance in ‘Plane.’ Photo Credit: Kenneth Rexach.
Other Movies Similar to ‘How to Train Your Dragon:’
(Left) Mason Thames as Finney Shaw in ‘The Black Phone.’ (Right) Nico Parker on HBO’s ‘The Last of Us.’ Photograph by Shane Harvey/HBO.
Moving ahead with its plan to keep the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ franchise rolling along, Universal and DreamWorks Animation are taking a leaf out of Disney’s book and making a live-action movie based on the first film’s story.
And the companies have now found the actors to play the two key lead roles, as Mason Thames is on to be Hiccup with Nico Parker playing Astrid.
Dean DeBlois, who wrote all three films, co-directed the first with Chris Sanders and took on the other two alone, is aboard to write, direct and produce this new film, where he’ll face the unenviable task of bringing central dragon Toothless to life in live-action, and somehow making him as charming as the beloved animated version.
6iSOkm8wH6ERhulOvteW45
What’s the story of ‘How to Train Your Dragon?
Adapted from Cressida Cowell’s novel series, which saw its first book hit shelves in 2003, the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ movies focused on the special friendship between a young and unheroic Viking boy named Hiccup and Toothless, an injured dragon he nurses back to health.
Set in a Viking island-based village called Berk, the story is set in a world where humans see dragons as a problem –– either a sheep-stealing nuisance or deadly threat, depending on the type of beast. We followed Hiccup and Toothless’ quest to combat humanity’s prejudice against dragons, the ache of overcoming the loss of a parent, and first love. And uniquely, the films did so by consistently aging the protagonists commensurately with the story, becoming a true coming-of-age story.
Thames is probably best known for starring in horror movie ‘The Black Phone’ and has also been seen in Apple TV+ series ‘For All Mankind’. Up next, he has high school comedy ‘Incoming’ and a starring role opposite Mel Gibson in ‘Boys of Summer’.
Parker made her acting debut in another animated-to-live-action conversion, 2019’s ‘Dumbo’ and has since been seen in ‘Reminiscence’ and HBO series ‘The Last of Us’.
The live-action movie will fly onto screens on March 14th, 2025.
Nico Parker on HBO’s ‘The Last of Us.’ Photograph by Shane Harvey/HBO.
Other Movies Similar to ‘How to Train Your Dragon:’
Based on a short story by Joe Hill, Ethan Hawke stars as The Grabber, a child killer that abducts a 13-year-old boy named Finney (Mason Thames), who begins to receive calls on a disconnected phone from the killer’s previous victims.
The result is a thrilling story about growing up in the 1970s, that is more interested in exploring the emotions of the kidnapped kids than the flashy villain and features superb performances from young actors Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw.
In 1978, we are introduced to Finney (Thames) and Gwen (McGraw), who are brother and sister and living in the Denver area. Their father, Terrence (Jeremy Davies) is an abusive alcoholic raising the kids alone after his wife’s death. Like her mother, Gwen is showing signs of having psychic abilities, which angers her father. The town is on edge because a kidnapper called The Grabber (Hawke) has been abducting children, leaving only black balloons behind after the kids disappear, never to be seen again. After his best friend goes missing, Finney quickly becomes the next victim of The Grabber.
(L to R) The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) and Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) in ‘The Black Phone,’ directed by Scott Derrickson.
Finney is taken to a soundproof room, where he finds a disconnected phone on the wall. He begins to receive calls from The Grabber’s former victims, instructing him on how to escape. Meanwhile, Gwen is determined to find Finney, and against her father’s wishes, begins to help the police by using her powers. Now, Finney will have to summon strength that he didn’t know he had to face his fears and escape The Grabber’s hideout before it’s too late.
Full disclosure, I’m not a fan of horror movies. But, I am a fan of good filmmaking and storytelling, which is why I liked ‘The Black Phone’ so much. While Scott Derrickson began his career as a horror director with ‘Sinister,’ much like Sam Raimi and James Wan, he has been able to transition to other genres within the horror world like the police drama ‘Deliver Us from Evil’ or the superhero movie ‘Doctor Strange.’ Both films had clear horror elements, even though they were basically a different genre. Derrickson does something similar here, with a horror movie that is really a coming-of-age story for the young lead characters.
The film is based on a short story by Joe Hill, who is the son of Stephen King. I mentioned this only because I saw a lot of similarities between ‘The Black Phone’ and his father’s ‘The Shining.’ Both films are set in the horror genre, but neither is really a horror movie in the classic sense. ‘The Shining’ is really a haunted house story, that just happens to feature a character with psychic abilities, but that is not the movie’s main focus. The same could be said for this film, as Gwen’s powers are not the main focus but rather an extra attraction, as the real story is about how Finney will overcome his own fears to survive.
Ethan Hawke is dazzling as The Grabber and is clearly having fun with the role in his limited screen time. Derrickson was wise to limit how much of The Grabber we see, keeping him a dark and mysterious character. Too much of the character would have taken away from Finney’s story of facing his fears and would not have had the same effect on the audience.
(L to R) Vance Hopper (Brady Hepner) and Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) in ‘The Black Phone,’ directed by Scott Derrickson.
‘Sinister’ actor James Ransone has a very funny role in the movie, which I won’t spoil but he is perfect in the part. However, Jeremy Davies’ performance as Finney and Gwen’s dad was too one-note for me. I know the character is an alcoholic, still grieving from his wife’s death, and his abuse is there to signal what Finney was too afraid to stand up to, giving him the strength to finally fight against The Grabber. But the character’s true feelings for his kids is never shown in the actor’s performance, and the child abuse scenes were just a bit too much.
But for me, the true breakout stars of the film are young actors Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw, who were both excellent as Finney and Gwen, respectively. McGraw is absolutely believable as a young girl confused by her supernatural abilities, and her love for her brother comes is very apparent. For his role, Thames had the challenge of creating a shy and timid kid at the beginning of the film and transcending to a young man who is brave and strong enough to stand up to The Grabber. It’s surprising to see such a layered performance from an actor who is that young, which makes it all the more impressive.
In the end, ‘The Black Phone’ is a horror movie in the sense that it deals with some horrific themes, and certainly will scare you if that is what you are looking for. But it is really a movie about growing up, facing your fears, and taking control of your own life. Those are themes audiences can relate to, no matter what genre the movie is set in.
Ethan Hawke as The Grabber in ‘The Black Phone,’ directed by Scott Derrickson.
