Interviews by Elisa Leonelli
The live-action version of the 2010 animated film based on Cressida Cowell’s children’s book series How to Train Your Dragon, premiered in Italy on June 8 at Best Movie Comics and Games, is released in cinemas on June 13.
Elisa Leonelli interviews for Best Movie from Los Angeles director-writer Dean DeBlois, who directed the animated trilogy, and the protagonists.
Gerard Butler, the likable Scottish actor, as Stoick the Vast, head of the Viking village on the remote island of Berk in Scotland.
Mason Thames, 17-years-old from the United States, who starred in the horror film Black Phone, as Hiccup, son of the Viking chief.
Nico Parker, daughter of British actress Thandiwe Newton and director Ol Parker, who plays an Astrid no longer blonde as she was in the animated movie.
Dean, what convinced you to accept the proposal to make a live-action version with realistic actors and sets of the animated movies you directed: How to Train Your Dragon (201o), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)?
DeBlois: It didn’t take long to convince me, I immediately accepted the idea, because I wanted to protect the world, the characters and the heart of the story that I knew so well. Selfishly, I didn’t want to see someone else’s version, so I volunteered. I was determined to preserve the sense of wonder and the wish fulfillment that we had promised in the first film.
(For a long interview with Dean DeBlois, see the June issue of Best Movie.)
Gerard Butler, Mason Thames © Universal
Gerard, how did it feel to see yourself on the screen, having only lent the voice to the character of the Viking leader of the Isle of Berk?
Butler: I was obviously very fond of this trilogy, which left such a deep impression on the viewers, and I considered myself to be its guardian. I had a lot of energy in the other films as well, but only with my voice, and when I saw myself in that big beard and the heavy armor, the physical transformation really made me live and breathe like Stoick, so I was able to go much deeper. I understood his contradictions, I felt the pain of a man bound by traditions, his vulnerability, his internal conflicts.
What is the dilemma of this widowed father who feels disappointed by the strange behavior of his son thats he loves so much?
Butler: Stoick knows how to command the Viking tribe, but he can’t communicate with his son. My mother (Margaret) was seriously ill during the shoot, I often visited her in Belfast over the weekend, which made me very emotional, I was on my own, feeling tired and silent. She died shortly after we finished shooting, and now when I see myself on the screen, I see my mom, not the Viking father. It was a great discovery for me to find the dark and deep emotion of this man, who tries to pontificate to his son, but has to hold his breath as if there were a crack in his armor, because he is struggling with himself, and only in the end can he relax. It was a powerful and exhausting experience for me.
What do you think the message of this story is, where the Vikings and dragons stop killing each other and start collaborating cheerfully?
Butler: It seems that the film talks about strength and masculinity, but it is the exact opposite. We have to give up that and let the singularity of each of us shine, maybe being a true leader means having compassion and empathy for those around you.
Mason Thames, Toothless © Universal
Mason, when did you see those animated films? Did you know Hiccup, the son of the Viking chief?
Thames: Of course, I remember seeing the 2014 sequel How to Train Your Dragon 2 at the age of seven and Hiccup was a hero to me; when he rode that dragon, I really wanted to be him. I think it was destined that I was chosen to play him. I appreciate his sense of humor, his sarcasm, I understand why everyone fell in love with him, including myself. I had a lot of conversations with Dean, and we wanted to explore the darker and sadder side of Hiccup. He is not accepted by the villagers because he’s not like everybody else, and all he wants is to make his dad proud of him, but to become a true Viking he must kill a dragon. When he meets Toothless, Night Fury, he realizes that he cannot do it, instead he begins to train the dragon, accepts to be different, and for this reason I find him a very special character.
What relationship do you have with your father (Chad) in life?
Mason: My dad is the best father in the world, my favorite person, I hope to be as good as him when I become a father myself. He loved football as a boy, he played it, and he wanted me to play it too. I got pretty good too, but for the last four games of the student league, I was always on the bench, then my father insisted that we go talk to the coach. When we got home, my mother asked us how it had gone, and my father replied, ‘You tell him Mason.’ Then I explained that it was my choice, because I played as a wide receiver and we had to block an opponent who was six feet tall, and no doubt was many years older than me, while I was small in stature, and I still am; so when the coach asked us who wanted to do it, I raised my hand, as if to say, ‘not me, thank you.’
Nico Parker, Mason James (c) Universal
Nico, how was it for you to interpret this young and fearless Viking warrior fighting dragons?
Nico: Astrid is an absolute badass, strong, intelligent, self-confident, agile and fast, and that’s why I like her. As for Mason, I was a huge fan of these animated films as a child, so playing my childhood hero was a cathartic experience, that not that many people get to do. And Dean, despite acknowledging how wonderful those animated movies are, was also completely open and willing to make changes and developments. The gift of live-action is that you have more space and freedom to see more colors in these characters, that we already know and love. It was interesting for me to delve into the backstory and the reasoning behind her initial distaste towards Hiccup, since their relationship was very important for the plot. She despises Hiccup because he can’t keep up with the rest of their group of young recruits, but she comes to understand the value of his difference, and encourages him to follow his own path. The fact that Astrid believes in Hiccup helps him realize his potential, it means that she is open to changing her mind, which is to her credit.
Universal had announced at CinemaCon that a live-action sequel to How to Train Your Dragon will be released on June 11, 2027.
Posted in Italian on BestMovie.it