Live-Action How To Train Your Dragon's Hiccup Actor Praised By Nick Frost: "He Has Funny Bones"

 

Nick Frost praises Hiccup actor Mason Thames' performance in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon. The upcoming movie will reimagine the original DreamWorks feature, which centered on a young Viking who befriends an injured and feared dragon. In addition to Thames and Frost, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon stars Nico Parker, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, and Harry Trevaldwyn, with Gerard Butler reprising his role of Hiccup's father, Stoick the Vast. It is set for release on June 13, 2025.

In a recent interview, Frost opened up to Collider about his experience working on the new How to Train Your Dragon. Frost, who portrays Hiccup's sole friend, blacksmith Gobber the Belch, praised Thames as a naturally funny performer who was enjoyable to work with. He confirmed they had a lot of scenes together, and this led to several improvisational moments, which Frost said Thames handled well. He said:


Even not when we're shooting, just watching him, watching how his body works is so weird and funny, and he has funny bones and he's lovely. I got to meet his family a lot and they're all lovely, and you can see why he's as grounded as he is when you see where he comes from. We had a lot of scenes together, and there wasn't one thing that I did during a scene that was unscripted that ruffled him at all. He just loved it. He loved to improvise. We loved to improvise together. I was like, 'Hey, why don't we try this?' And he’d be like, 'Yeah, let's do it!'

What Frost's Comments Mean For The Live-Action How To Train Your Dragon

Gobber And Hiccup's Bond Is A Key Part Of The Animated Feature

For those familiar with the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, it is unsurprising to learn Frost and Thames shared many scenes together, as their characters have a close bond in the animated movies. As Stoick's closest confidant, Gobber has known Hiccup for a long time, and even offered him an apprenticeship position. Gobber was Hiccup's friend when the other Viking youths began their dragon-fighting training and Hiccup was struggling. As such, the pair's dynamic is a vital part of the movie.

With Frost's response, it seems that not only will their friendship be maintained in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, but also that his and Thames' performances may prove that they were perfect for the roles of Gobber and Hiccup. While improvisation may mean some moments won't be one-to-one translations of the animated movie, the interactions will be something new for viewers, while the actors' real-life friendship will help emphasize their character's bonds. This can help make the new movie the perfect combination of fresh and familiar.

Our Thoughts On Frost's How To Train Your Dragon 

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Frost is no stranger to improvisational humor, given his working relationship with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright on Spaced and the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, where many moments that are now beloved were due to the three creatives' quick on-set collaborations. Knowing that, Frost's celebration of Thames' improvisational skills is incredibly high praise. It suggests he isn't bluffing about the talents of his young co-star.

With Frost's latest response, viewers may be even more eager to see How to Train Your Dragon's live-action remake. While many cinemagoers may be left burned out by recent live-action adaptations of animated movies, the cast's responses so far prove that this particular remake is more than a retelling of the beloved movie. As such, the adaptation could end up being a delightful surprise that matches the high quality of the animated movies.