Nick Frost Joins Live-Action How to Train Your Dragon: What You Need to Know

Introduction to the Live-Action Remake

The live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon has cast a major role. How to Train Your Dragon, which follows the adventures of a Viking boy named Hiccup and his dragon Toothless, is a children's book series by Cressida Cowell that was adapted into a trilogy of animated features between 2010 and 2019. Returning director Dean DeBlois will helm the live-action update, which is slated to premiere in 2025, featuring Mason Thames as Hiccup and Nico Parker as his love interest, dragon training student Astrid Hofferson. Gerard Butler will also reprise his role as Hiccup's father Stoick the Vast.

Nick Frost looking sideways and smiling in The Huntsman Winter's War

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon has added comedian Nick Frost to the cast. He will be playing Gobber the Belch, the character formerly voiced by Craig Ferguson in the animated trilogy. Gobber the Belch, who is implied to be gay in various moments throughout the sequels, is a mentor to Hiccup and advisor to Stoick the Vast in addition to his duties as the blacksmith on the island of Berk.

Nick Frost's Previous Work

Before bringing the character of Gobber the Belch from the How to Train Your Dragon movies to life, Nick Frost has appeared in many prominent movies and television shows. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with co-star Simon Pegg. Their projects together include the sci-fi comedy Paul, the animated Steven Spielberg movie The Adventures Of Tintin, the British sitcom Spaced, and the Cornetto Trilogy. The Cornetto Trilogy, a loosely linked trio of genre movies directed by Edgar Wright, includes 2004's Shaun of the Dead, 2007's Hot Fuzz, and 2013's The World's End.

After his career took off post-Shaun of the Dead, Frost began to appear in a variety of movie roles outside the orbit of Simon Pegg. This includes starring in Attack the Block, Tomb Raider, and Fighting with My Family in addition to playing the dwarf Nion in Snow White and the Huntsman and its sequel The Huntsman: Winter's War. His television career also includes roles such as Santa Claus on Doctor Who, Declan Orrun in The Nevers, and Gus Roberts in Truth Seekers.

It remains to be seen if the new movie can live up to the original animated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. However, Frost being cast as Gobber the Belch could provide it with a huge boost. The actor could use his ample experience providing comic relief in a variety of genres including horror, science fiction, and fantasy to make sure that the tone of the original animated movie is still brought to the screen properly.

Conclusion

The addition of Nick Frost to the live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon brings excitement and anticipation for fans of the original animated trilogy. With his extensive experience in comedy and acting across various genres, Frost is poised to bring depth and humor to the character of Gobber the Belch. As the movie's premiere in 2025 approaches, audiences will be eager to see how Frost's portrayal adds a new dimension to the beloved character and contributes to the overall success of the live-action remake.