How To Train Your Dragon Director Responds To Astrid Live-Action Casting Backlash: "We're Crafting A Fantasy, Not Historical Fact"

Dean DeBlois, director of the upcoming live-action adaptation ofHow to Train Your Dragon, has responded to criticism about Nico Parker’s casting as Astrid in the film.How to Train Your Dragonwill adapt the beloved 2010 animated movie, in which America Ferrera voiced Astrid. In addition to Parker, thecast of the live-actionHow to Train Your Dragonadaptation includes Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, and Nick Frost. Ever since it was announced that Nico Parker would be portraying Astrid in the live-action movie, some people have criticized the casting choice since Parker is Black, while the animated version of Astrid was White.

Recently,DeBloisposted his response to the criticisms on Instagram, defending the casting choice. The director argued that it makes sense for Astrid to be Black in the world of the live-action film, andinsisted that Parker was the best actor for the role. This is because of her impressive audition that embodied the original character, alongside how the movie would be approaching the makeup of dragon riders featured in the story. Read his full comment below:

Toothless-from-the-original-animated-How-to-Train-Your-Dragon

Exactly. We auditioned many actors for the roles, including actors who looked like their animated counterparts. But we chose the actors who best embodied the spirit and personality of the characters, since the tribe in this version is made up of descendants of the finest dragon fighters from everywhere the Vikings had ever traveled (which historically was far and wide - Vikings mixed with many cultures). Still, we’re crafting a fantasy, not historical fact, and all will be revealed in time. We’re not making a shot for shot remake. We just struck close to key moments to honor the original - which I remain very proud of. The tease features a few of those moments. Instead of a completely new tale, we aimed to embellish and deepen, without abandoning the story that fans love.

What Nico Parker’s Astrid Casting Means For The How To Train Your Dragon Live-Action Movie

Nico Parker’s Astrid Will Be A Major Character In TheHow To Train Your DragonMovie

Parker is a young actor, but she has previously earned acclaim for her role as Sarah Miller in HBO’sThe Last of Us. This role, in addition to her other movie and TV show appearances, proves that she is a talented and rising actor.Astrid is one of the most important characters intheHow to Train Your Dragonanimated filmssince she is a fierce Viking warrior who ends up being Hiccup’s love interest. Based on DeBlois' comments, it is clear he is confident that Parker did a great job portraying Astrid’s young and sometimes reckless energy.

Even though there is no reason for DeBlois to feel like he has to justify casting a Black actor to play Astrid, the director pushed back against people who are calling the casting historically inaccurate. He pointed out that the tribe that will be seen inthe live-actionHow to Train Your Dragonis made up of descendants of the best dragon fighters from everywhere the Vikings traveled. Therefore, since the Vikings traveled very far from their homeland, Astrid being Black doesn’t affect the story’s realism.

Our Take On Nico Parker’s Casting As Astrid In How To Train Your Dragon

It’s A Perfect Casting Choice Despite The Backlash It’s Receiving

Unfortunately,the first trailer forHow to Train Your Dragondid not include Parker as Astrid. Instead, it focused on Butler’s Stoick, Mason Thames' Hiccup, and Toothless. However, she is featured in thebehind-the-scenes video forHow to Train Your Dragon. In the video, Parker looks like she fits right into the world ofHow to Train Your Dragonand embodies Astrid perfectly. Therefore, fans should be excited to see more of her character when the movie is released in 2025.

How To Train Your Dragon’s Live-Action Toothless Design Eases A Major Concern

The first look at Toothless in How to Train Your Dragon’s teaser trailer should ease many of the design concerns of hardcore franchise fans.

While some may still be skeptical of her casting, live-action films casting actors based on their embodiment of the character instead of their race isn’t anything new. Disney’slive-actionThe Little Mermaidcastsaw Halle Bailey, a Black actor, portray Ariel, while theirupcomingSnow Whiteadaptationwill see Rachel Zegler, a Latina actor, step into the titular role. These examples prove howreimaginings of animated features can adjust to changing the race of important characters for the sake of a memorable performance. It also exemplifies why Parker’s casting shouldn’t be the cause for any controversy.

Characters outside live-action remakes of animated movies have also had their race changed from the source material to accommodate strong performances, like Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba inWickedand Leah Jeffries as Annabeth inPercy Jackson and the Olympians.

GivenHow to Train Your Dragon’s trailerfeatures plenty of accuracy to the original, more footage of Parker as Astrid may convince a wider audience of how perfect she is for the role. With the trailer already featuring the classic meeting between Hiccup and Toothless,scenes ofThe Last of Usstar’s character might also be directly translated from the original. This could further prove just how well she fits the role, as audiences see her embody the original character through familiar scenes.

Parker’s Performance Can Elevate The Retelling

WithHow to Train Your Dragonco-directorChris Sanders supporting DeBlois' vision for the upcoming adaptation, it’s clear the new movie is being made as a labor of love in honor of the original. This is already evident in the accuracy of what was seen in the trailer, which promises a nostalgic reinterpretation with plenty of familiar moments being recreated.Casting Parker as Astridis part of that creative vision, emphasizing how nobody else could have perfected the character like her.It also proves DreamWorks' upcoming projects are prioritizing quality, no matter public reactions.

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While other highly-anticipated DreamWorks projects likeThe Bad Guys 2or thelong-awaitedShrek 5are bound to be hits,How to Train Your Dragonis undoubtedly one of their most anticipated productions. The film could be the start of the studio producing plenty of new adaptations of their existing films, much likeDisney’s live-action remakesover the last decade. Perhaps Parker’s performance can help drive this path forward for the studio, her embodiment of Astrid being enough to shut down criticism of her casting.