Hiccup and Toothless are one step closer to the big screen again. Director Dean DeBlois confirmed on Instagram last week that principal photography on the live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2 is officially complete, after 81 days of shooting in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Cameras wrapped on May 15, 2026, and the film is now headed into post-production.
To mark the milestone, DeBlois posted a first-look image of Hiccup's iconic fire sword known as Inferno, gripped against a dark, fiery background with a caption that said it all: "And that's a wrap on HTTYD2! 81 days of principal photography now complete. Onto post production. See you in June of '27!"
The first live-action How to Train Your Dragon hit theaters on June 13, 2025. Directed by DeBlois, who also directed all three animated films, it was a close remake of the beloved 2010 DreamWorks animated movie. The story follows Hiccup (played by Mason Thames), a teenage Viking who can't seem to fit in with his dragon-fighting village. When he secretly befriends a rare dragon called a Night Fury, nicknamed Toothless, everything changes.
By the end of the film, Hiccup leads the Vikings and dragons to live in harmony, but at a cost. He loses his left foot in the final battle, replacing it with a metal prosthetic. Toothless also loses part of his tail fin, meaning the two depend on each other to fly. It's a bittersweet, emotional ending that sets up perfectly for a sequel.
The movie was a massive success as it grossed $636 million worldwide, landed a 77% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, and earned a jaw-dropping 97% audience rating. Safe to say, fans were happy.
So what's the How to Train Your Dragon live-action sequel about?
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is based on the 2014 animated sequel of the same name, which itself won a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature and made over $622 million at the box office.
The story picks up with an older Hiccup (now around 20) exploring uncharted territory beyond Berk. He reunites with his long-lost mother Valka, who has been living among dragons for years.
At the same time, a ruthless dragon hunter named Drago Bludvist is building a dragon army and threatening to destroy everything Hiccup has worked for.
Familiar faces and exciting new additions
The main cast from the 2025 film all return, including Mason Thames as Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid, Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast, Nick Frost as Gobber, and Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn rounding out the gang.
New faces joining the sequel include Cate Blanchett as Valka (Hiccup's long-lost mother, reprising her role from the animated film), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as the villain Drago Bludvist, and Phil Dunster (Ted Lasso) as Eret, a cocky dragon trapper.
Just like its predecessor, the sequel was filmed in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Production kicked off on January 26, 2026, with DeBlois announcing it on Instagram with the caption: "Back in the saddle! Day 1 of principal photography on HTTYD2! The adventure begins."
For context, the first film also shot in Belfast over roughly 85 days across January to May 2024, so the sequel followed a near-identical production timeline though DeBlois has noted the sequel is more ambitious in scope.
With filming wrapped, the team now heads into post-production as in the visual effects, sound design, score work, the whole thing. Given that the first film had over a year between its wrap date and its theatrical release, fans can expect a similar runway here.
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is scheduled to fly into cinemas on June 11, 2027. No trailer has dropped yet, but with the film fully shot and a first-look image already out there, the marketing machine is likely to spin up soon.
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