How to Train Your Dragon 2: Cate Blanchett Cast as Valka
An actor has also been found for Drago Bludvist
Good news for all fans of "How to Train Your Dragon": according to industry magazine The Hollywood Reporter, Cate Blanchett has been cast for the sequel to the live-action adaptation of 2025! She will be taking on the role she already voiced in the popular animated films.
Cate Blanchett as Valka
We're talking about Hiccup's mother Valka, who was thought to be dead. Long before the events of Part 1, the dragon rider realized that dragons are not evil. Blanchett has been one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood for decades. She is best known for her role as Galadriel in the "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" films. Blanchett has been nominated for an Academy Award no fewer than eight times in her long career – two of which she won.
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Drago Bludvist
But it's not just Blanchett who has been cast for "How to Train Your Dragon 2". The portal Deadline also reports on the casting of Drago Bludvist. According to the report, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson has been signed up. The Icelander was last seen in the award-winning Apple TV series "Severance". Drago Bludvist is the antagonist of the second film. The power-hungry warlord does not regard dragons as friends, but rather as weapons. In the original animated films, the character was voiced by "Blood Diamond" actor Djimon Honsou.
The start date for How to Train Your Dragon 2
Mason Thames as Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid and Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast will of course be back on board. Dean DeBlois will once again direct and write the screenplay. The mastermind is behind both the popular animated films and the first live-action adaptation. A start date is already known: "How to Train Your Dragon 2" can be seen in cinemas from June 11, 2027. Find out all the other details about the sequel in our movie preview!
The plot of Dragon Taming Made Easy 2
The live-action adaptation is based on the second animated film in the series, which is loosely based on the "How to Train Your Dragon" books by Cressida Cowell. The story takes place around five years after the first part: Berk has now developed into a place where humans and dragons live together in harmony. Hiccup is no longer an outsider. On his exploratory flights, however, he not only discovers new territories, but also encounters his mother, long thought dead, and a mysterious ice cave where previously unknown dragons live.
Changes in the live-action adaptation
In the first live-action adaptation, the creators were very faithful to the original in terms of plot and style. But that is set to change this time. Director Dean DeBlois revealed this in an interview with the entertainment portal DiscussingFilm, among others. The background to this is quite surprising: DeBlois himself was not completely satisfied with the animated original.
"There are still regrets I have [...] that I would love to address in the live-action version."
Looking back, he feels that certain scenes in the animated film could have been more elaborate. At the same time, however, he emphasized how aware he is of the great popularity of "How to Train Your Dragon 2" among fans. DeBlois left open which specific plot elements or scenes he had in mind.
Cate Blanchett and her films
Cate Blanchett can look back on an extraordinarily varied and successful career that includes both major blockbusters and sophisticated arthouse productions. She celebrated her international breakthrough in 1998 with "Elizabeth", in which she played Queen Elizabeth I and was nominated for an Oscar for the first time. Her role as Galadriel in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" and later "The Hobbit" trilogy made her known to a worldwide audience.
The highlights of her career also include her Oscar-winning performances in "The Aviator" and Woody Allen's drama "Blue Jasmine". Other highly acclaimed films are "Carol" and the multi-award-winning drama "Tár". Blanchett's performance in "Tár" in particular is considered by many to be a highlight of her career. She was also part of the cast of blockbuster productions such as "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Ocean's 8". Her latest project is Jim Jarmusch's "Father Mother Sister Brother".
