The live-actionHow to Train Your Dragonarrives in theaters everywhere this weekend, and one of the stars from the film has responded to backlash over her casting.Nico Parker, previously known for playing Sarah Miller inThe Last of UsSeason 1, was cast to play Astrid inHow to Train Your Dragon. She takes over the role fromAmerica Ferrara, who voiced the character in previous films. In the animated movie, Astrid is a young white girl with blonde hair, and Parker is from parents of mixed descent — her father is white and her mother is mixed.Fans have unfairly lashed out against her castingfor not being a one-for-one lookalike of her animated counterpart, and during a recent interview with The Times, she responded to those who have a problem with her casting:
“There’s some people that really love the animated movies and really want to see an exact play-by-play of that film, and I hope that you can watch [the new version] and find something that you love about it, regardless. But for the people that just hate inclusivity, hate change — when it comes to that side of things,I just don’t care.If I wouldn’t value your opinion on most things in life, I can’t value your opinion on my hair. If I did, I would go mad.”
Parker is joined byMason Thamesas Hiccup, who takes over the role fromJay Baruchel, who voiced the character in the animated films. Back to reprise his role from animation isGerard Butleras Stoick. Butler recently spoke out abouthis initial qualms about the live-action versionwhen he was informed of its existence, simply saying,“That’s going to be terrible.”It took some convincing from directorDean DeBlois, who invited Butler to the set to show him what the team was working on, and he quickly signed on to do the project.Early reviews forHow to Train Your Dragonarrived yesterday, and the film has earned a strong 82% from critics onRotten Tomatoesfrom 60 reviews, which still makes it thelowest-rated film in the franchiseto date.
How Long Is the New ‘How To Train Your Dragon’?
The newHow to Train Your Dragonmovie has a runtime of2:05, which is roughly thirty minutes longer than the 1:38 runtime held by the original. The film is expected to be in theaters for several months, and it likely won’t be available to watch at home on VOD platforms likePrime Videountil sometime in August. Given thatthe original movie earned around $500 million at the box office,How to Train Your Dragonis tracking to rake in some serious cash during its theatrical run.
The live-actionHow to Train Your Dragonmovie flies into theaters everywhere this weekend. Stay tuned to Collider for moreupdates and coverage of the film, and find tickets below for a showtime near you.
How to Train Your Dragon
Source:The Times
