How To Train Your Dragon director goes viral for looking “exactly” right

Josh Taylor
How To Train Your Dragon main characters.

The director for How To Train Your Dragon’s upcoming live-action show has gone viral, as fans soon pointed out the remarkable likeness between him and his Viking characters.

Despite Disney having released a constant wave of popular live-action remakes for their animated classics, one of its main competitors, Dreamworks, has not followed suit over the years.

However, this is set to change, after Dreamworks announced that one of their most popular franchises, in the form of How To Train Your Dragon, is getting its own live-action movie.

Dreamworks has previously released various movies and spin-off animated shows based on the film, but now they have officially announced the live-action adaptation will premiere at movie theaters on June 13, 2025.

How To Train Your Dragon’s “Viking” director goes viral

A post to Twitter/X announced that the upcoming live-action movie for How To Train Your Dragon has begun filming, paired with two images.

However, it was a user’s response that has since gone viral, as they pointed out: “This is exactly what the director of How To Train Your Dragon should look like.”

One of the photos was of the writer-director Dean DeBlois on set, which fans across the internet have since flooded in to praise for his remarkable likeness to a typical Viking character from the franchise.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he wrote Game of Thrones too. He just has that look of someone who’s a good storyteller and that’ll take you on a whimsical magical adventure,” one user replied. He was shown wearing a warm brown colored jumper, with a light-coloured pattern, complete with a full grey beard and hair.

Others couldn’t believe he wasn’t acting in the film: “No way he’s not in the film! I swear he should do a cameo,” as another commented: “He’s got a face you can trust with dragons.”

DeBlois was also responsible for writing and directing the original animated films for How To Train Your Dragon, as he looks set to bring the franchise to a whole new level as part of the upcoming live-action movie.