A dragon trip stunt gone mistaken left new Hiccup actor Mason Thames with a bloody chin in the course of the filming of the Methods to Practice Your Dragon remake. The 2025 live-action movie, directed by authentic trilogy author and director Dean DeBlois, brings the beloved animated story into live-action with a recent forged tasked with grounding the fantasy of Berk in emotion and realism. With sensible results and detailed units, the Methods to Practice Your Dragon remake gives a tactile strategy to Hiccup and Toothless’ story.
In an interview with Leisure Weekly, Thames, who stars reverse Nico Parker as Astrid, revealed that what was presupposed to be a enjoyable motion sequence between Hiccup, Astrid, and Toothless rapidly became one of many shoot’s bloodiest behind-the-scenes moments. Thames defined that he and Parker had been capturing a dragon flight sequence utilizing an enormous gimbal rig designed to imitate Toothless’ actions, and when the dragon was presupposed to dive, the gimbal moved erratically, and his chin slammed into its mechanical head. The accident left Thames needing 5 stitches. Try his feedback beneath:
Each time I needed to fly the dragon within the film, I used to be on this gimbal factor, and it was like a large mechanical bull. And we had been doing a scene the place it is me and Nico on the dragon, and Toothless is type of going loopy and wild, and she or he’s making an attempt to carry on. So we begin the scene and [the gimbal] begins going, and it is going, and it is actually loopy.
After which the dragon goes down. Usually, when the dragon goes down, [the gimbal] goes up. So I get down, I am prepared, after which the dragon goes up and the top smacks me within the chin, and three rod iron bolts smacked me.
They name lower, and I simply hear Nico go, “Oh my God.” She seems at her palms, they usually’re lined in blood. Oh, no. I appeared down and there is a pool of blood on the dragon. And I am going down and I look in a little bit mirror we had, and there is a little chunk of my chin gone — and it sucked. The physician put the stitches in after which was like, “Eh, I can do better,” and lower ’em out and put ’em again.
Thames’ co-star recalled being horrified when she noticed her palms lined in blood. Parker was sitting behind Thames when the accident occurred and could not see precisely what had occurred. Parker initially thought she had by chance injured Thames due to a joke about her lengthy nails he had made moments earlier. “I remember my nails had gotten quite long,” she mentioned. “And he was like, ‘You’re going to cut me with those.'” Learn her full feedback beneath:
It wasn’t my fault, actually wasn’t my fault. However, from my perspective, what had occurred proper earlier than he hit his chin is we had been taking a look at my palms, as a result of me and Mason can be up on that dragon for actually fairly lengthy stretches at a time. And I keep in mind my nails had gotten fairly lengthy and we would forgotten to trim them or file ’em or something. In order that they had been fairly lengthy.
Then I am taking a look at my nails and I am like, oh my God, these really, they would not lower him, however what if I by chance dig or scratch him — and that is the golden youngster right here. I can not harm him.
I keep in mind afterwards, initially, everybody was like, “Nico’s nails have just hurt our boy. Nico’s just cut our favorite cast member.” And I keep in mind being like, oh my God, that is terrible. After which we watched it again, and you possibly can see him bash his chin. Thank God. I might’ve felt actually… I felt so unhealthy once we thought it was me. And he was not letting it up. He thought it was so humorous.
What This BTS Story Means For How To Practice Your Dragon
The HTTYD Remake Embraces Practicality Even When It Hurts
The story behind Thames’ chin harm reveals simply how far Methods to Practice Your Dragon’s live-action remake went to convey bodily realism to its fantasy world, counting on sensible rigs to simulate flight scenes and extra. This strategy does not simply look higher, it helps the actors react extra naturally to their setting, permitting them to offer performances that really feel extra grounded and alive. However realism comes with challenges, and Thames’ unlucky harm proves that bringing dragons to life is not at all times clean crusing.
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Mason Thames speaks to how his model of Hiccup in Methods to Practice Your Dragon differs from the character’s portrayal within the authentic animated film.
This additionally displays a bigger development in fantasy filmmaking; live-action diversifications are utilizing extra actual units, creature animatronics, and in-camera results to make the not possible really feel tangible. This leads to a form of authenticity that CGI can not at all times replicate. Utilizing actual motion, bodily props, and mechanical creatures offers movies a way of place that absolutely green-screen units usually lack. The bond between characters and dragons in Methods to Practice Your Dragon is central to the movie, which implies this added realism is essential to be able to draw higher performances from the actors.
Our Take On Mason Thames How To Practice Your Dragon Harm
The Chemistry Between The HTTYD Leads Is Already Shining
Accidents on set are by no means splendid, however they can lead to surprising chemistry, and this is a wonderful instance. Thames and Parker’s chaotic, humorous, and endearing retelling of the accident already mirrors the playful but loving relationship between Hiccup and Astrid. The way in which they flip a painful mishap right into a operating joke speaks volumes about their pure camaraderie, which interprets completely on display. Tales like this provide a glimpse into the high-energy setting behind the Methods to Practice Your Dragon remake, and enthrall audiences whereas they look forward to the upcoming 2027 sequel.
Supply: Leisure Weekly
Methods to Practice Your Dragon
8/10
Launch Date
June 13, 2025
Runtime
116 Minutes
Director
Dean DeBlois
Writers
Dean DeBlois
Mason Thames
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III
