HOW TO ACT BESIDE A DRAGON

RISING ACTOR GABRIEL HOWELL TELLS US THAT THE LIVE ACTION REMAKE OF ANIMATED FAVOURITE HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON IS IN SAFE HANDS.

- FARHAN SHAH

I MUST CONFESS; I have a soft spot for the animated film How to Train Your Dragon (HTTYD). It was released in 2010 when I was supposedly an edgy youth at the cusp of my journalistic career. Inception; The Social Network; The Town—these films were released in the same year and dominated my dinner conversations. And then, quietly, on the side, I loved Toothless, the goofy black dragon and one of the main stars in HTTYD. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. The film was a massive hit, grossing close to US$500 million in the box office and spawned two sequels.

So, when Hollywood announced a live action remake of HTTYD, I was intrigued—and wary, too. There is a propensity for filmmakers to scavenge in the pile of nostalgia, knowing that a remake would draw in people like me with our rose-coloured lenses. Alas, many of these remakes have usually been disappointments. However, I have tentative high hopes for the 2025 remake of HTTYD, especially after speaking with actor Gabriel Howell, who plays Snotlout Jorgensen, the lead character's rival in the film. Here is our unfiltered conversation.

Tell me about the audition for your role as Snotlout Jorgensen. How did you prepare for it?