Ted Lasso Breakout Replaces Kit Harington as Eret in How to Train Your Dragon 2
Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster will play dragon trapper Eret, taking over from Kit Harington’s animated turn, as the live-action How to Train Your Dragon sequel roars into production.
Universal is keeping the live-action How to Train Your Dragon train rolling, and they just swapped in a very familiar face for a fan-favorite role. Phil Dunster (yep, Jamie Tartt from Ted Lasso) is your new Eret in How to Train Your Dragon 2. He is stepping into the part Kit Harington originally voiced in the 2014 animated sequel, and production on the live-action follow-up is underway.
Phil Dunster is Eret now
Dunster will play Eret, the swagger-heavy dragon trapper who loves to tell anyone within earshot that he is, and I quote:
'the finest dragon trapper alive'
Dunster is coming off an Emmy-nominated run on Ted Lasso and will also pop up in HBO's upcoming comedy series Rooster. On paper, he has exactly the cocky-charm toolkit this character needs.
Who is steering the ship (again) and what the sequel is doing
Dean DeBlois is back to write, direct, and executive produce. He co-wrote and directed the original animated trilogy and returned for last year's first live-action film, so yes, the architect of this whole thing is still in charge.
This second live-action movie continues Hiccup and Toothless's story with some very familiar beats: the return of Hiccup's long-lost mother, Valka, and the looming threat of warlord Drago Bludvist (played here by Ólafur Darri Ólafsson). In other words, if you know the animated HTTYD2, you have a good sense of the terrain they are covering.
Cast lineup
- Mason Thames as Hiccup
- Nico Parker as Astrid
- Phil Dunster as Eret
- Gerard Butler as Stoick
- Cate Blanchett as Valka
- Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Drago Bludvist
- Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, and Harry Trevaldwyn in supporting roles
Notably, Blanchett and Butler are reprising the characters they voiced in the animated films, now in live action. That is a fun wrinkle you do not see every day.
A quick refresher on Eret
In the 2014 animated How to Train Your Dragon 2, Eret starts out working for Drago, trapping dragons for him. He eventually figures out Drago is a monster and flips to Hiccup's side. If the live-action sequel follows that arc, Dunster will get to play both sides of the fence: charming jerk to reluctant ally.
Money and momentum
Universal's first live-action How to Train Your Dragon racked up $636 million worldwide, which explains the fast sequel. Across four films so far (animated and live action), the franchise based on Cressida Cowell's best-selling books has cleared $2.2 billion globally. People like dragons. Shocking, I know.
Behind the scenes and release date
Marc Platt and Adam Siegel are producing through Marc Platt Productions, with Lexi Barta overseeing for Universal. How to Train Your Dragon 2 is in production now and heading to theaters on June 11, 2027.