Dean DeBlois, director of the upcoming live-action adaptation of How to train your dragonresponded to criticism over the casting of Nico Parker as Astrid in the film. How to train your dragon will adapt the beloved 2010 animated film, in which America Ferrera voiced Astrid. In addition to Parker, the live-action cast How to train your dragon the adaptation includes Mason Thames, Gerard Butler and Nick Frost. Since it was announced that Nico Parker would play Astrid in the live-action film, some people have criticized the casting choice, as Parker is black, while the animated version of Astrid was white.
Recently, DeBlois posted his response to the criticism on Instagram, defending his casting choice. The director argued that it makes sense for Astrid to be black in the world of the live-action film, and insisted that Parker was the best actor for the role. Read his full comment below:
Exactly. We auditioned many actors for the roles, including actors who looked like their animated counterparts. But we chose the actors who best embodied the characters’ spirit and personality, as the tribe in this version is made up of descendants of the best dragon fighters from everywhere Vikings have traveled (which historically has been everywhere – Vikings mixed with many cultures). Still, we are creating a fantasy, not historical fact, and all will be revealed in time. We’re not doing a scene-by-scene remake. We just got close to key moments to pay homage to the original – which I remain very proud of. The provocation presents some of these moments. Rather than a completely new tale, we aim to embellish and deepen without abandoning the story that fans love.
What Nico Parker’s Astrid Casting Means for the Live-Action How to Train Your Dragon Movie
Nico Parker’s Astrid will be an important character in the How to train your dragon Film
Parker is a young actress, but she has already received acclaim for her role as Sarah Miller in the HBO film. The last of us. This role, in addition to other appearances in films and TV shows, proves that she is a talented and rising actress. Astrid is one of the most important characters in the How to train your dragon animated films as she is a fierce Viking warrior who ends up being Hiccup’s love interest. Based on DeBlois’ comments, it’s clear that he’s confident that Parker did a great job portraying Astrid’s youthful and sometimes reckless energy.
Even though there’s no reason for DeBlois to feel like he needs to justify casting a black actor to play Astrid, the director has pushed back against people who consider the casting to be historically inaccurate. He highlighted that the tribe that will be seen in the live-action How to train your dragon is made up of descendants of the best dragon fighters from everywhere the Vikings traveled. Therefore, because the Vikings traveled far from their homeland, the fact that Astrid is black does not affect the realism of the story.
Our Take on Nico Parker’s Casting as Astrid in How to Train Your Dragon
Unfortunately, the first trailer for How to train your dragon did not include Parker as Astrid. Instead, it focused on Butler’s Stoick, Mason Thames’ Hiccup, and Toothless. However, she appears in the behind-the-scenes video of How to train your dragon. In the video, Parker appears to fit perfectly into the world of How to train your dragon and embodies Astrid perfectly. So fans should be looking forward to seeing more of her character when the film comes out in 2025.
Source: Dean DeBlois/Instagram