Dean DeBlois, the director of the live-action How to Train Your Dragon movie, has responded to people upset about Nico Parker being chosen to play Astrid. The movie is based on the popular 2010 animated film where Astrid was voiced by America Ferrera. Along with Parker, the cast includes Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, and Nick Frost. Some fans have criticized Parker’s casting because she is Black, while the animated Astrid was White.
DeBlois recently shared his response to the criticism on Instagram, standing by the casting choice. He explained that it fits for Astrid to be Black in the live-action version and said Nico Parker was the perfect choice for the role. You can read his full comment below:
Exactly. We auditioned lots of actors for the roles, including ones who looked like the animated characters. But we picked the actors who best captured the personality and spirit of the characters. In this version, the tribe includes people from all the places Vikings traveled to, which historically was a mix of many cultures. But remember, this is a fantasy, not history, and things will make sense as the story unfolds. We’re not copying the animated movie exactly. Instead, we’re honoring key moments fans love while adding more depth and details to the story.
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Nico Parker is a talented young actor who got a lot of praise for playing Sarah Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us. Her work in other movies and shows also proves how skilled she is. In the How to Train Your Dragon movies, Astrid is a brave Viking warrior and an important character who becomes Hiccup’s love interest. Based on DeBlois’ comments, he believes Parker did an amazing job showing Astrid’s young and bold personality.
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DeBlois doesn’t need to explain why he chose a Black actor to play Astrid, but he still responded to people saying it’s not historically accurate. He explained that the tribe in the live-action How to Train Your Dragon is made up of descendants of the best dragon fighters from all the places Vikings traveled. Since Vikings went to many faraway places, Astrid being Black fits the story just fine.
The first trailer for How to Train Your Dragon didn’t show Nico Parker as Astrid. Instead, it focused on Stoick, played by Gerard Butler, Mason Thames as Hiccup, and Toothless. But Parker does appear in a behind-the-scenes video, where she looks like she fits perfectly into the How to Train Your Dragon world and really brings Astrid to life. Fans have a lot to look forward to when the movie comes out in 2025!
Source: Dean DeBlois/Instagram