Someone better start shipping a freight of Biotin over to Gerard Butler’s house because the “300,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Plane” star has got a mighty big beard to grow!

Butler is a well-decorated performer who has dabbled in just about every film genre possible, but arguably his best role is as Stoick the Vast in “How To Train Your Dragon.” As /Film’s Leo Noboru Lima explained when ranking the animated adventure flick as the best in Butler’s filmography, “How to Train Your Dragon” is one of the few mainstream movies to take Butler seriously as both an imposing leading man and a heartfelt performer, noting, “The film captures those two dimensions of Butler and layers them on top of one another, allowing Butler’s prowess as a heartrending dramatic performer to erupt through the cracks of his — ahem — stoic persona.” Lima also rightfully highlighted his delivery of “I did this” as his most “gut-wrenching.”

I had a blast and a half with 2023’s “Plane,” especially after learning the film’s wildest moment was the brainchild of Butler himself. This is to say, I wasn’t sure if there was anything that could make me love Gerard Butler more, but after a recent announcement over at Deadline regarding the live-action remake of “How To Train Your Dragon,” I’ve been delightfully proven false.

Butler will be reprising his role of Hiccup’s father Stoick, joining Mason Thames and Nico Parker as Hiccup and Astrid, respectively. Original series director Dean DeBlois is also returning to write, direct, and produce, so there’s a feeling of “getting the band back together” on this new reimagining.

A Viking dad just trying his best


dreamWorks Animation

Stoick the Vast is not just the (presumed) single father of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, he is also the chief of the Hooligan Tribe and allegedly popped a dragon’s head clean off of its shoulders when he was a baby.

Do I believe it? Yes, yes I do. At times Stoick’s dedication to doing things “the Viking way” made him appear stubborn, close-minded, and a source of frustration for Hiccup, but at his core, Stoick is a loving father who only wants what’s best for his son.

“How To Train Your Dragon 2” sees him make a devastating decision to prove where his heart has always been, and a moment that is only going to hit even harder if the live-action adaptation is a success and inspires a follow-up feature.

A Scottish actor, “How To Train Your Dragon” will also allow Butler to act with his natural dialect, which means I’ll most certainly be crying if I get to watch him say “You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you.”

Celebrity stunt casting often hurts animated films, but every once in a while, an actor will throw themself into the art of voiceover work and transform a character into something very special. Gerard Butler is one of those people, and I have no doubt that he’s going to absolutely dazzle us in the role in live action.

The live-action remake of “How To Train Your Dragon” is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 13, 2025.