Cate Blanchett has never been an actor who plays it safe. Her career zigzags effortlessly between prestige drama, eccentric indies, and franchise spectacle, often within the same year. One moment she is an Oscar-winning embodiment of restraint and intelligence, the next she is gleefully chewing scenery as a goddess, villain, or warrior queen. Blanchett’s choices have always suggested a performer drawn not by scale, but by imagination. 

As Hollywood continues its careful courtship with live-action remakes, Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon has quietly become one of the rare examples done with genuine reverence. Following the success of the first live action adaptation, the studio has now confirmed its next bold move.

Cate Blanchett is officially riding dragons once again, this time in the flesh. The two-time Academy Award winner has signed on to reprise her role as Valka in Universal Pictures’ live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2. The news was confirmed on January 15, 2026, with Dean DeBlois who spearheaded the original DreamWorks Animation trilogy, returning as writer, director, and executive producer for the sequel.

Blanchett first voiced Valka in How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), introducing the character as the saga’s emotional compass and fiercest dragon protector. She reprised the role in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019), completing Valka’s arc in the original animated trilogy.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the first live-action How to Train Your Dragon, released in June 2025 earned an impressive $636 million worldwide. With that, it reassured fans that this beloved franchise was in careful hands. Based on Cressida Cowell’s best-selling book series, the film leaned heavily into emotional fidelity rather than reinvention, a strategy that clearly worked.

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The 2025 film was, by design, a near scene-for-scene revival of the original animated classic. How to Train Your Dragon 2, however, presents a more intriguing challenge. The live-action version is expected to follow suit with bigger landscapes, higher emotional stakes, and well, more dragons.

Adapting the second installment, the sequel continues the journey of Hiccup (Mason Thames), the once-awkward Viking who changed Berk forever by choosing coexistence over conflict. Now older and more assured, Hiccup faces new threats that challenge the fragile peace between humans and dragons. All while confronting the legacy of his family.

Cate Blanchett joins a returning ensemble that includes Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, Julian Dennison, Gabriel Howell, Bronwyn James, and Harry Trevaldwyn. The film is produced by Marc Platt (Wicked) through Marc Platt Productions, alongside Adam Siegel. Universal has locked in a June 11, 2027 release date, with senior vice president of production Lexi Barta overseeing the project.

With Cate Blanchett back in the saddle and Dean DeBlois guiding the story once more, How to Train Your Dragon 2 is shaping up to be a continuation, one that respects its past while daring to grow up with its audience.

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Are you excited to see Valka soar again in live action? Share your thoughts and tell us what you hope the sequel gets right.