A serious and gruesome accident has occurred during the production of the highly anticipated live-action sequel, How To Train Your Dragon 2, leaving a crew member with severe injuries. According to a report from Variety, a special effects technician working on the film severed multiple fingers on one hand in an incident involving a saw.
Details of the Workshop Accident
The unfortunate event did not take place on the main filming set but within a workshop located at Sky Studios Elstree in Borehamwood, United Kingdom, where the movie is currently being shot. Medical professionals attempted to reattach the technician's fingers through surgery; however, these efforts were reportedly unsuccessful, leading to a permanent loss.
Universal Pictures, the studio behind the film, has not issued any official statement or comment regarding the accident at this time. The specific circumstances that led to the injury remain undisclosed, with no further details released about safety protocols or potential investigations.
Production Context and Film Background
How To Train Your Dragon 2 serves as both a remake of the 2014 animated hit of the same name and a sequel to the 2025 live-action remake of the original film. The franchise has a storied history of commercial success, with the 2010 animated original directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois grossing nearly $500 million globally against a $165 million budget.
Box Office Performance and Cast Details
The subsequent animated films further solidified the series' profitability. How To Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) earned an impressive $622 million with a $145 million budget, while the final installment of the animated trilogy, How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019), brought in $540 million against a $129 million budget.
The live-action remake series has continued this trend of financial success. The first live-action film, released last year and directed by Dean DeBlois, grossed $636.6 million worldwide after a $150 million investment. To date, the combined earnings of the three animated films and one live-action movie total an astounding $2.2 billion, as reported by Deadline.
Filming for How To Train Your Dragon 2 commenced at Sky Studios Elstree in February, following the production of the initial live-action film at Titanic Studios in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The cast features Mason Thames in the lead role of Hiccup, alongside returning stars Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast and Cate Blanchett reprising her original character.
Supporting Cast and Release Information
The ensemble is rounded out by actors Nico Parker, Nick Frost, Ted Lasso star Phil Dunster, and Godzilla Vs. Kong actor Julian Dennison. The film's plot centers on Hiccup's mission to broker peace between a Viking community and a dragon flock after he befriends one of the creatures.
How To Train Your Dragon 2 was officially announced at CinemaCon in Las Vegas in April 2025, with director Dean DeBlois confirmed to return. Additional cast members include Blanchett, Dunster, and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. The movie is scheduled for theatrical release on June 11, 2027.
