How to Train Your Dragon 2 live action casting: Cate Blanchett to Return as Valka
- Christopher J. Watt
- Jan 23
- 4 min read
The new 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' live action cast is finally starting to be revealed! Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett has officially signed a casting deal to return and reprise her role as Valka in the How to Train Your Dragon 2 live action remake, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
This exciting update comes just a few months after the release of the How to Train Your Dragon live action last June. The movie grossed over US $636million at the global box office; the best-performing film of the franchise (and, I will add, also outperforming Wicked: For Good by the end of 2025).
Director of the animated movies Dean DeBlois returned to direct the live action, starring the now-record breaking actor Mason Thames as Hiccup, as well as Nico Parker (Astrid), Nick Frost (Gobber the Belch), Julian Dennison as Fishlegs, Gabriel Howell (Snotlout), and Bronwyn James and Harry Trevaldwyn (Ruffnut and Tuffnut). Gerard Butler, who had voiced Stoick the Vast in the animated trilogy, returned to his role as the great Viking chief.
Soon after the announcement of a live action How to Train Your Dragon 2, director Dean DeBlois was asked whether or not Cate Blanchett would return as well—a question many of us seek to know the answer to. “Well, I’m wishful as well. It’s still early days,” he told ComicBook.com. “I think she is probably waiting for a script, but I’ve been knocking on that door. I wrote the character of Valka for her, so I told her it’ll always be hers to turn down first.”
Earlier this week The Hollywood Reporter delivered the answer to our prayers.
Phew! No need for any “Bring Cate Back” petitions—they heard our cry. (I’m not saying anyone else wouldn’t have been a good Valka, but as with Stoick, any other actress would have had a Bewilderbeast-sized expectation to live up to.)
Cate Blanchett as Valka in the How to Train Your Dragon 2 live action cast
For those who’ve lived under a rock since 2014, How to Train Your Dragon 2 follows the story of Viking Hiccup and his dragon Toothless as they come up against a crazed warlord Drago Bludvist, who is building a dragon army (you know, just your classic common or garden world domination stuff). Along the way they encounter another dragon-riding warrior, who turns out to be… (spoiler alert!) …Hiccup's long-lost mother Valka, who has spent the last twenty years rescuing dragons hurt by Drago's efforts and bringing them to her hidden dragon sanctuary.
This is the first time since 'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' (2019) that Blanchett will return to play the same character in a new movie; something that hadn’t happened since she played Galadriel for 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies in 2001-2003 and 2012-2014, respectively.
With Gerard Butler confirmed as Stoick the Vast, Mason Thames (Hiccup) will be surrounded by two of the franchise’s most beloved stars as his “parents” for the film.
But wait, before you go—there’s more!!
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson Joins as Drago Bludvist
That’s right—the official casting for Drago Bludvist is in! Just a day after Cate Blanchett’s signing announcement, Deadline released that Icelandic actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson will star as the world domination-obsessed madman.
Ólafur (not to be confused with Olaf the snowman from Frozen) is known for his contributions in Severance, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, as well as an Icelandic crime series Trapped, and he is not new to the world of Berk. He voiced Ragnar the Rock, another warlord and a dragon poacher in How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). This major upgrade comes as quite a surprise to fans who were hoping for another casting return. Djimon Hounsou is the voice actor for Drago in the animated movies, and he did an absolutely fantastic job with capturing the villain’s character. We also share a birthday, for anyone wondering.
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson may not be Djimon Hounsou, but there shouldn't be an expectation for that. More importantly, what matters is that we get a powerful and effective Drago Bludvist. In the same way that Nico Parker portrayed Astrid so strongly and uniquely, I think we ought to give this new actor a chance. (To add more, he's Icelandic, making his accent and mannerisms ideal for a Scandinavian-set film (and every true fan knows that there is a tonne of ice in How to Train Your Dragon 2).
There are still questions as to casting for dragon trapper Eret Son of Eret, who was voiced by Game of Thrones icon Kit Harington. Will he return? Nothing is yet confirmed (to date), but I sure hope so! A three-way cast return would not only be a true bringing-to-life on screen, but it would almost certainly set How to Train Your Dragon 2 on a course for major success before it’s even released.
Time will give us the answer. I just can’t wait to see Cate Blanchett go where no one (else) goes.
