How To Train Your Dragon U.S. Premiere Shines with Butler
Gerard Butler led a glittering cast to celebrate Stoick’s triumphant return at the June 13 debut
Image: Instagram
Star-studded Arrivals
Fans and media packed the Hollywood Theatre on a balmy Los Angeles evening for the U.S. premiere of How To Train Your Dragon. The DreamWorks Animation sequel, produced by Universal Pictures, brings back Stoick the Vast and his Viking clan in a story that’s been eight years in the making. The red carpet was a display of bold fashions, bright smiles and palpable excitement as cast members stepped into the spotlight.
Gerard Butler, who reprises his role as Stoick, arrived flanked by his co-stars, including America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson and F. Murray Abraham. Butler looked every inch the action star turned voice-actor, wearing a sleek navy suit that complemented the evening’s cinematic vibe. Photographers captured his animated conversation with director Dean DeBlois, teasing a few surprises before the film’s general release.
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Butler’s Stoick Shines
Gerard Butler, now 53, first lent his voice to the gruff but tender Viking chieftain in the 2010 original. Since then, he’s headlined projects from 300 to Olympus Has Fallen, but Stoick remains one of his most beloved characters. At tonight’s premiere, Butler joked about stepping back into Stoick’s massive boots: “It feels good to be home in Berk.” His enthusiasm underscored the years-long anticipation among fans.
Visual highlights from the premiere—captured by Alex J. Berliner for AB Images—show Butler exploring detailed set pieces, meeting early audience members in the theatre lobby and posing with life-size dragon models. The atmosphere blended pop-culture spectacle with genuine affection for the franchise’s richly imagined world.
Behind The Scenes And Global Tour
How To Train Your Dragon was filmed on location in Iceland and Vancouver, with much of its animation crafted at DreamWorks’ studio in Glendale. The production team returned to familiar creative partners, reassembling a talented core to capture the franchise’s signature blend of humor, heart and aerial dragon sequences.
Ahead of tonight’s L.A. event, Butler and Ferrera hit international stops in London, São Paulo and Riyadh—each appearance generating its own viral moment. On Instagram, Butler shared a snap of the movie’s Saudi Arabia screening being projected on the Kingdom Tower, calling it an “unforgettable moment.”
Similarly, he used social media to highlight the film’s IMAX presentation. On June 5 he posted, “A world this legendary deserves a screen this epic. Experience #HowToTrainYourDragon in @IMAX. Get your tickets now!” —a reminder that fans can catch the action in larger-than-life format.
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Looking Ahead
How To Train Your Dragon opens nationwide on June 13. The sequel promises to reunite audiences with fan-favorite characters, introduce new dragons, and wrap up long-running storylines. With its mix of spectacular animation and heartfelt storytelling, the film aims to launch another chapter in a saga that’s grossed nearly $1.7 billion at the global box office.
For Butler and his castmates, tonight’s premiere marks both a celebration of past success and a kickoff to a new era of dragon adventures. As Stoick himself might say: “The sky’s the limit.”
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