How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Filming Locations Revealed

Fans of the original animated series will be delighted by the upcoming live-action adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon (2025). Directed by Dean DeBlois—who also created the original trilogy—this upcoming version brings Hiccup and Toothless to life like never before. Featuring a fresh cast, with Mason Thames playing Hiccup, Nico Parker as Astrid, and Gerard Butler returning as Stoick the Vast, the film promises to honor its animated roots while offering a realistic cinematic experience.

Slated for a U.S. release on June 13, 2025, the movie is being produced by Universal Pictures. Here at NetFilming, we’ve explored all the confirmed and behind-the-scenes filming locations that were used to create the stunning world of dragons and Vikings.

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Plot Story

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) is about Hiccup, a smart Viking who doesn’t fit in with his dragon-slaying tribe. When he becomes friends with Toothless, a rare Night Fury dragon, he learns that dragons aren’t the enemies that his people think they are. They work together to change long-held beliefs and promote harmony between people and dragons. This movie made $42.7 million at the box office and had a 98% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. It has a lot of passion, action, and beautiful images that make finding out where it was filmed much more fun.

Where Was How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Filmed?

To create a believable version of Berk—the fictional Viking island—the filmmakers chose a mix of real-world landscapes and high-end studio setups. The result is a breathtaking visual experience grounded in real environments, from windswept cliffs to dense forests. Below are the main filming locations:

Northern Ireland: The Heart of Berk’s Rugged Beauty

Northern Ireland played a massive role in bringing the fictional Isle of Berk to life. Its dramatic landscapes and historic sites provided the perfect backdrop for a Viking world filled with dragons.

1. Belfast, Northern Ireland

A big part of the movie was filmed in Belfast, which is the capital of Northern Ireland. This city is now one of the best places to film, especially for fantasy movies. The team mostly worked in Titanic Studios and Belfast Harbour Studios, which are both noted for having great facilities. These studios were great for making big set designs and inside scenes that used real effects.

The production team even built a full-scale Viking village to make it seem and feel like Berk. Some accounts say that the set had many realistic props, wooden buildings, and even “real fish” to make it feel like it was from the Viking Age.

2. Tollymore Forest Park, County Down, Northern Ireland

Tollymore Forest Park, which is in County Down, had the rich green trees and old woods that fit the mood of the movie. This place was perfect for woodland scenes, from dragon-flying episodes to peaceful periods of character development. It had dramatic stone bridges, rocky streams, and tall trees.

Tollymore has been utilized in other fantasy hits, like Game of Thrones, so it’s a good choice for magical and medieval settings.

3. Dunseverick Castle & Northern Ireland’s Coast

Dunseverick Castle and the adjacent cliffs along County Antrim had a rough coastal scene. These places look just like the rough but beautiful land we think of when we think of the planet where dragons live. The wild, untamed vibe of the location’s spectacular views of the ocean and cliffs that reach into the sky fits with the movie’s Viking setting.

Murlough Bay and Giant’s Causeway are two other well-known places in Northern Ireland that were apparently used for broad landscape shots and establishing pieces.

4. Los Angeles, California, USA

Most of the filming took place outside of the United States, while some scenes were shot in Los Angeles. Most of the time, the city’s production studios were used for sequences with a lot of CGI, like ones with flying dragons. Actors were filmed against green screens with complex rigs and gimbal systems so that realistic dragon animations could be added afterward.

Most of the post-production effects were done by Framestore, a visual effects firm noted for its high-quality CGI work. The flying shots were made using a blend of real-life movement and digital effects to make Toothless and the other dragons look as real as possible.

5. Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands were chosen because of their stunning coastal cliffs and natural areas that have not been changed by people. These far-off islands between Iceland and Norway were the perfect place to show a world where people and dragons live together. They were rough and lonely.

The Faroe Islands had a lasting effect on the movie’s scenery, even though only a few sequences were filmed there. Their unpolished, windswept beauty made the story more interesting.

6. Iceland

Another key location was Iceland, known for its volcanic terrain, glaciers, lava fields, and black sand beaches. Iceland’s unusual landscape made it a great place to film sequences with action, travel, or dragon homes. Iceland’s spectacular landscapes were employed in many exterior shots to make the Viking-themed story feel more authentic and magnificent.

Even though the main cast didn’t spend a lot of time in Iceland, drone footage and filming by a second unit got broad, cinematic shots that helped build the mood for the whole movie.

When Was How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Filmed?

The production kicked off in early 2024, beginning in Northern Ireland. Due to industry delays caused by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, the schedule was slightly pushed, but the team managed to wrap up by mid-2024. Additional VFX work and sound design continued from late 2024 into early 2025.

Filming was strategically split between practical outdoor locations and studio work. This hybrid approach allowed the filmmakers to stay grounded in realism while using technology to enhance the fantasy elements. The final result is a balanced, visually stunning adaptation that stays true to the spirit of the original animated film.

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Behind the Scenes

The making of How to Train Your Dragon (2025) was a thrilling journey, blending cutting-edge technology with breathtaking real-world locations. Filming from January to May 2024, director Dean DeBlois aimed to honor the beloved animated trilogy while crafting a fresh live-action experience. “We wanted to keep the heart of Hiccup and Toothless’s story but make it feel real, grounded in these incredible landscapes,” DeBlois shared in a 2025 interview with Variety.

Speaking about the transition from animation to live-action, DeBlois shared, “We didn’t want to simply recreate the animated film. The goal was to ground it in reality while keeping the emotional heart intact.”

The production used Titanic Studios in Belfast for detailed Viking village sets, while Northern Ireland’s rugged coast and Iceland’s volcanic vistas brought Berk to life. Actor Mason Thames, who plays Hiccup, described the experience: “Filming in places like Tollymore Forest felt magical—it was like stepping into Hiccup’s world” (X post, March 2024).

Gerard Butler, reprising his role as Stoick, noted, “It felt like stepping into Berk for the first time. Everything around us was so real, it made the performances much more organic.”

The flying scenes, especially those featuring Toothless, were among the most complex to shoot. A specially designed gimbal rig allowed actors to simulate dragon-riding movements, later enhanced by Framestore’s cutting-edge CGI.

Composer John Powell also returned to score the film, helping retain the original trilogy’s emotional tone. The team faced challenges like unpredictable weather in the Faroe Islands, but the effort paid off, creating a visually stunning film that’s already a fan favorite.

How to Train Your Dragon (2025) Official Trailer

For more behind-the-scenes insights and filming location breakdowns, keep following NetFilming—your go-to source for movie location updates.

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