The new, modern How to Train Your Dragon had to figure out cell phones

In the new How to Train Your Dragon show, the human characters aren’t seasoned viking warriors, but modern teenagers. Yes, they have internet access and cellphones. John Tellegen, Showrunner, says one of the most difficult aspects of modern-day setting was to balance the wonders of technology with dragon’s power.

“As much as modern day kids are on their devices quite a bit, we didn’t want to lose what makes dragons feel so grounded by putting too much tech into it,” he tells Polygon. “My instinct was always to lean away from the tech.”

Dragons in The Nine Realms This series takes place 1,300 year after the ending of the previous one. (“Even though the show takes place 1,300 years in the future,” adds Tellegen, “it doesn’t mean that we’re not going to find some surprises from the past.”) After a fissure in the Earth’s crust opens, restless teenager Tom and his mom travel to the fault’s research center. Tom, curious to discover all possible findings, stumbles on the Hidden World. It is an underground cavern that the dragons used as a refuge after the conclusion of the movie trilogy. Tom meets a black-and-white dragon and soon introduces them to his friends. The modern setting doesn’t just allow the characters to use drones, cellphones, and computers; it also introduces new themes — ones that may be more relatable.

DreamWorks image

“One of the benefits of moving into the modern times is it allows us to play on themes that are more current, like climate change and animal rights. Things that are important to our modern day audience that the Vikings might not have cared so much about,” says Tellegen. “But our modern day kids do.”

Modern day children in this movie are different from the actors in the original show and film.Dragons in The Nine Realms are a more diverse bunch. It’s definitely more of an ensemble show than anything in the originals, which were ultimately focused on Hiccup and Toothless. But now, there is a different kid and a different dragon — with different cool powers — to match. For instance, shy computer hacker Alex gets paired with a dragon who can turn invisible, while fearless Tom ends up bonding with Toothless’ descendant who can shoot lightning bolts.

Tellegen claims that while dragons and children evolved together, Tellegen said the emphasis was on the creation of a broad and varied roster human characters who shared a common trait.

“They were all kids who hadn’t necessarily had a place to call home. D’Angelo is an Army brat, who traveled around with his family and Tom and his mother had been adventuring around the globe,” explains Tellegen. “The idea of bringing all of these characters from different walks of life together and having them find a family and find home at this place was a big part of the development of the human characters.”

Dragons in The Nine RealmsStreaming is available Peacock Hulu now.