'The Life of Chuck' star Matthew Lillard on joining the 'Flanafam': 'Hollywood is such a lonely journey'
After receiving the People's Choice Award at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Mike Flanagan's movie The Life of Chuck, based on the Stephen King story, has finally hit theatres. With an impressive cast that includes Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, Mark Hamill, David Dastmalchian, Jacob Tremblay and Matthew Lillard, it's a striking film that brings up particularly poignant existential questions as we follow the life of Charles "Chuck" Krantz.
There's always been a through line of humanity in much of King's work and Flanagan is the perfect person to really lean into those elements for The Life of Chuck. A story told in three acting, in reverse chronological order, we get a glimpse of Hiddleston's Krantz through a billboard that reads, "39 Great Years! Thanks, Chuck!" amid environmental disasters, including a part California falling into the ocean.
Marty (Ejiofor) is a teacher who sees the billboard. He doesn't know who Chuck is, but there's a curiosity about who he might be as everyone's approaching the end of the world.
Lillard plays Gus, who only a appears for a short conversation with Marty, but it's easily one of the more impactful moments of the whole film.
"I couldn't be more thrilled," Lillard told Yahoo Canada about working with Flanagan and joining the "Flanafam," the group the makes up the filmmaker's regular collaborators. "Hollywood is such a lonely journey and having somebody that's like, not only do I want you in this movie, I want you in all my movies, it's like a love letter. So I feel very lucky to have found him on this journey."
"And collaborating with him is fantastic. ... He's got this spirit of generosity that's ... unparalleled in terms of my experiences over the last 30 years. I think he's generous, he's funny, he's charming, he's very clear with what he wants, ... and there's freedom within that form. And he does work that I am proud to be a part of."
As Gus talks to Marty about the end of the world, the blue-collar working has this beautiful epiphany about life that's incredibly moving.
"Going into it I was like, I have a lot of information to deliver in a really small amount of time," Lillard said. "The reality is, I didn't know Mike very well, we had just become friends. I had a very small part. I didn't want to come in and suck on behalf of the film. So it was a little nerve-wracking going in."
"At the end of the day, you just want to be good. And so this particular moment and this particular film, I accomplished that goal. I'm really proud of the work."
But in a world that feel particularly divisive right now, amid escalating tensions in many places around the world, The Life of Chuck may just be coming out at the perfect time, when we really need nuanced stories about humanity, that can still give us joy.
"Everyone wanted to be in last year's Academy Awards sort of cycle, and the reality is that it got pushed, for whatever reason. ... We didn't get to Toronto for a while because we missed that window, and so there's a lot of waiting," Lillard said. "I do think, in a weird way, that the movie is built to be delivered to the people in this moment."
"The timing of this, in terms of where the world is now, especially in America, feels like it's a gift. And so I do think the world works in mysterious ways, and hopefully that holds true for people who find it."
While The Life of Chuck is particularly great journey to go on, the impact of Lillard's character does also come down to the fact that he is such a beloved actor, whether you watched him in Scooby-Doo, She's All That, the Scream films, Good Girls, or his other work. But as Lillard admitted, sometimes he's just auditioning to get a job, he ultimately wants to be "charmed" by a project."
"A lot of times in Hollywood, people ... are constantly trying to make as much money as they possibly can, which is to increase their margins, which is to not pay people a lot of money," Lillard said. "That's [something] that people don't understand, just because you're in a movie doesn't mean you're making a lot of money."
"To be motivated, I want to be charmed by the part. I want to find something that I can hold on to and I want to be able to do something really great with the part that's exciting. ... Walking on a Life of Chuck and on the set, ... my job is just to bring me to this role, which is to bring my own humanity and my own take. And so luckily for me, that's what happened. I have a little part in a beautiful film that makes a tiny impact. So I'm really lucky, I feel really lucky."
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‘How to Train Your Dragon' Star Mason Thames Explains How an In-Flight Screening of ‘The Black Phone' Changed His Life
In-flight entertainment has changed the course of Mason Thames' life. How to Train Your Dragon director Dean DeBlois was already in the process of casting a live-action version of his animated franchise hero, Hiccup, and while he was en route to London-based auditions, he decided to pass the time on his transatlantic flight by watching a movie. He opted for Scott Derrickson's The Black Phone, starring the aforementioned Thames. The Canadian filmmaker was so impressed by the then-13-year-old's performance that he just had to get him on the 'long list' of 15-year-old Viking candidates. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'How to Train Your Dragon' Star Nico Parker Reacts to Trolls About Her Casting: "I Can't Value Your Opinion on My Hair" 'How to Train Your Dragon' Review: DreamWorks Live-Action Remake Retains Charm but Plays It Safe What Sold Gerard Butler on Reprising His Role in the Live-Action 'How to Train Your Dragon' 'Apparently, they had been through a bunch of Hiccups. So Dean told me he watched The Black Phone on a plane, and then he was like, 'Why is this kid not auditioning for Hiccup? Let's get him in the room,'' Thames tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of How to Train Your Dragon's June 13 theatrical release. 'It truly does feel like destiny in a way, and it's so crazy that a little coincidence like that has changed my life.' Thames inherited the role that Jay Baruchel voiced in DeBlois' three animated films throughout the 2010s, and it couldn't have been a better fit for the Texas native. He still remembers his 7-year-old self's first glimpse of the Viking who would bridge generations' worth of conflict between Isle of Berk's Vikings and their neighboring dragons. That led to Halloween costumes and the like. 'I was like, 'I want to be that guy.' I related to Hiccup so much,' Thames says. 'God, I never thought that I'd be given the chance to step into his shoes and maybe affect kids the way Hiccup affected me [as a kid]. It's such an honor.' As for Thames' other Universal franchise that led him to Dragon, Black Phone 2 just released its chilling first trailer. The story takes place four years after the events of Derrickson's The Black Phone, and despite ending the first chapter on a more confident note after defeating Ethan Hawke's serial killer, The Grabber, the reality (and surreality) of what Thames' Finney Blake survived isn't finished with him or his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw). 'What [co-writers Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill] have done with the character of Finney is truly incredible,' Thames shares. 'In a lot of horror movies, a character's friends and family will die in a horrible way, and then in the next movie, they're off at college, living a happy, fun life. But the reality of going through something that traumatic is that it will affect you. You will probably not be the same, especially when it's a kid who's dealing with that.' Below, during a recent conversation with THR, Thames also discusses how his mom made a key recommendation during his performance of Hiccup's first dragon-flying scene. *** Not many people can say they brought one of their favorite animated heroes to life. Has it sunk in yet? Not really. It's still so surreal to me. I never thought I could be one of my childhood heroes and step into this world. I'm still so honored and privileged, and I thank Dean [DeBlois] every single day and every time I see him for giving me this opportunity. At 7 years old, you remember saying to yourself that you want to be Hiccup? I remember watching the trailer for the second movie [2014's How to Train Your Dragon 2] where Hiccup takes his helmet off, and he's older. I then watched the movies, of course, and I put myself in his shoes. I was like, 'I want to be that guy.' I related to Hiccup so much. God, I never thought that I'd be given the chance to step into his shoes and maybe affect kids the way Hiccup affected me [as a kid]. It's such an honor. I do think it was predestined in a way based on a story that director Dean DeBlois told me. He was on his way to a Hiccup casting session in London, and he randomly watched e on the plane ride there, which got him thinking about you and how old you might've been at the time. Did he tell you this? Yeah, apparently, they had been through a bunch of hiccups. So Dean told me he watched The Black Phone on a plane, and then he was like, 'Why is this kid not auditioning for Hiccup? Let's get him in the room.' It truly does feel like destiny in a way, and it's so crazy that a little coincidence like that has changed my life. I am so grateful. I know it's hard to say for certain, but do you think you had an advantage during casting by having a hit movie for Universal already? Yeah, maybe. I've met a lot of amazing execs from Universal. Overall, when you have a good time and you work with good people, you'll make those connections. [NBCUniversal Chairman] Donna Langley is so incredible, and I love her so much. I think she vouched for me a good bit. During your casting video, you yelled, 'Mom, did you hear that?' Did she hear it? Did she catch on to the good news being shared? (Laughs.) She did! She was all the way downstairs, and I didn't know if she was listening, so I just yelled out for her. Her reply was, 'Yeah, I did!' I could hear she was crying, and it really just got me. That was one of the most special moments of my life. A couple of days before, my dad went to Kroger and got me a little dragon balloon for good luck. So she brought that upstairs and handed it to me. It was such a special moment that I'll cherish forever, and now it's on the internet forever. You were the last actor to read with Nico Parker. Did you feel a connection right away, or did you assume you were toast? I didn't really know. To be honest, I kind of blacked out. I was so nervous. I remember meeting with Nico, and she, out of everybody, just really stood out. She was so incredible to me. She saw how nervous I was, and so she messed up a line on purpose to make me feel better. That immediately just relieved a little bit of stress, which was everything to me. And ever since then, Nico has kept it up. She's such a caring person, and getting to be her Hiccup is such an honor. Had you already messed up a line of your own? Or did she just want to give you a second take of the scene? God, if I had flubbed a line, I would've passed out and died from the nerves. Luckily, I did not, but she just saw how nervous I was before we went in and started reading. I do not remember this, but I was pacing back and forth in some room. So she just saw that and did it on purpose to make me feel better. She'd been there for hours and was tired already, but she wanted to make me feel better. So, thank you, Nico. Between Nico Parker, Madeleine McGraw and Mckenna Grace, you've been spoiled with some great scene partners. Oh, I know. Does each one bring out a different side of you? Yeah, each movie that I've done with Nico, Mckenna and Madeleine is such a different genre. How to Train Your Dragon is this fantasy world, and getting to do that with Nico is so special. Black Phone 2 with Maddy is such a dark story with such a dark undertone, and getting to do that with her was amazing. And getting to do the romance movie [Regretting You] with Mckenna, she's so wonderful. Doing that type of movie with somebody you don't really know could be very uncomfortable, but me and McKenna, we've always just had this connection. So that made it very easy. Hiccup's hero's journey is very different from Finney's in . Finney had to slay the dragon, while Hiccup has to spare the dragon. But the characters definitely have some similarities when it comes to their single fathers who are both abusive in different ways. Did you find yourself comparing Hiccup and Finney at all? Not really. Finney is a character who I couldn't relate with at all. He has a lot of problems and a very tough life. So my inspiration for Finney came from watching a lot of old films, like The 400 Blows. With Hiccup, I obviously had a pretty good blueprint in the original, but I needed to do my own thing. So I would watch stuff like Spider-Man, and I also took experiences from my own life and put them into Hiccup. My guess would be the 'Test Drive' scene, but what scene were you most looking forward to recreating in live-action? You guessed correctly! I had no idea how they would do 'Test Drive' in live-action, and even while filming it, I had no idea how it was going to turn out. But seeing it in theaters, God, it really blows my mind. They did such an incredible job, and I'm so fortunate to have been a part of it. I heard they played John Powell's 'Test Drive' score on set. Did that do half the work for you? A hundred percent. That was actually my mom's idea. I remember sitting there on the dragon, and we started going. It was basically just me [shifting my shoulders back and forth], which was a little strange. But then my mom was like, 'You should put on the music for him.' And they were like, 'OK!' So they put on the music, and it immediately felt different. I was really in the scene and using my imagination as we were going through those mountains. It was a lot of fun. Dean did not tell me the part about it being your mom's idea, so I'm glad she's getting credit now. She's probably smiling right now. You had a puppet-like head to reference on set, but did you ever find yourself imagining the animated Toothless during a scene? Luckily, I have a very vivid imagination. They actually built the sets, so if I was with Toothless in the cove, the lighting and everything else was there even if Toothless wasn't. So it was easy to imagine Toothless being there and having a connection with a beast like that. It was a big learning curve, but it was a lot of fun. I saw footage of you talking to a Hiccup performer at Epic Universe, and he was doing this spot-on Jay Baruchel voice from the animated trilogy. I'm glad you did your own thing, don't get me wrong, but did you ever try that Hiccup voice on for size? I can do the impression, but if I did an impersonation like that for this film, it would feel rude. What Jay did is so incredible and so iconic, but I had to do my own thing. I still wanted to keep all the important characteristics that people love about Hiccup: his sarcasm and his wittiness. But I also wanted to explore something new about Hiccup — a darker, sadder and lonelier side. He's been cast out by his village, and his father doesn't accept him. Yet all he wants is to make his father proud and be accepted as a Viking. So getting the chance to explore a new side of Hiccup and show some new colors to the character was a lot of fun. Dean actually showed your reading to Jay? That's what Dean told me, and that means everything to me. When I started filming Dragon, Jay followed me on Instagram. I haven't got the chance to really speak with him yet, but hopefully I will soon. I would probably just thank him. His version of Hiccup is so iconic. and it was my childhood. It's inspired me so much. If all goes well, are you already committed to making the whole trilogy in live-action? Every time that question gets asked, I get nervous because I don't know what I can say. But I'm very excited, and If Dean is there, I'm there. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to whatever happens in the future. I spoke to Scott Derrickson not too long ago, and he told me that he purposefully waited to make so that you and Madeleine were high school age. Was it interesting to return to that character after growing up so much since then the first one? Yeah, Scott and [C. Robert] Cargill are such amazing writers, and what they've done with the character of Finney is truly incredible. I love it so much. In a lot of horror movies, a character's friends and family will die in a horrible way, and then in the next movie, they're off at college, living a happy, fun life. But the reality of going through something that traumatic is that it will affect you. You will probably not be the same, especially when it's a kid who's dealing with that. So fast forwarding four years from the first movie and seeing where Finney is at was a lot of fun and a challenging journey. We saw a couple teasers yesterday in the lead-up to the trailer release, but it sounds like Finney has another tough road ahead. For sure. That's all I can say, but for sure. You've accomplished one dream role, so what's the next one you want to manifest? I would love to do another superhero film — a DC film or a Marvel film. I used to go to the theater with my dad as a kid to watch all the Marvel movies, and that kind of feeling is pretty cool. So maybe I'll get to do one of those one day. Decades from now, when you're reminiscing about your experience, what day will you likely recall first? It will probably be that moment when I was told I got the job. That's where it all truly began, and since then, How to Train Your Dragon has been such a big part of my life. The movie comes out pretty soon, and we're about to share it with the world. So it's nerve-wracking, but going back to that moment will always be very special. ***How to Train Your Dragon opens in movie theaters nationwide on June 13. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
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‘How to Train Your Dragon' Filmmaker Dean DeBlois Details the Live-Action Remake's Half Hour of New Material
How to Train Your Dragon filmmaker Dean DeBlois has been dreaming about directing a live-action narrative for three-plus decades, but he never imagined that he'd finally do so by adapting his own animated work. And he certainly never expected that he'd be releasing his first live-action feature into a theatrical marketplace that also contains a live-action adaptation of his first animated film, Lilo & Stitch. The Canadian filmmaker co-wrote and co-directed the latter with Chris Sanders for its 2002 release, before they eventually made their way to 2010's How to Train Your Dragon, which they turned around in just 15 months' time. The animated fantasy-adventure film became a critical and commercial hit, garnering two Oscar nominations. From there, DeBlois turned How to Train Your Dragon into an equally successful trilogy that he completed in 2019. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'How to Train Your Dragon' Star Mason Thames Explains How an In-Flight Screening of 'The Black Phone' Changed His Life 'How to Train Your Dragon' Star Nico Parker Reacts to Trolls About Her Casting: "I Can't Value Your Opinion on My Hair" 'How to Train Your Dragon' Review: DreamWorks Live-Action Remake Retains Charm but Plays It Safe Universal then initiated talks about a live-action adaptation, especially now that dragon visual effects had become so convincing by way of Game of Thrones. Ultimately, DeBlois couldn't resist the offer for a multitude of reasons, and he's grateful to Universal for having the courtesy to consider the original filmmaker first. He did not receive the same treatment during development of the live-action Lilo & Stitch. 'Even now I can't quite get my head around it, especially being that I'm intimately involved in one and a complete stranger to the other,' DeBlois tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of How to Train Your Dragon's June 13 theatrical release. 'The big difference is that Universal approached me as the original filmmaker, which is something that I don't think any of the Disney remakes have done. So that was flattering and an honor. And to be frank, I selfishly didn't want to see somebody else's version of [How to Train Your Dragon].' Knowing the history of animation filmmakers who've made the jump to live-action, DeBlois did not take this opportunity lightly. 'I was hyper aware of the long list of animation directors who've attempted live-action and failed at it, and I didn't want to be another one of those,' DeBlois admits. 'So I was very conscious and very prepared, having watched every behind-the-scenes making-of I could find, and every season of Project Greenlight, et cetera. I was just making sure we were as prepared as we could be.' The live-action How to Train Your Dragon honors its predecessor by executing a shot-for-shot recreation of many of its most famous animated moments. However, the coming-of-age tale about an awkward teenage Viking (Mason Thames' Hiccup) who resolves generations' worth of conflict between Isle of Berk's Viking population and nearby dragons also includes at least 27 minutes of new material. DeBlois had the space to develop characters a bit more and extend sequences in welcomed ways, while also shedding elements from the original that were no longer necessary. 'A lot of individual scenes just grew because we allowed for the relationships to run a little deeper. So the action is dialed up, but so is the interplay between characters,' DeBlois says. Below, during a recent conversation with THR, DeBlois also discusses the moment in time where Gerard Butler couldn't reprise his animated role of Stoick the Vast in live-action, as well as the touching tribute he surprised the actor with in the film's closing credits. *** If I traveled back in time to the 2010 premiere of and I told you that you'd be making a live-action adaptation in 2025, would you have scoffed at such a notion? (Laughs.) It's a bit frightening, isn't it? It makes me fast forward. If I live to 85, will I still be making How to Train Your Dragon movies? (Laughs.) But, yeah, I definitely thought I had closed the chapter on the How to Train Your Dragon world and characters when we had our sendoff in 2019. And what if I added the kicker that it would arrive three weeks after your first movie's live-action adaptation []? Would you have laughed me out of the room? I think I would have. It does seem very bizarre. Even now I can't quite get my head around it, especially being that I'm intimately involved in one and a complete stranger to the other. What became the ultimate clincher for you in terms of adapting your own work in live-action? Well, I was asked, first of all. The big difference is that Universal approached me as the original filmmaker, which is something that I don't think any of the Disney remakes have done. So that was flattering and an honor, but just the fact that they were considering a live-action retelling meant that it was likely going to happen. And to be frank, I selfishly didn't want to see somebody else's version of it. So I put my hand up and said, 'Listen, I know where the heart is, and I know these characters and this world intimately. If you're going to do it, I would love to be at the helm of it.' Dragon VFX have come a long way the last decade-plus thanks to . Did that technological advancement factor into the overall decision as well? I think so, yes. Game of Thrones definitely brought dragons back into the cultural conversation in the way that we had started with [2010's] How to Train Your Dragon. So there was great potential in seeing these individual species brought to life in a very credible way, and that was immediately appealing to the studio and to me. We were [always] chasing a live-action aesthetic with the animated movie. We brought in [celebrated DP] Roger Deakins [to consult], and we leaned into a world that had consequence and peril and none of the cartoon physics that we were used to. If you got in the way of dragon fire, you would get burned, or if you fell from a great height, you would die or lose a leg. So that was something that we were dancing with in order to find the line between live-action and animation, but here, we could fully commit [to live-action]. Bill Pope is one of the most decorated DPs of his generation, and any movie is lucky to have him. That said, given Roger Deakins' involvement in the original animated film as a visual consultant, did you put out a feeler to him at the beginning of this process just for curiosity's sake? Roger was the second phone call I made. The first one was to [composer] John Powell, and I said, 'Talk me out of this if it's a bad idea.' But John saw the same potential. If we did it well, we could give a nostalgic hug to the fans of the franchise and open it up for a whole new generation. And he said, 'If you do it, I'm in.' The second call to Roger Deakins was when he was coming off of Blade Runner 2049, so he didn't want to do any big effects movies. But he said, 'I know just the guy. I want to introduce you to Bill Pope.' Bill always jokes that he's like everyone else: Roger told him to do something and he did it. (Laughs.) But it was such a wonderful thing to have Bill by my side. More than just being, as you say, a very decorated DP with a fantastic eye, he's very story-minded, and he was always looking for the truth in the exchange of actors. He also encouraged me to ignore the 300 people on either side of the camera and just focus on the actors and the scene that they're bringing to life with their own cadence and subtleties. There are at least 27 minutes' worth of live-action additions. Stoick (Gerard Butler) rallies the troops at the beginning in a now-longer scene from the 2010 movie, and Astrid (Nico Parker) gives Hiccup (Mason Thames) a piece of her mind during the book scene. She has a 'tooth-full' set piece as well. What other major additions am I missing? Well, a lot of individual scenes just grew because we allowed for the relationships to run a little deeper. An example might be the scene in which Hiccup is supposed to kill a Monstrous Nightmare in front of the whole village, so there's time spent with Astrid and Hiccup in the tunnel. There's a little more time spent with Stoic and Hiccup, and there's the intense scene that unfolds in the arena as Toothless bursts in and tries to protect Hiccup. So the action is dialed up, but so is the interplay between characters. Another scene is when we follow Stoic and his ships into the fog for the first time where they get jumped by dragons. It's only suggested in the animated movie, but we get to venture in there and remind the audience that there is cause to be intimidated and fearful of dragons just as Hiccup is befriending one in the secret cove. There are also scenes from the animated movie that we omitted. Hiccup is no longer accosted by Terrible Terrors on the beach following his 'Test Drive' flight. Astrid no longer nearly catches him red-handed in the blacksmith stall at night while he has Toothless in the stall with him. We felt like the storytelling was coming through loud and clear with the live-action performances, and we no longer had to lean on or make a finer point of it with these scenes. So we could keep the pace moving along for all of the expansions that we had put in place. When filmmakers watch their films, they often see the flaws that nobody else would ever notice. They know the what-could-have-beens and what-should-have-beens. Did you address any of those miniscule items that have driven you nuts the last 15 years? Absolutely. I have my list with every movie, and in this case, there were small ones and large ones. One of the large ones was that I felt like we missed the boat on developing the other teenage characters, particularly Astrid. So I wanted to give her a little bit more purchase in the story and a sense of backstory and why her resentment is so acute when it comes to Hiccup and his position of privilege. It also allowed for little moments that we could explain away, like how did all the Vikings get back to Berk at the end of the movie if the Red Death burned all of their ships? (Laughs.) So we could just address things in dialogue, and it was satisfying to check off a list of those little things, but also make room for missed opportunities. On the first movie, we were rushed along due to circumstance. We had to get the movie rewritten and into theaters within 15 months, and we couldn't quite indulge in some of the action and some of the character interplay as much as we might've liked to at the time. You've directed documentaries and music videos; your career hasn't just been animation. But how long did it take for you to find your sea legs as director of a live-action narrative? Well, I turned 55 this year, and I've been wanting to do it since the start of my career. So having the opportunity at all is not lost on me. It's such an immense privilege, and I was so supported by these talented veterans. I was hyper aware of the long list of animation directors who've attempted live-action and failed at it, and I didn't want to be another one of those. So I was very conscious and very prepared, having watched every behind-the-scenes making-of I could find, and every season of Project Greenlight, et cetera. (Laughs.) I was just making sure we were as prepared as we could be. I continued to learn by the time we started rolling camera. In principal photography, the greatest lesson I learned was now you hand it over to the actors. You try to answer every question, and then you put it in the hands of actors who are fully embodying their roles. So you let that cadence develop and influence the scene, and be responsive to it so you're able to pivot. already had a hit movie for Universal. Were they the ones who first said to take a look at him for Hiccup? No, in fact, I was flying to London to see a long list of potential Hiccups that were gathered together by Lucy Bevan, our casting director, and I watched The Black Phone on the flight. Afterward, I thought, 'Wow, I wonder what age this kid is because he's got some serious acting chops. I'm not sure if he's got any comedic chops, but I would love to meet him and see if he's at all interested.' Little did I know, Mason grew up with the How to Train Your Dragon movies, and Hiccup was a hero of his. He even dressed up as him for Halloween, so he was a perfect find. He just intuitively got the character, and he was 15 [at the time], which was perfect. Gerard Butler's reprisal of Stoick the Vast in live-action makes so much sense. Did you consider David Tennant or anyone else from the 2010 cast? David Tennant is such a talented actor, and I felt embarrassed that we didn't have a big enough role for him in the animated films. But the character that he played, Spitelout, who is Snotlout 's father, is just such a big, brawny, large person that I didn't think David would physically be the right match for him. Maybe in the future we'll find the perfect role for him, but he's such an ingenious actor. When it came to Gerard, he wasn't even available when we started casting the film. He had back-to-back projects that would've made him inaccessible during our shooting schedule. So it was actually the actors' strike of 2023 that jostled some of those projects around, and suddenly, there was an open window where we could grab him. You dedicated the film to Gerard's late mother, Margaret Coll. Were you able to surprise him with that gesture? Yes, I proposed it to the studio to see how they felt about it before telling him. I knew that the loss of his mother was a deeply felt wound and that he was having a tough time recovering from it. So to honor her with a dedication in the credits just seemed like the right thing to do in that moment. The score is just as rousing as it was the first time I heard it. Did you play it on set during the flying sequences and whatnot? Yes, absolutely. When we were filming 'Test Drive' and 'Romantic Flight,' we had the music playing. When we were on the cove set and going through the motions with [dragon] puppeteer Tom Wilton, and Mason was drawing in the sand and doing that dance that leads to the first touch, we were playing John Powell's 'Forbidden Friendship' music over that as well. It made the whole thing magical. Suddenly, you just felt transported into the moment, and you're less aware of the lights, the crew and everything around you. When you first heard 'Test Drive' way back when, did you start jumping rooftops? Did you know you'd struck gold courtesy of John Powell? My recollection is that every time we visited John's studio on that first film, he just kept playing banger after banger. There was so much success. And yet, sometimes, we had to point to a melody within a longer piece of music and say, 'Make it about that, because that's the tune that I'm going to whistle walking out of here.' John is such a flurry of ideas that sometimes he buries his best ideas amongst other ones, and with my layman's terms, I'm able to point at things and say, 'Now that feels like an epic, iconic piece of music for this part of the movie.' Lastly, do you see yourself directing the rest of the trilogy in live-action? Or would you shift to more of a producorial role? For the time being, the fact that they want to make a second one is already a victory. If the world embraces this movie and we're allowed to continue down this path, then it allows me the opportunity to course correct on some of those regrets that I've had to live with. I'm very proud of the animated trilogy, but particularly that first one that I made with Chris Sanders. I never want these [live-action films] to be replacements of the animated films, but if [live-action] allows us to explore and look down some dark alleys and pull out a little bit more depth and dimension with characters and unexplored story, then that seems exciting to me. So I'm happy to continue doing it until that opportunity goes away. ***How to Train Your Dragon opens in movie theaters nationwide on June 13. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
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Justin Bieber & More Celebrating Their First Father's Day in 2025
Originally appeared on E! Online Justin Bieber has a new family member keeping him and Hailey Bieber company: their baby boy Jack Blues Bieber. Indeed, just a month before Father's Day last year, the Grammy winner and his wife of six years shared they were expecting their son, whom they welcomed in August. 'Giving birth was the hardest thing I've ever done,' Hailey told in an interview published May 20. 'I was on that s--t. I was doing everything. I felt stronger physically than I ever had before.' In the months since becoming parents, both Hailey and Justin have given glimpses into life with their baby boy on social media, with the Grammy winner even teasing how his son was helping him get a jumpstart on summer fun. Sharing highlights from a cabin getaway with friends and little Jack on Instagram on May 29th, Justin teased, 'Gonna be a good summer.' And one way the Canada native already hopes his son follows in his footsteps is through a love of hockey. Justin told the Los Angeles Kings' media team earlier this year that he plans to get baby Jack Blues in skates 'as soon as possible' because it's 'never too early.' More from E! Online Why Robin Roberts and Wife Amber Laign Believe Having Separate Apartments Is the Secret to Marriage Beyoncé Celebrates Sir and Rumi Carter's 8th Birthday Onstage During Cowboy Carter Show Emma Watson Competes on Oxford Rowing Team But Justin isn't the only first-time dad celebrating the milestone this Father's Day on June 15. Milo Ventimiglia and his wife Jarah Mariano welcomed their daughter Ke'ala Coral Ventimiglia in January, sharing her arrival came not long after they lost their home in the devastating Los Angeles fires. And among the possessions that burned in the fires was their baby girl's nursery, as the Gilmore Girls alum told CBS News on January 9, 'The whole thing was set up.' Still, Milo and Jarah have been able to keep close what they consider most important: their family. 'We've got good friends and we got good people we're working with and we'll make do,' he emphasized. 'Wife and baby and dog, most important.' Keep reading to see other stars celebrating their first Father's Day this year… Henry CavillLogan PaulZachary LeviLuke GrimesJustin BieberEd WestwickMilo VentimigliaBen HigginsColton UnderwoodAaron Judge Shohei Ohtani Justin ReidAaron TveitJett PuckettMatt Barnett For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
