When an animated property makes the shift to live-action, it’s always interesting to see which actors will take on certain characters. The How to Train Your Dragon franchise, for instance, is coming to life in a big live-action way next year, and while some of the voice actors from the franchise will be continuing into live-action (such as Gerard Butler, who plays the beloved viking father Stoick the Vast), other new actors are being cast as replacements. Instead of the older Jay Baruchel, who voices the young lead character Hiccup, the new film will star Mason Thames. And instead of Craig Ferguson, Stoick’s best friend, Gobber the Belch, will be played by Nick Frost, the lovable writer and actor from Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Hyperspace, and the newly released film Black Cab.
“The best thing about being Gerard Butler’s friend is that he’s just so big and handsome,” Frost gushed to us in a recent MovieWeb interview. “And, you know, you get to have a little cuddle at the beginning of the day, and sometimes at the end too. I had an absolute scream on that film.” Frost continued:
“And I’ve been a fan of Gerard’s for ages, but then you meet him, and he’s, you know, he does his homework, and he’s generous, and he’s funny, and he’s a really great actor. He’s great to watch. You know, still, even 23 years in, I’m at a place where I love doing what I do so much. I get a chance to sit back and watch these fantastic actors do fantastic things. It’s not lost on me. I love it.”
The first time Gobber is mentioned in the book series by Cressida Cowell, it’s said that, “Gobber didn’t do noises quieter than screaming. He was a seven-foot giant with a mad glint in his one working eye and a beard like exploding fireworks. Despite the freezing cold he was wearing hairy shorts and a teeny weeny deerskin vest that showed off his lobster-red skin and bulging muscles.” We could absolutely visualize Nick Frost with that description.
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Nick Frost Trusts Dean DeBlois & You Should Too
Fans of the How to Train Your Dragon franchise shouldn’t worry about the live-action movie losing any of the magic of the animated films, considering the creative force behind all of them, Dean DeBlois, is also writing and directing the live-action film. And Frost couldn’t say enough good things about him, telling Collider:
“He’s just f*cking lovely. He’s funny, he’s clever, and he’s smart, and you’re just like, ‘Okay, he’s got it. Relax. Don’t worry about it. Just learn your lines and have fun.’ It’s so nice knowing that someone’s just got you. Also, he’d come along sometimes, and he’d be like, ‘You want a drink? You alright?’ You’d be like, ‘I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.’ He worries and he cares about everyone.”
Meanwhile, Frost is hoping to bring another character from voice acting into the live-action realm. Frost voices a cranky, rusty droid named SM 33 in Star Wars: The Skeleton Crew, but holds out hope for joining the franchise in person. “That was always my fear, that I’m going to be a droid, then that’s the only thing I’ll be,” explained Frost. “But I got a nice message, a personal message from Jon Favreau to say, just because you’ve been a voice doesn’t mean we’re not going to see you in live-action at some point. So who knows? If they need like a slightly overweight, Welsh actor, I mean, I’ll do it.” In the meantime, Frost’s film Black Cab is streaming on Shudder.
- Release Date
- March 10, 2010
- Runtime
- 98