Mason Thames has revealed that he got seriously injured while filming How To Train Your Dragon, after losing ‘a little chunk of his chin’.
The 17-year-old led the way as Hiccup in the live-action remake of the 2010 animated classic, alongside Nico Parker, Nick Frost and Gerard Butler.
In the movie, which is in cinemas now, young Viking Hiccup takes matters into his own hands when he accidentally captures a Night Fury dragon named Toothless, after being deemed too weak for dragon-fighting training.
He defies years of tradition when he befriends the creature, while also trying to impress his crush, Astrid (Nico).
However, in a chat with Entertainment Weekly, Mason recalled the moment his character’s adventure with Toothless left everyone covered ‘in blood’.
‘Every time I had to fly the dragon in the movie, I was on this gimbal thing, and it was like a giant mechanical bull,’ he said.
‘And we were doing a scene where it’s me and Nico on the dragon, and Toothless is going crazy and wild, and she’s trying to hold on. So we start the scene and [the gimbal] starts going, and it’s going, and it’s really crazy.
‘And then the dragon goes down. Normally, when the dragon goes down, [the gimbal] goes up. So I get down, I’m ready, and then the dragon goes up and the head smacks me in the chin, and three rod iron bolts smacked me.’
The teenager had no idea of the extent of his injuries but continued on with the scene like a true professional, until he noticed that his co-star – and the ‘dragon’ were both covered in blood.
‘They call cut, and I just hear Nico go, “Oh my God,”’ he recalled. ‘She looks at her hands, and they’re covered in blood … I looked down and there’s a pool of blood on the dragon.
‘And I go down and I look in a little mirror we had, and there’s a little chunk of my chin gone – and it sucked.’
After filming ended, Mason rushed out for medical attention and ended up with five stiches for his troubles.
But his efforts weren’t for nothing as How To Train Your Dragon has left fans and reviewers seriously delighted so far – with Metro giving the remake an impressive four stars.
It currently boasts an incredible 99% audience Rotten Tomatoes score, compared to a 77% critics ranking.
Vincent raved on the platform: ‘One of the best live action remake as far as I can remember. The dragons look incredible, it’s almost a one-to-one adaptation, and the performances are really good.’
‘It follows the original animated movie to a tee. The casting was nearly spot on. The dragons were amazingly crafted,’ Heather A agreed.
‘Loved it!! Just as good as the animated,’ Oscar penned.
As Tanmay K added: ‘I just watched How to Train Your Dragon 2025, and even though I already knew the plot, the movie experience was absolutely phenomenal!
‘It had me emotional at times, and the humor was spot on. I made my day special by watching it, and honestly, this is the best live-action adaptation of an animated film I’ve ever seen. Truly unforgettable!’
In April, film bosses confirmed that a sequel – serving as a live action remake of 2014’s How To Train Your Dragon 2 – is officially on the way, and is slated for release on June 11, 2027.
How To Train Your Dragon is in cinemas now.
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