A special effects technician working on Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 suffered a severe injury this month during an off-set workshop incident at Sky Studios Elstree in the United Kingdom.
The crew member lost multiple fingers on one hand after an accident involving a saw. Despite undergoing surgery, the fingers could not be reattached, according to reports.
Variety was the first to break the news. When contacted by TheWrap, Universal declined to provide a statement regarding the incident.
Background of the Production
How to Train Your Dragon 2 began principal photography at Sky Studios Elstree in February. The film is directed by Dean DeBlois, who has helmed every DreamWorks animated film in the franchise as well as the live-action adaptation of the first installment for Universal.
Live-Action 'How to Train Your Dragon' Success
The 2025 live-action version of How to Train Your Dragon, starring Mason Thames, Nico Parker, and Gerard Butler, was released in theaters last summer. The film grossed over $636 million worldwide, making it the eighth-highest-grossing film of 2025 and the second-highest-grossing live-action-animated hybrid ever made. Principal photography for the live-action film took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and on the Faroe Islands.
Cast and Release Details for 'How to Train Your Dragon 2'
The sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, is currently slated for a June 11, 2027 theatrical release. The returning cast includes Mason Thames, Nico Parker, Gerard Butler, and Nick Frost.
Oscar winner Cate Blanchett will reprise her role as Valka, the long-lost mother of Thames’ Hiccup and wife of Butler’s Stoick, from the animated films.
New additions to the cast include Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, known for his role in Severance, who will play the villainous Drago Bludvist. The character was originally voiced by Djimon Hounsou in the animated version. Additionally, Phil Dunster, star of Rooster and Ted Lasso, joins the franchise as Eret, a dragon trapper previously voiced by Kit Harington in the animated predecessor.
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