Who Wrote How to Train Your Dragon?

Cressida Cowell wrote the How to Train Your Dragon books, while Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders wrote the screenplay for the 2010 animated film. Dean DeBlois wrote the two animated sequels and the screenplay for the 2025 film. The distinction works much like the names on a book cover and a cinema program: each credit points to a different work, even when the title is shared. For a quick answer, identify the book or film before choosing the name to cite.

Cowell’s first novel appeared in 2003, and she wrote 12 books in the main series. The American Film Institute identifies her book as the literary source for How to Train Your Dragon (2010), while listing Davies, DeBlois and Sanders as its screenwriters. That source credit preserves the connection to Cowell’s writing, and the screenplay credit identifies the writers of the film. A reference to the original novel should name Cowell, even when a discussion also covers the adaptation.

The later films have their own writing credits. Dean DeBlois wrote and directed How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019), and the British Council credits him as screenwriter of How to Train Your Dragon (2025). The How to Train Your Dragon hub covers the wider franchise; this guide focuses on who wrote its books and screenplays.

Cressida Cowell wrote the How to Train Your Dragon books, beginning with the first novel in 2003. She wrote 12 books in the main series, according to The Guardian. That count refers to the main book series, giving readers a useful way to distinguish the literary works from the films and their separate screenplay credits. If you are citing the original books, Cowell is the author to name.

Cowell also described knowing where the series would end from the outset. In a 2019 Guardian interview, she spoke about that intended ending for the 12 book series. Her account gives readers a glimpse of how she approached the story across the books, while leaving the details of her planning beyond that statement open. For a reference to her intentions, attribute the account to Cowell and identify the series rather than a film screenplay.

The publication and rights dates help place the adaptations in relation to the books. The first novel appeared in 2003, and film rights were acquired in 2004, shortly after the second book appeared. The first animated film followed in 2010, with a screenplay credited to Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders. Those dates give a reading or research project a clear sequence: start with Cowell’s novel, then identify the particular adaptation and its credited screenwriters.

Cressida Cowell linked her stories about Vikings and dragons to childhood stays on an uninhabited Scottish island. She described that connection in a 2016 Guardian interview, giving readers an account of a landscape that helped inspire her writing. The island belongs to her account of the books’ origins, while Berk belongs to the fictional world she developed. When discussing the inspiration, attribute the connection to Cowell and avoid treating it as a description of every event in the story.

Cowell also described drawing a map of Berk while developing her fictional world. A 2015 Guardian feature records that account, adding a detail about how she worked on the setting. The map and the island visits offer two distinct pieces of evidence: one concerns her development of Berk, and the other concerns an influence she named for her Viking and dragon stories. Both are useful when explaining the original books without assigning those creative decisions to the screenwriters.

The accounts sit alongside Cowell’s authorship of the 12 book main series. They do not divide the writing of any film between its credited screenwriters, and the film credits answer a different question from the origin of Cowell’s stories. For a school assignment or reading note about inspiration, cite Cowell’s descriptions of the island and the map, then identify her as the author of the books.

Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders wrote the screenplay for How to Train Your Dragon (2010), directed by Sanders and DeBlois. The American Film Institute lists all three screenplay writers and identifies Cressida Cowell’s book as the literary source. Those credits answer two related questions about the same film: who wrote its screenplay and who wrote the book behind it. A complete attribution can name Cowell as the source author and then give the three screenwriters together.

The 2010 film came after the first two books and the acquisition of film rights. Cowell’s first novel appeared in 2003, and The Guardian reports that the rights were acquired in 2004, shortly after book two appeared. The American Film Institute records the film opening in Los Angeles and New York on 26 March 2010. That opening date concerns those US cities, so it should not be used as a UK release date.

The screenplay credit is shared, and the supplied facts do not assign individual scenes or lines to any one writer. Dean DeBlois later received individual writing credits for the animated sequels, but that does not change the three names listed for the 2010 film. When a citation refers to the first animated adaptation, include the year and all three credited screenwriters, with Cowell identified separately as the author of its literary source.

Cressida Cowell wrote the source books, while the film credits identify other writers for the screenplays. The American Film Institute credits Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders with the 2010 screenplay and identifies Cowell’s book as its literary source. For the 2025 film, the British Council credits DeBlois as screenwriter and Cowell as the author of the source book. Each credit names a contribution to a particular work, so both kinds belong in an accurate answer.

A literary source credit connects an adaptation to the published work behind it. A screenplay credit identifies the writing credited for that film. The distinction is useful when the same title appears on a novel and on more than one screen adaptation: naming Cowell answers the question about the original book, while naming the credited screenwriters answers the question about a film. Include the year when referring to either How to Train Your Dragon (2010) or How to Train Your Dragon (2025).

The available credits do not establish Cowell’s involvement in individual screenplay drafts. They do establish the separate source and screenplay attributions for the 2010 and 2025 films, while Universal Pictures identifies her books as the source for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). For a clear reference, name the work first, then give the author or screenwriter credited for that work.

Dean DeBlois wrote and directed How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). 20th Century Studios credits his writing and directing roles on the second film, while Universal Pictures provides those credits for The Hidden World. DeBlois therefore connects both animated sequels through their writing credits, as well as sharing the screenplay credit on the 2010 film with Will Davies and Chris Sanders.

The individual film titles matter when listing those credits. How to Train Your Dragon (2010) has three credited screenwriters, while 20th Century Studios and Universal Pictures each credit DeBlois as writer and director of the respective sequels. A list that assigns the first film’s three writers to both later screenplays would overlook that difference. Use the title and year alongside each credit when preparing a film reference or a classroom note.

Universal Pictures also credits The Hidden World as based on Cressida Cowell’s books. That literary source sits alongside DeBlois’s writing credit for the film, preserving the distinction between the books and the screenplay. The sources for these credits serve different films, so match the studio source to the title being discussed: 20th Century Studios for How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Universal Pictures for The Hidden World.

Dean DeBlois wrote the screenplay for How to Train Your Dragon (2025), and the British Council credits Cressida Cowell as the author of its source book. The two credits give a direct answer for each version of the question: DeBlois for the screenplay and Cowell for the book. The film shares its title with the 2010 animated adaptation, making the year useful whenever the writing credit appears on its own.

The 2010 screenplay has a shared credit for Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders. The British Council’s 2025 listing names DeBlois as screenwriter, so a reference to the later film should use that individual credit rather than carry across the earlier team. Cowell’s literary authorship remains relevant to both explanations: the American Film Institute identifies her book as the 2010 film’s source, and the British Council credits her as the 2025 film’s source book author.

DeBlois also wrote and directed the two animated sequels, according to 20th Century Studios and Universal Pictures. Those credits help place his 2025 screenplay alongside his earlier work without making every credit identical. For a caption, homework answer or reference to the 2025 film, include its year, name DeBlois as screenwriter and identify Cowell separately if you mention the source book.

The writing credits distinguish Cressida Cowell’s book authorship from the screenwriters credited for individual films. Cowell wrote the first How to Train Your Dragon novel, published in 2003, and the 12 books in the main series. Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders share the screenplay credit for How to Train Your Dragon (2010), while DeBlois wrote the two animated sequels and the 2025 screenplay. Matching each name to a work keeps those contributions clear.

The sources identify literary connections for particular adaptations. The American Film Institute names Cowell’s book as the source for the 2010 film, Universal Pictures credits her books as the source for How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019), and the British Council names her as the source book author for the 2025 film. These attributions can sit beside the screenplay credits in a reference without combining the roles into one credit.

For the second animated film, 20th Century Studios credits Dean DeBlois as writer and director of How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014). The same writer and director credit appears for The Hidden World at Universal Pictures. When checking a name, start with the precise title and year, then consult the corresponding entry in the Facts box. For broader franchise coverage, the How to Train Your Dragon overview provides the parent page.

Cite Cressida Cowell for the original books and the credited screenwriters for the specific film. The first novel appeared in 2003, and Cowell wrote 12 books in the main series. For How to Train Your Dragon (2010), the American Film Institute credits Will Davies, Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders as screenwriters and identifies Cowell’s book as the literary source. Include both credits when your reference covers the adaptation and the work behind it.

For the animated sequels, cite Dean DeBlois as writer and director of How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). The credits come from 20th Century Studios and Universal Pictures respectively, and Universal also identifies Cowell’s books as the source for The Hidden World. The titles and years give each credit a clear subject, particularly when a reference covers more than one film.

For How to Train Your Dragon (2025), cite Dean DeBlois as screenwriter and Cressida Cowell as the source book author, following the British Council credit. The Facts box gives the publisher, URL and check date for each of these claims, while the questions below provide shorter answers. Choose the entry that matches the work you are discussing and keep its book and screenplay credits distinct.