A studio that originally positioned itself as the antithesis to Disney is taking a very Disney-esque approach with its live-action rendition of one of its most revered IPs, arguably one of the most non-Disney Disney movies of the 2010s. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, as not only did the original director return to helm the live-action How to Train Your Dragon, but the creators did manage to realize most of the nausea-inducing moments from the original.

Mason Thames, who had the weight of pulling off everyone’s favorite Hiccup, who ends up befriending a supposedly deadly Night Fury, even committed to the grossest scene that pushed him to the verge of almost puking.

Considering How to Train Your Dragon is one of the most revered and respected IPs from DreamWorks, which is saying a lot, the live-action version, especially Mason Thames, had some huge shoes to fill. Thames, a fan of the original, gave it his all to do Hiccup, someone he has admired since childhood, justice. For the scene that saw him bringing a raw fish as a peace offering to Toothless, Thames, despite his distaste for fish and tuna, pushed for the fake fish head to be stuffed with tuna.

Although chicken seemed like the right option, The Black Phone star asked for tuna to capture the most authentic reaction, which they did, even though it pushed him right to the brink of puking.

He recalled (via The New York Times):

Chicken sounded like the right option, but I went with tuna because I thought it would get the better reaction, which it did. It was so gross. When I took that first bite, I legitimately almost puked. It took me probably about 20 seconds to fully swallow it. Dean [DeBlois] yelled “cut,” and then he goes, Perfect. I just need you to take a bigger bite.

While critics and fans have had reservations regarding Thames’ chops when it comes to capturing the depth of Hiccup, his commitment to the gross sequence does highlight his respect for the source material. And if the movie’s box-office numbers are anything to go by—currently on track to surpass the animated movies with its current collection of $206M (via Box Office Mojo)—it seems the general audience is warming up to Thames’ Hiccups.

How to Train Your Dragon	$495M
How to Train Your Dragon 2	$614M
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World	$520M

As for their respective RT scores, in which the original trilogy never fell beneath the 90% threshold, with the original standing at 99%, the remake is currently sitting at 77%. However, in terms of IMDb rating, the live-action version has equaled the original’s 8.1 rating, and even though it could change in the foreseeable future, it’s still impressive nonetheless.

Given its astounding run so far, it’s safe to say sequels for this live-action retelling are almost certain, meaning Mason Thames will have even bigger fish to fry in the foreseeable future.

Matching Jay Baruchel’s Hiccup was always going to be a tough task, especially for a young actor. Although Mason Thames didn’t disappoint, amidst his surface-level charm as Hiccup, the nuance of the original version, whether it was his awkwardness or vulnerability, was sort of lost.

While his commitment to eating tuna, even at the cost of his own health, is admirable, had he been confident of selling the gagging scene through his acting merit, his reliance on instinctive reaction wouldn’t have been required.

For the potential sequels, which seem inevitable at this point, hopefully, The Black Phone star will resort to his own acting chops instead of relying on unwarranted physical stunts. Although his amusing tale behind the gross sequence can make for catchy headlines, the emotional core of the movie will always boil down to his raw skills as an actor.