| How to Train Your Dragon film series | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Chris Sanders (1) Dean DeBlois (1-2) |
| Produced by | Bonnie Arnold |
| Written by | Chris Sanders (1) Dean DeBlois (1-2) William Davies (1) |
| Based on | How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell |
| Starring | Jay Baruchel Gerard Butler Craig Ferguson America Ferrera Jonah Hill Christopher Mintz-Plasse Kristen Wiig T.J. Miller (More) |
| Music by | John Powell |
| Cinematography | Gil Zimmerman |
| Editing by | Maryann Brandon Darren T. Holmes |
| Studio | DreamWorks Animation |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures (2010-present) |
| Release date(s) | 1: March 26, 2010 2: June 20, 2014 |
| Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $165 million |
| Box office | $494,878,759 |
The How to Train Your Dragon franchise from DreamWorks Animation consists of one feature film How to Train Your Dragon (2010), with one sequel in development for a 2014 release. The franchise is loosely based on the English 2003 book of the same name. The franchise also consists of three short films: Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon (2010), Book of Dragons (2011), and Gift of the Night Fury (2011). A television series based on the Dragons is in development with a schedule to air in 2012 on Cartoon Network.
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How to Train Your Dragon, the first film in the series, was released on March 26, 2010. It was directed by Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders. The film is loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name by Cressida Cowell. The film grossed nearly $500 million worldwide, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The story takes place in a mythical Viking world where a young Viking teenager named Hiccup aspires to follow his tribe's tradition of becoming a dragon slayer. After finally capturing his first dragon, and with his chance at finally gaining the tribe's acceptance, he finds that he no longer has the desire to kill it and instead befriends it.
A sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, was confirmed on April 27, 2010.[1] The film is being directed and written by Dean DeBlois, the co-director of the first film. Bonnie Arnold, the producer of the first film, is also returning, with Chris Sanders, who co-directed the first film, only exec-producing this time.[2] The film is scheduled for release on June 20, 2014.[3]
It was announced that the entire original voice cast – Baruchel, Butler, Ferguson, Ferrera, Hill, Mintz-Plasse, Miller and Wiig – would return for the sequel.[4]
DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg has confirmed that at least one more sequel is being planned after How to Train Your Dragon 2, making for 3 total films.[5] Dean DeBlois, the director of the How to Train Your Dragon 2, said that it is being intentionally designed as the second film in the trilogy: "There are certain characters and situations that come into play in the second film that will become much more crucial to the story by the third."[6]
On October 12, 2010 it was announced that Cartoon Network had acquired worldwide broadcast rights to a weekly animated series based on the movie, scheduled to begin sometime in 2012.[7] In January 2011, producer Tim Johnson confirmed that work had begun on the series and that, unlike the TV series spin-offs of the films Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda, How To Train Your Dragon's series would be much darker and deeper, like the movie. This would be the first Dreamworks Animation series to air on Cartoon Network, rather than Nickelodeon.[8]
Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon is a 16 minute sequel short film to the feature film, How to Train Your Dragon. The short was originally broadcasted on television on October 14, 2010 on Cartoon Network, and released next day as a special feature on Blu-ray and double DVD edition of the original feature film.[9]
The film follows Hiccup and his young fellows accompanying their mentor, Gobber, on a quest to kill the legendary Boneknapper Dragon. About half the film is done in traditional animation, showing Gobber's history and his encounters with the Boneknapper, and how he comes to look like he does now. As it turns out, the Boneknapper has been after Gobber because he had found the one bone it needed to complete his own coat of bone-armor, and was using it to keep his pants up.
Book of Dragons is a 18 minute[10] short film, based on How to Train Your Dragon, and was released on November 15, 2011, on DVD and Blu-ray, along with Gift of the Night Fury. The short shows Hiccup, Astrid, Fishlegs, Toothless and Gobber telling the legend behind the Book of Dragons and revealing insider training secrets about new, never before seen dragons. The short shows a total of 14 dragons, each spread into 7 classes: Stoker (Terrible Terror, Monstrous Nightmare), Boulder (Gronckle, Whispering Death), Fear (Hideous Zippleback, Snaptrapper), Sharp (Deadly Nadder, Timberjack), Tidal (Scauldron, Thunderdrum), Mystery (Changewing, Boneknapper) and Strike (Scrill, Night Fury).[11]
Gift of the Night Fury is a How to Train Your Dragon Christmas special, directed by Tom Owens. It was released on November 15, 2011, on DVD and Blu-ray, along with another original animated short film Book of Dragons.[11] Based on How to Train Your Dragon, the short takes place in the middle of preparing for the Viking winter holiday version of Christmas, 'Snoggletog', when suddenly all the dragons inexplicably go on a mass migration, except for Toothless, so Hiccup gives him something to help.
| Film | Release Date | Gross | Rank | Budget | Reference | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Foreign | Worldwide | All time United States | All time worldwide | ||||
| How to Train Your Dragon | March 26, 2010 | $217,581,231 | $277,297,528 | $494,878,759 | #92 | #89 | $165,000,000 | [12] |
| How to Train Your Dragon 2 | June 20, 2014 | [13] | ||||||
| Total | $217,581,231 | $277,297,528 | $494,878,759 | N/A | N/A | $165,000,000 | N/A | |
| Film | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Top Critics | ||
| How to Train Your Dragon | 98% (168 reviews)[14] | 93% (29 reviews)[14] | 74 (33 reviews)[15] |
| How to Train Your Dragon 2 | |||
| Average Ratings | 98% | 93% | 74 |
| Character | Films, Shows and Shorts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How to Train Your Dragon | Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon | Gift of the Night Fury | Book of Dragons | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | |
| Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III | Jay Baruchel | ||||
| Gobber the Belch | Craig Ferguson | ||||
| Astrid Hofferson | America Ferrera | ||||
| Fishlegs Ingerman | Christopher Mintz-Plasse | ||||
| Stoick the Vast | Gerard Butler | Gerard Butler | |||
| Snotlout Jorgenson | Jonah Hill | Jonah Hill | |||
| Tuffnut Thorston | T. J. Miller | T. J. Miller | |||
| Ruffnut Thorston | Kristen Wiig | Kristen Wiig | |||
| Toothless | No voice actor | No voice actor | |||
A Broadway-style production named How To Train Your Dragon ON ICE is currently on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas.[18]
How To Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular is an arena show adaptation of the feature film How to Train Your Dragon. [19] The show is being produced in partnership with Global Creatures, the company behind another arena show Walking with Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular, and directed by Nigel Jamieson. The score will be composed by John Powell and Jonsi from Sigur Ros. The show will begin its world tour in Australia on March 2, 2012, followed by New Zealand on April 16, 2012, and United States in June 2012.[20]
Arena Spectacular will feature 24 animatronic dragons - 10 different species in various sizes: Nadder, Gronckle, Nightmare, Night Fury (Toothless), Red Death, Skrill, Stinger, Kite Dragon, Zippleback and Egg Biter. It will also feature villagers and Vikings, including Hiccup, Astrid, Stoick, and Gobber.[21]
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