Dragon Hunters (film)

Dragon Hunters

French theatrical release film poster

French theatrical release film poster
Directed by Guillaume Ivernel
Arthur Qwak
Produced by Philippe Delarue
Tilo Seiffert
Written by Frédéric Engel-Lenoir
Arthur Qwak
Based on Dragon Hunters
by Arthur Qwak
Starring French version:
Vincent Lindon
Patrick Timsit
Marie Drion
English version:
Forest Whitaker
Rob Paulsen
Mary Mouser
Music by Klaus Badelt
Cinematography Arthur Qwak
Edited by Soline Guyonneau
Production
company
Distributed by Futurikon
Bac Films
Icon Productions
Universum Film (UFA)
Release date
  • 20 March 2008 (2008-03-20) (Russia and New Zealand)
  • 26 March 2008 (2008-03-26) (France)
Running time
82 minutes
Country France
Luxembourg
Germany
Language French
Budget €12,000,000
Box office $12,235,843 [1]

Dragon Hunters (French: Chasseurs de dragons) is a 2008 French-German-Luxembourgish 3D computer-animated adventure action fantasy comedy-drama family film and fantastic tale telling the adventures of two dragon hunters, written by Frédéric Engel-Lenoir, directed by creator Arthur Qwak and Guillaume Ivernel with music by Klaus Badelt and produced by Philippe Delarue and Tilo Seiffert. It features the voices of Vincent Lindon, Patrick Timsit, Marie Drion in the French version and Forest Whitaker, Rob Paulsen and Mary Mouser in the English version. The film was produced by Futurikon, and co-produced by LuxAnimation, Mac Guff Ligne and Trixter. It shares the same creative universe as the Dragon Hunters TV series. It was released on March 26, 2008 in France and on March 20, 2008 in Russia and New Zealand. It was also distributed by Icon Productions and Bac Films. The film received a Cristal Award nomination for Best Feature and it earned $12,235,843 on a €12,000,000 budget. Dragon Hunters was released on DVD on November 5, 2008 in France by Warner Home Video.

Plot

The world has become a vast arrangement of floating islands of varying sizes and shapes. This dizzy universe is populated with rogues, peasants, and petty lords. Their main concerns are for survival, for this world has become plagued with hungry creatures, who are wreaking havoc, known as dragons.

Gwizdo and Lian-Chu are two dragon hunters, but they are a long way from being among the best. Lian Chu is a hulking brute with the heart of gold, and Gwizdo has a talent for scams. Their private dream is to own a farm where they can relax and raise sheep.

A few floating islands away, there is a fortress owned by Lord Arnold. The lord has a problem. He has been living in fear of the return of World Eater, a monstrous dragon that rises every twenty years to spread terror and destruction. Nobody has been able to conquer him. And nobody has ever returned alive or sane enough to tell the tale. Lord Arnold's niece Zoe has decided to take matters into her own hands, and she finds Gwizdo and Lian-Chu to help her. She is convinced that they are the heroes of her dreams, and she goes with them to the end of the earth for a fantastic and dangerous adventure.

Cast

French cast
Hungarian cast
English cast

Production

On 14 October 2007, it was announced that Arthur Qwak and Guillaume Ivernel were hired and set to direct Dragon Hunters based on the TV series of the same name by Arthur Qwak. Frédéric Engel-Lenoir and Qwak wrote the script for the film. Philippe Delarue and Tilo Seiffert produced the film with the budget of €12,000,000 for release in 2008. On 19 October, it was announced that Rob Paulsen, Forest Whitaker, Mary Mouser, Nick Jameson, Jess Harnell and Dave Wittenberg from the English dubbed version joined the film. On 10 December 2007, it was announced that Klaus Badelt would compose the music for the film. Development and storyboarding of the film was completed in Paris, France. Production then moved to Berlin, Germany and Luxembourg City, Luxembourg for the final phases of animation, lighting, color and production in order to maximize tax credits offered to foreign film projects in Germany and Luxembourg. On 12 December, Futurikon, Bac Films, Icon Productions and Universum Film (UFA) acquired distribution rights to the film. Dragon Hunters was filmed at France, Germany and Luxembourg in January 2008. Jalan Jalan’s single, “Lotus”, from his 1999 album Bali, was featured in the film.

Release

An English dubbed version starring the voices of Forest Whitaker, Rob Paulsen and Mary Mouser was released in the United States on 5 April 2008.

Home media

Dragon Hunters was released on DVD on November 5, 2008 in France by Warner Home Video. About 1 Million DVDs (French and English version) were sold in the US.

Reception

Box office

Dragon Hunters grossed $12,235,843 in France for a worldwide total of €34,068. In Brazil, the film opened to number four in its first weekend, with $??? behind Horton Hears a Who!, Doomsday and Never Back Down. In its second weekend, the film moved up to number three, grossing an additional $????. In its third weekend, the film dropped to number four, grossing $????. In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to number five, grossing $61,167.

Awards

Award Category Nominee Result
Cristal Best Feature Guillaume Ivernel and Arthur Qwak Nominated

Soundtrack

Dragon Hunters: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album / Film score by Klaus Badelt
Released April 5, 2008
Recorded 2008
Genre Movie Soundtrack, Film Score
Length 62:40
Label Skylark Sound Studios
Producer Klaus Badelt
Klaus Badelt film scores chronology
Anything for Her
(2008)Anything for Her2008
Dragon Hunters
(2008)
Little Nicholas
(2008)Little Nicholas2008

Dragon Hunters: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the film's soundtrack album and film score made by Klaus Badelt and released on April 5, 2008 by Skylark Sound Studios. Klaus Badelt scored the music for the film and on its soundtrack. The soundtrack also contains “Lotus” performed by Jalan Jalan.

Songs and music

See also

References

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