The most critically acclaimed and highest grossing non-Shrek film for Dreamworks Animation is, of course, going to receive at least two sequels and now we have more details. Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders‘ How To Train Your Dragon ended up with over $500 million at the worldwide box office, beloved by critics and audiences alike. While we’ve known about a sequel for some time, new details were recently revealed at the Annie Awards. [THR]
With co-director Chris Sanders busy taking on another Dreamworks Animation for a 2012 release, The Croods, Dean DeBlois has taken on writing and directing duties for the sequel. While I was initially afraid this property would be turned into a cheap spin-off, these latest quotes give me hope. On his second draft of the screenplay, DeBlois said the following:
“It’s going to be quite epic. We are treating How To Train Your Dragon as the first act in a much larger story. As we head into this one, the world expands. Everything is much bigger with still the heartfelt qualities that made the first one resonate so much with audiences. There are no longer restrictions to this tiny island in the North Sea. They have the entire Northern hemisphere within their grasp.”
Much like I hope James Cameron explores more of the world in Avatar 2 & 3, the Dragon world seems boundless. Bring in visual consultant Roger Deakins again, and we may have a winner. We’ve also heard intentions of going beyond just a sequel, and DeBlois confirms below:
“The only way of tracing the story is to draw on elements that were in the first movie and set up elements for a third movie, so it doesn’t feel like a random adventure with the same five or six characters. This truly is a second chapter in a larger story.”
Producer Bonnie Arnold also added that with “some new dragons and maybe some new characters” we will see the “further adventures of Hiccup on his journey of becoming a man and the ultimate leader of the Viking clan.” My only worry is that much of the joy of the original was seeing Hiccup’s transformation, aided by Toothless. I’m not sure I’d actually want to see Hiccup be the “ultimate” leader of the Viking clan, but as the last film ended a natural arc. DeBlois has yet to let us down though, especially with his stellar Sigur Ros concert documentary Heima, so I’m eager to see what he can do by himself.
How To Train Your Dragon 2 is looking at a 2012/2013 release.
What do you want to see in a Dragon sequel? Do DeBlois’ comments instill confidence?