DreamWorks Pushes How to Train Your Dragon 3 to 2017

As How To Train Your Dragon 2 is crossing the $600 million dollar mark worldwide, DreamWorks Animation have just announced that the third instalment in what's arguably their best franchise has been pushed back, from its original release date of 17th June, 2016 to almost a year later, 9th June, 2017.

Another HTTYD2 Review - These People Are Really Mean to Sheep!

The RSPCA should really have a word with the people of Berk about their treatment of sheep...

*This review contains major spoilers. We find that a lot of the main talking points for HTTYD2 involve discussing the film in depth, so if you haven't seen it yet, don't read any further! Beware spoilers!*

Back in 2010, DreamWorks released a true gem of modern animation; it was only by the bad luck of it being released the same year as Pixar's Toy Story 3 that the film didn't get awards left, right and centre. That film, of course, was How to Train Your Dragon, the touching, exciting and epic story of young Viking Hiccup and his bizarre choice of best friend - a fire-breathing Night Fury dragon, named Toothless. And there has been a phenomenal amount of hype surrounding the much anticipated sequel, which has been playing in America for a few weeks now (Munir has actually already reviewed the film for this site here), and has been previewing on select days in the UK, ahead of a general release on Friday. So, here's a second A113Animation review of How to Train Your Dragon 2 - and I also really rather liked it.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Review - A Sequel Done Right

DreamWorks Animation has been in a rut lately. Not creatively, but financially. The once powerhouse studio, has now become accustomed to sustaining heavy loses with their animated films. Rise of the Guardians, Turbo and, most recently, Mr. Peabody & Sherman have joined the list of box office underperformers. That does not mean the films are bad (Guardians and Peabody are great, in fact), but lousy marketing has prevented them from earning big money and becoming big franchises, which ultimately is what the studio seeks in every animated film they release. After all these 'risky' endeavours, it's understandable that the studio would release a sequel to a film that many consider their best film to date. Sure, sequels are nothing new, but, more often than not, they disappoint creatively by becoming merely retreads of the first film. DreamWorks is no stranger to ruining franchises (the last two Shrek films are complete train wrecks) but recently the studio has strived to make more serious and heartfelt films, and to shy away from the 'sitcom-esque' model that prevailed for most their previous films. So it's comforting to see that they have actually taken the time to make a sequel worthy of its predecessor and, without any reservation, I can call How to Train Your Dragon 2 the best DreamWorks film to date.

Watch The First 5 Minutes of How to Train Your Dragon 2 Here

A couple of days ago, Yahoo! Movies released the first five minutes from what may well end up being the best animated film of the year. Yep, DreamWorks released an extended look at their hotly-anticipated How to Train Your Dragon 2! Check it out below.

Watch: New How to Train Your Dragon 2 Trailer (But Beware, There Be Spoilers)

DreamWorks have rolled out a second full-length theatrical trailer for their hotly anticipated sequel to 2010's How to Train Your Dragon! The film looks extremely exciting, with lots of intense action and warm humour, but this trailer does pack the same spoiler as the previous one. So if you want to go into the film un-spoiled, maybe give it a swerve.

New How to Train Your Dragon 2 Trailer: Beware Dragon Hunters and Spoilers

The first full length trailer for DreamWorks' hotly-anticipated How to Train Your Dragon 2 has arrived, and it's fantastic! Unfortunately, it also packs a pretty hefty spoiler. But first, the positives: the film looks absolutely phenomenal. More dragons, more intensity, more badassery, and the set-up for what looks to be one of DreamWorks' most mature films yet - it's a trailer worth watching... most of it, anyway.

Meet Cate Blanchett-Voiced Dragon Rider in New How to Train Your Dragon 2 Still

The sequel to DreamWorks' 2010 hit, How to Train Your Dragon, seems in many ways poised to be even bigger and better than the original. We got an intense teaser trailer for the film back in July, and now we've got a new still, introducing an interesting new character, voiced by Oscar winner Cate Blanchett! Meet Valka.

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #42: Lilo & Stitch (2002)

Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #41: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001).

When Lilo & Stitch came out in 2002, I was in a phase where I no longer cared for Disney Animation films. After Tarzan, my excitement and interest for Disney films was gone, and replaced by enthusiasm for Pixar's output, which was (and still is) formidable. So, while I was disenchanted by films like Atlantis and Dinosaur, I was utterly thrilled by Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. By the time Lilo & Stitch was released, I was completely devoted to Pixar, so I wasn't excited by this film. When I first saw it, more than ten years ago, I wasn't impressed and quickly discarded it like I did with so many of its contemporaries. As I got older and wiser (hopefully), I've come to realise how good Lilo & Stitch is and how it has stood the test of time to become a true Disney classic.

Check Out the Logo for How to Train Your Dragon 2

Well, no subtitle in sight, but here's the official logo for DreamWorks' highly anticipated sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2. Not much to say really, it says the film's name... And it definitely looks a bit more dragon-y than the original film's logo. Quite striking.

HTTYD2 is directed by Dean DeBlois (Chris Sanders, who directed the first film with DeBlois, is relegated to an executive producer role this time round, due to - as he discussed in our interview - his commitments to The Croods) and produced again by Bonnie Arnold. If you haven't yet, make sure you check out the phenomenal teaser trailer we got for the film a couple of months ago.

Dragon 2 hits cinemas on 13th June, 2014 (US)/4th July, 2014 (UK).

Via The Rotoscopers

Limited Edition Comic-Con How to Train Your Dragon 2 Print by Drew Struzan

Legendary movie poster artist Drew Struzan has made a limited edition print for DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon 2 for lucky Comic-Con attendees. Director Dean DeBlois took to Vine to record a little message introducing the beautiful thing. Check it out below.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Teaser Trailer: It's Not Just Dragons That Can Fly

Now this is a teaser trailer. Pure and honest, this one continuous sequence teases the audience with one of presumably numerous exciting, innovative things to come in DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon 2.

The sequel to DreamWorks' most critically acclaimed hit yet, 2010's How to Train Your Dragon, jumps five years, and sees a significantly more dreamy-looking Hiccup trying out a new hair-raising trick. Dean DeBlois, who co-directed the first film with Chris Sanders, is at the helm solo this time round, with Sanders admitting to us that he has "not been super involved". Nonetheless, DeBlois seems to be doing a sterling job anyway!

First Look: How to Train Your Dragon 2

At CinemaCon last week, as part of their extensive animation panel, Fox treated attendees to a little look at the sequel to DreamWorks' acclaimed 2010 hit. Today, some pictures, showing promotional material for How to Train Your Dragon 2, have surfaced online.

DreamWorks' Full Upcoming Slate Through to Mid-2016

As their distribution deal with Paramount comes to an end (and Paramount set up shop for themselves) and they prepare to enter into their new 5-year deal with Fox, DreamWorks Animation have announced the unprecedented 12 film slate that will run from 2013 to mid-2016.

The Paramount deal concludes with November's Rise of the Guardians, and the Fox deal starts with Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon co-director Chris Sanders' next film, The Croods, (also, I somehow missed this, but the first still from The Croods, above, appeared online last week, along with character descriptions, via EW - very striking visuals!) early next year.

The announcement, via THR, also introduces B.O.O: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations to the table, which will be directed by Tony Leondis (Igor), produced by Maryann Garger (Flushed Away) and written by Tom Wheeler (Puss in Boots), from an original story by Leondis. And How to Train Your Dragon 3, due 18th June, 2016, will return Stitch and Dragon 1 co-director Dean DeBlois to the helm. The importance of this announcement is that DreamWorks will be producing three films a year going forward - four in 2015! Fox and DreamWorks reps offered up comments:

"Everyone of the movies in our lineup – whether it is an original film or a sequel to one of our beloved franchises – comes from the unique and special vision of our filmmakers, and we look forward to joining together with Fox to make them available to family audiences starting next year," says DreamWorks CCO, Bill Damaschke.

"We have had the privilege not only to view many of these films in their various stages but also to meet the incredible leadership teams behind each one, and we are very confident about DreamWorks Animation’s robust future slate" adds Fox Filmed Entertainment head, Tom Rothman

Check out the full, year-by-year, breakdown after the jump break!

2011 Annie Awards, How to Train Your Dragon wins 10, Toy Story 3 Shut Out

Controversy is certain to surround the 2011 Annie Awards and it may well be a year that lives in infamy, mere months after Disney and Pixar publicly withdrew support for the Annie Awards and for ASIFA, due to allegedly unfair voting process, - and the fact that DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, buys each new DreamWorks member of staff an ASIFA Hollywood membership, automatically giving any decent DreamWorks film an edge - and in a similar vein to 2008 (when WALL E was shut out in favour of Kung Fu Panda), Toy Story 3 was COMPLETELY shut out.

While this was to be expected as Toy Story 3 was not officially submitted and only received 3 nominations, it's still disappointing. On the other hand, DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon swept the awards and won a gigantic 10, including all of the individual achievement awards that Toy Story 3 wasn't even nominated for!

Perhaps most importantly, How to Train Your Dragon won the Best Animated Feature Award, beating out Despicable Me, Tangled, The Illusionist and, of course, Toy Story 3. Congratulations to How to Train Your Dragon, it's certainly a fantastic film and one of my favourite animated films of all time and, as previously stated, at this point it seems pretty certain that Toy Story 3 is going to win the Best Animated Film Oscar, so it's nice to see HTTYD get some recognition. However, the fact that it won 10 awards and (the Best Picture nominated) Toy Story 3 won none, is only going to raise questions and controversy. As we saw in 2008 with Kung Fu Panda, I feel that the controversy is going to overshadow the achievements of How to Train Your Dragon.

Congrats to DreamWorks and consolidation to Pixar (who did manage to scoop the Best Animated Short Subject award for Day & Night, along with Brad Bird, Eric Goldberg, Matt Groening winning the Winsor McCay Award), but it's certain that ASIFA needs to have a close look at their process in the near future.

I'm not shocked at this, just disappointed.

Full list of awards and recipients here.

Thoughts?

BAFTA Nominations

The nominations for the 2011 BAFTA Awards were announced yesterday and the nominations for Best Animated Film are as follows:

• Despicable Me - Chris Renaud, Pierre Coffin
• How to Train Your Dragon - Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois
• Toy Story 3 - Lee Unkrich

In addition, Toy Story 3 has been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay and Special Visual Effects.

The awards are due to take place on February 13th at the Royal Opera House. You can view all nominees here.