How to Train Your Dragon (film)
Encyclopedia
How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 3D computer-animated
action
fantasy film
by DreamWorks Animation
loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name
. The film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel
, Gerard Butler
, Craig Ferguson
, America Ferrera
, Jonah Hill
, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig
, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse
. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score
at the 83rd Academy Awards
, but lost to Toy Story 3
and The Social Network
, respectively. The movie also won ten Annie Awards, including 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.
The film was released March 26, 2010, to positive reviews. The film grossed nearly $500 million worldwide and became DreamWorks Animation's fifth most successful film in the United States and Canada (behind the Shrek film series).
), the awkward son of the village chieftain, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler
), uses a cannon contraption he invented and shoots down a dragon he thinks may be a Night Fury, a rare dragon nobody has ever actually seen. Hiccup locates the dragon in the forest, but finds he is unable to kill the helpless animal. Hiccup instead cuts it free, and the dragon disappears into the forest. Meanwhile, Stoick assembles a fleet to seek out the dragons' nest, but before he leaves, he places Hiccup in dragon-killing classes taught by Gobber (Craig Ferguson
), the village blacksmith.
Searching the forest, Hiccup finds the dragon trapped in a shallow glade; the dragon's tail was injured, preventing it from flying normally. By trial and error, Hiccup discovers a way to earn the dragon's trust and begins to care for it. He names the Night Fury "Toothless," for its retractable teeth. Soon after, Hiccup fashions a make-shift harness and prosthetic
tail that allows him to guide the dragon in free flight. Hiccup is able to transfer his knowledge of dragons to the other species of dragons at school, appearing to conquer each one in battle and becoming the star pupil, much to the dismay of Astrid (America Ferrera
), a girl in dragon training whom Hiccup has a crush on. Hiccup wins the class and gets the chance to kill a dragon in front of the entire village. The battered Viking fleet arrives home and Stoick learns of his son's exploits in school.
Later, Astrid follows Hiccup, suspicious of his sudden skill, and is shocked to discover Toothless. She attempts to escape to tell the rest of the village, but Hiccup coerces Astrid into flying with Toothless. At first, Astrid is terrified, but then begins to enjoy the excursion. Toothless unexpectedly joins a flock of dragons and takes the pair straight into the dragon's nest, where the truth behind the dragons' constant raids of their village is revealed – a gigantic dragon lives off the food they bring back, else it feeds on the dragons themselves. Astrid wants to tell the village of the nest, but Hiccup wants to keep it a secret to protect Toothless. Astrid, who admires his determination, agrees. Before she heads back, she punches his arm for kidnapping her, and then, kisses him on the cheek for "everything else".
Hiccup is put to his final exam the next day, but when he tries to show the village the dragon's true nature, Stoick stops the fight, inadvertently angering the dragon and endangering Hiccup. Toothless hears Hiccup's cries and flies in to save him, but is captured himself. Hiccup, attempting to explain his actions, reveals how to find the dragons' nest. He tries to warn his father of the danger, but Stoick refuses to listen to his son, disowns him, and sets off with another fleet, using a restrained Toothless as their guide. Astrid talks with Hiccup about why he didn't kill Toothless before. Hiccup reluctantly admits that he didn't kill him because he looked as frightened as he was. Hiccup, then, concocts a plan to save the Vikings with the help of the school's captive dragons and his classmates.
The teens arrive after the Viking fleet has already uncovered the gargantuan dragon. Hiccup's classmates distract it while Hiccup goes to save Toothless. Hiccup and Toothless almost drown, but both are saved by a now-repentant Stoick. Hiccup and Toothless lure the giant dragon into flight, ultimately setting fire to the flammable gas inside its mouth and forcing it into an inescapable dive back to earth, killing it in a massive explosion. While attempting to flee from the crashing dragon, Hiccup falls off Toothless, and Toothless dives into the flames after him.
After the explosion has settled, Stoick finds Toothless, who reveals an unconscious Hiccup safely wrapped in his wings. Hiccup wakes up back on Berk, finding an eager Toothless greeting him. As he leaves his bed, he discovers part of his left leg has been replaced by a prosthetic leg made by Gobber. His grief is turned to joy however, as he steps outside to find the Vikings and dragons working together to rebuild their village. He is greeted by everyone and Astrid rushes to kiss him on the lips. The film ends with the war between Vikings and Dragons finally over with Hiccup and his friends racing their dragons.
, the writer-directors of Disney's Lilo & Stitch
, took over as co-directors. The original plot was "heavily loyal to the book", but was regarded as geared to a too-young demographic and too "sweet" and "whimsical", according to Baruchel. In the novel, Hiccup's dragon, Toothless, is a Garden Dragon, a breed that is equivalent in size of the Terrible Terror breed in the film. In the film, Toothless is a Night Fury, the rarest of all dragons, and is large enough to serve as a flying mount for both Hiccup and Astrid. Elements of Toothless's behavior were inspired by a domesticated mountain lion owned by Dean DeBlois's uncle.
The filmmakers hired cinematographer Roger Deakins
(known for frequently collaborating with the Coen brothers) as a visual consultant to help them with lighting and overall look of the film and to "add a live-action feel".
On the creation of the world, art director Pierre-Olivier Vincent and the artistic director Kathy Alter said the idea of a volcanic island of the dragons was the logical conclusion since many myths associate dragons with lava and fiery places. The art team planned to visit Iceland
, but it was winter and the creators had to be on location on the Pacific coast in the state of Oregon
. Especially useful for them was the beach Cannon Beach and the island of Anacapa
near the coast of California.
Picturesque landscapes, volcanic rocks piled up in the ocean, dark beaches and black hard rock were used to create the island of dragons. Oaf Island, home to the Vikings turned mysterious and surprising. This is a ride for the viewer: rocks, arches, the volcano, the decor with the present dragons, statues, and defenses were all attached to the village. With typical "northern lights" helped Deblua Dean, who had several times been to Iceland
.
For black and white image to work was involved with operator Roger Deakins, who previously worked on "O Brother, Where Art Thou?
" and "No Country for Old Men
." It is thanks to him in the movie realistically transferred to lighting, camera movement and panoramic surveys. To simulate filming, he tried to make the complete darkness in the shadows and glare on the light. Deakins also used simple techniques of using a point source of light to create three-dimensional scenes coverage (e.g., illuminated by candles homes Vikings).
The abundance of fire-breathing dragons required a lot of scenes featuring different types of fire. Were invited to the best specialists from Glendale and Redwood City, hired pyrotechnics, which should be shown as in the real world is what they want done. The whole day he did a variety of explosions: creating a red light, then blue, arranged a fire or explosion simulated glass, etc. High-speed camera at a speed of 400–1000 frames per second it all recorded. Digitized stereo recordings have become an important resource for further work on the effects of cartoon. Directors recalled that, when they first saw the finished scene of the explosion of a giant dragon, they admired like little children.
returned to DreamWorks Animation to score How to Train Your Dragon, making it his sixth collaboration with the studio, following his previous score for Kung Fu Panda
(which he scored with Hans Zimmer
). Powell composed a very orchestral score, combining bombastic brass with loud percussion and soothing strings, while also using exotic, Scottish and Irish tones with instruments like the penny whistle and bagpipes
. Additionally, Icelandic singer Jónsi
wrote and performed the song "Sticks & Stones" for the film. The score was released by Varèse Sarabande
on March 23, 2010.
Overall, the score was very well received by film score critics. Powell earned his very first Academy Award
nomination for his work on the film, ultimately losing to Trent Reznor
and Atticus Ross
for their score for The Social Network
.
The month before, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg
protested Warner Bros.' decision to convert Clash of the Titans
from 2D to 3D, then to release it one week after How to Train Your Dragon. Entertainment reporter Kim Masters described the 3D release schedule around March 2010 as a "traffic jam", and speculated that the lack of 3D screen availability could hurt Katzenberg's prospects despite his support of the 3D format.
In March 2010, theater industry executives accused Paramount of using high-pressure tactics to coerce theaters to screen How to Train Your Dragon rather than the competing 3D releases, Clash of the Titans and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
. As theater multiplexes often had just one 3D screen, theaters were unable to accommodate more than one 3D presentation at a time.
's highest-grossing film in the American and Canadian box office other than a Shrek film. It is the fifth highest-grossing animated film of 2010 with $494.8 million, behind Toy Story 3 with $1,063.2 million, Shrek Forever After with $752.6 million, Tangled with $576.6 million, and Despicable Me with $543.1 million and the 10th highest-grossing movie of 2010.
reports that 98% of 163 professional critics have given the film a positive review with an overall rating average of 7.9 out of 10. Among Rotten Tomatoes' Top Critics, which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs, the film holds an overall approval rating of 93%, based on a sample of 27 reviews. The site's general consensus is that "Boasting dazzling animation, a script with surprising dramatic depth, and thrilling 3-D sequences, How to Train Your Dragon soars." On Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted mean
rating out of 0–100 reviews from film critics, the film has a rating score of 74 based on 33 reviews. CinemaScore
polls conducted during the opening weekend revealed the average grade cinemagoers gave How to Train Your Dragon was A on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert
of The Chicago Sun-Times gave it 3 stars out of 4, stating that: "It devotes a great deal of time to aerial battles between tamed dragons and evil ones, and not much to character or story development. But it's bright, good-looking, and has high energy". Claudia Puig of USA Today
gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying "It's a thrilling action-adventure saga with exhilarating 3-D animation, a clever comedy with witty dialogue, a coming-of-age tale with surprising depth and a sweetly poignant tale of friendship between man and animal." Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers
praised the film, giving it three out of four stars and in his print review wrote, "[The film] works enough miracles of 3-D animation to charm your socks off." Roger Moore of The Orlando Sentinel, who gave the film 2½ stars out of 4, wrote a mixed review describing the film as a "more coming-of-age dramedy or 'everything about your world view is wrong' message movie than it is a comedy. And that seems like a waste of a funny book, some very funny actors and some darned witty animation." Kyle Smith
of The New York Post gave the film 2/4 stars labeling the film as "Avatar for simpletons. But that title is already taken, by Avatar". A. O. Scott
of At The Movies felt the characters and the story were not strong points, but loved the cinematography and said, "that swooping and soaring, they are worth the price of a ticket, so go see it." Village Voice film critic Ella Taylor
panned the film describing it as an "adequate but unremarkable animated tale". Film critic James Berardinelli
of ReelViews praised the film and its story, giving it 3.5 out of 4 stars he wrote, "Technically proficient and featuring a witty, intelligent, surprisingly insightful script, How to Train Your Dragon comes close to the level of Pixar's
recent output while easily exceeding the juvenilia Dreamworks has released in the last nine years." Entertainment Weekly
film critic Owen Gleiberman
praised the film giving it an A- and wrote, "How to Train Your Dragon rouses you in conventional ways, but it's also the rare animated film that uses 3-D for its breathtaking spatial and emotional possibilities."
.
In addition, Samsung
has signed a deal with DreamWorks
to gain exclusive distribution rights to a Blu-ray 3D version of the film. Beginning on October 15, 2010, How to Train Your Dragon appears alongside and replaces Monsters vs. Aliens
in the Samsung 3D Starter Kit which retails for $349.99, contains two pairs of active-shutter glasses, and offers a choice between either Monsters vs. Aliens or How to Train Your Dragon on Blu-ray 3D.
, 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. The film is scheduled for release on June 20, 2014. It was announced that the entire original voice cast – Baruchel, Butler, Ferguson, Ferrera, Hill, Mintz-Plasse, Miller and Wiig – would return for the sequel.
On December 3, 2010, DreamWorks
CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg
confirmed that at least one more sequel is being planned after How to Train Your Dragon 2, making for 3 total films
had acquired worldwide broadcast rights to a weekly animated series based on the movie, scheduled to begin sometime in 2012. 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 Dragons 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
.
video game released by Activision
called How to Train Your Dragon
was released for the Wii
, Xbox 360
, PS3 and Nintendo DS
gaming consoles. It is loosely based on the film and was released on March 23, 2010.
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
action
Action film
Action film is a film genre where one or more heroes is thrust into a series of challenges that require physical feats, extended fights and frenetic chases...
fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
by DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name
How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon is a series of nine books set in a fictional Viking world. The books were published starting in 2003 as children's novels written by British author Cressida Cowell and published by Hodder Children's Books...
. The film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel
Jay Baruchel
Jonathan Adam Saunders "Jay" Baruchel is a Canadian actor. He has had a successful career in comedy films, and has appeared in supporting roles in such box office successes as Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder, as well as starring in films like She's Out of My League, The Trotsky,...
, Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
, Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
, America Ferrera
America Ferrera
America Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
, Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
, T.J. Miller, Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Christopher Charles Mintz-Plasse is an American actor known for starring in films such as Superbad, Role Models, Year One, and Kick-Ass.-Early life:...
. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score
Academy Award for Best Original Score
The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
at the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
, but lost to Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy-adventure film, and the third installment in the Toy Story series. It was produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film was released worldwide from June through October in Disney Digital...
and The Social Network
The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
, respectively. The movie also won ten Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature.
The story takes place in a mythical Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
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.
The film was released March 26, 2010, to positive reviews. The film grossed nearly $500 million worldwide and became DreamWorks Animation's fifth most successful film in the United States and Canada (behind the Shrek film series).
Plot
The island of Berk has been plagued by attacks from dragons that steal their livestock and burn their homes. Hiccup (Jay BaruchelJay Baruchel
Jonathan Adam Saunders "Jay" Baruchel is a Canadian actor. He has had a successful career in comedy films, and has appeared in supporting roles in such box office successes as Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder, as well as starring in films like She's Out of My League, The Trotsky,...
), the awkward son of the village chieftain, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
), uses a cannon contraption he invented and shoots down a dragon he thinks may be a Night Fury, a rare dragon nobody has ever actually seen. Hiccup locates the dragon in the forest, but finds he is unable to kill the helpless animal. Hiccup instead cuts it free, and the dragon disappears into the forest. Meanwhile, Stoick assembles a fleet to seek out the dragons' nest, but before he leaves, he places Hiccup in dragon-killing classes taught by Gobber (Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
), the village blacksmith.
Searching the forest, Hiccup finds the dragon trapped in a shallow glade; the dragon's tail was injured, preventing it from flying normally. By trial and error, Hiccup discovers a way to earn the dragon's trust and begins to care for it. He names the Night Fury "Toothless," for its retractable teeth. Soon after, Hiccup fashions a make-shift harness and prosthetic
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
tail that allows him to guide the dragon in free flight. Hiccup is able to transfer his knowledge of dragons to the other species of dragons at school, appearing to conquer each one in battle and becoming the star pupil, much to the dismay of Astrid (America Ferrera
America Ferrera
America Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
), a girl in dragon training whom Hiccup has a crush on. Hiccup wins the class and gets the chance to kill a dragon in front of the entire village. The battered Viking fleet arrives home and Stoick learns of his son's exploits in school.
Later, Astrid follows Hiccup, suspicious of his sudden skill, and is shocked to discover Toothless. She attempts to escape to tell the rest of the village, but Hiccup coerces Astrid into flying with Toothless. At first, Astrid is terrified, but then begins to enjoy the excursion. Toothless unexpectedly joins a flock of dragons and takes the pair straight into the dragon's nest, where the truth behind the dragons' constant raids of their village is revealed – a gigantic dragon lives off the food they bring back, else it feeds on the dragons themselves. Astrid wants to tell the village of the nest, but Hiccup wants to keep it a secret to protect Toothless. Astrid, who admires his determination, agrees. Before she heads back, she punches his arm for kidnapping her, and then, kisses him on the cheek for "everything else".
Hiccup is put to his final exam the next day, but when he tries to show the village the dragon's true nature, Stoick stops the fight, inadvertently angering the dragon and endangering Hiccup. Toothless hears Hiccup's cries and flies in to save him, but is captured himself. Hiccup, attempting to explain his actions, reveals how to find the dragons' nest. He tries to warn his father of the danger, but Stoick refuses to listen to his son, disowns him, and sets off with another fleet, using a restrained Toothless as their guide. Astrid talks with Hiccup about why he didn't kill Toothless before. Hiccup reluctantly admits that he didn't kill him because he looked as frightened as he was. Hiccup, then, concocts a plan to save the Vikings with the help of the school's captive dragons and his classmates.
The teens arrive after the Viking fleet has already uncovered the gargantuan dragon. Hiccup's classmates distract it while Hiccup goes to save Toothless. Hiccup and Toothless almost drown, but both are saved by a now-repentant Stoick. Hiccup and Toothless lure the giant dragon into flight, ultimately setting fire to the flammable gas inside its mouth and forcing it into an inescapable dive back to earth, killing it in a massive explosion. While attempting to flee from the crashing dragon, Hiccup falls off Toothless, and Toothless dives into the flames after him.
After the explosion has settled, Stoick finds Toothless, who reveals an unconscious Hiccup safely wrapped in his wings. Hiccup wakes up back on Berk, finding an eager Toothless greeting him. As he leaves his bed, he discovers part of his left leg has been replaced by a prosthetic leg made by Gobber. His grief is turned to joy however, as he steps outside to find the Vikings and dragons working together to rebuild their village. He is greeted by everyone and Astrid rushes to kiss him on the lips. The film ends with the war between Vikings and Dragons finally over with Hiccup and his friends racing their dragons.
Cast
- Jay BaruchelJay BaruchelJonathan Adam Saunders "Jay" Baruchel is a Canadian actor. He has had a successful career in comedy films, and has appeared in supporting roles in such box office successes as Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder, as well as starring in films like She's Out of My League, The Trotsky,...
as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. The sophisticated and brilliant teenage son of the Viking chief, Hiccup plans to become a Viking warrior. Unfortunately, in the crude world of the Vikings, Hiccup's slight build, rebellious determination, and sarcastic sense of humor make him a social outcast. His best friend (and only at the beggining) and dragon is Toothless, a Night Fury. - Gerard ButlerGerard ButlerGerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
as Stoick the Vast, the chieftain of the Viking tribe and Hiccup's father. Immensely strong, utterly fearless, and a fierce warrior, he embodies the traditional Viking virtues. He does not understand his child, having little in common with him. - Craig FergusonCraig FergusonCraig Ferguson is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS...
as Gobber the Belch, a close friend of Stoick's and the seasoned warrior appointed to drill the new recruits. He runs a blacksmith shop where Hiccup is his apprentice. Gobber believes in "learning on the job" and dispenses questionable advice. He also acts as the bridge between Hiccup and Stoick. He is missing his right foot and his left hand, the latter of which he has replaced with a variety of specialized prosthetics. - America FerreraAmerica FerreraAmerica Georgina Ferrera is an American actress, best known for playing the lead role in the television comedy series Ugly Betty...
as Astrid Hofferson. Striking, energetic and tough, Astrid is a teenage embodiment of the Viking way. She later becomes Hiccup's girlfriend and rides a female Deadly Nadder, whom she names Stormfly. - Christopher Mintz-PlasseChristopher Mintz-PlasseChristopher Charles Mintz-Plasse is an American actor known for starring in films such as Superbad, Role Models, Year One, and Kick-Ass.-Early life:...
as Fishlegs Ingerman. Fishlegs normally acts nervous and frightened, but has an inexhaustible arsenal of facts and expresses his knowledge in role-playing gameRole-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
terms. He has memorized the manual of dragons, (saying he has read it seven times). His dragon is a female Gronckle, whom he names Meatlug. - Jonah HillJonah HillJonah Hill Feldstein , known professionally as Jonah Hill, is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and comedian. Hill is best known roles for his roles in Superbad, Knocked Up, and Get Him to the Greek. He made his theatrical debut in I Heart Huckabees, alongside Jason Schwartzman and Dustin...
as Snotlout Jorgenson. One of Hiccup's dragon-training classmates and Hiccup's cousin. Snotlout is brash, overconffident, and very unintelligent. He also has an interest in Astrid and makes several attempts to impress her. His dragon is a Monstrous Nightmare, whom he names Hookfang. - T. J. MillerT. J. MillerTodd Joseph Miller , better known as T. J. Miller, is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Life and career:Miller was born in Denver, Colorado. He attended East High School. Miller then attended the George Washington University in Washington, D.C...
and Kristen WiigKristen WiigKristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
as Tuffnut and Ruffnut Thorston. The fraternal twins are thugs with ferocious intents and foul tempers, especially regarding each other. Together, they each ride a head of a Hideous Zippleback (a two headed dragon), whose name is unknown. - David TennantDavid TennantDavid Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
as Spitelout. A Viking who is not named in the film, he appears to be Stoick's Second-in-Command and is also Snotlout's father. He is seen with a Terrible Terror on his shoulder at the end of the film. Tennant has previously narrated a series of Hiccup adventures on audio book. - Robin Atkin DownesRobin Atkin DownesBorn in London, England, Robin Atkin Downes is an English actor who is one of the most prolific voice-over actors in Los Angeles. He is well known for his work in film, television and voice acting...
as Ack. - Philip McGrade as Starkard.
- Kieron Elliott as Hoark the Haggard.
- Ashley JensenAshley JensenAshley Jensen is a Scottish actress who is best known for her roles in the television series Extras for which she was nominated for an Emmy, and ABC's Ugly Betty...
as Phlegma the Fierce.
Production
Development
In initial development, the plot followed the original novel closely but was then altered. About halfway through production, Chris Sanders and Dean DeBloisDean DeBlois
Dean DeBlois is a Canadian film director, film producer, screenwriter, animator and editor. He is best known for co-writing and co-directing The Oscar-nominated animated films Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon , and for directing the acclaimed Sigur Rós documentary/music film...
, the writer-directors of Disney's Lilo & Stitch
Lilo & Stitch
This article is about the movie. For the television series, see Lilo & Stitch: The Series.Lilo & Stitch is a 2002 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released on June 21, 2002...
, took over as co-directors. The original plot was "heavily loyal to the book", but was regarded as geared to a too-young demographic and too "sweet" and "whimsical", according to Baruchel. In the novel, Hiccup's dragon, Toothless, is a Garden Dragon, a breed that is equivalent in size of the Terrible Terror breed in the film. In the film, Toothless is a Night Fury, the rarest of all dragons, and is large enough to serve as a flying mount for both Hiccup and Astrid. Elements of Toothless's behavior were inspired by a domesticated mountain lion owned by Dean DeBlois's uncle.
The filmmakers hired cinematographer Roger Deakins
Roger Deakins
Roger Antony Deakins, ASC, BSC is an English cinematographer best known for his work on the films of the Coen brothers. Deakins is a member of both the American and British Society of Cinematographers...
(known for frequently collaborating with the Coen brothers) as a visual consultant to help them with lighting and overall look of the film and to "add a live-action feel".
Art features
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, but it was winter and the creators had to be on location on the Pacific coast in the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Especially useful for them was the beach Cannon Beach and the island of Anacapa
Anacapa
Anacapa may refer to any of the following:Anacapa Island, an island near the coast of California.Anacapa Island Lighthouse, a lighthouse on Anacapa Island.USS Anacapa , a WWII Q-ship of the United States Navy...
near the coast of California.
Picturesque landscapes, volcanic rocks piled up in the ocean, dark beaches and black hard rock were used to create the island of dragons. Oaf Island, home to the Vikings turned mysterious and surprising. This is a ride for the viewer: rocks, arches, the volcano, the decor with the present dragons, statues, and defenses were all attached to the village. With typical "northern lights" helped Deblua Dean, who had several times been to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
For black and white image to work was involved with operator Roger Deakins, who previously worked on "O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a 2000 comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Charles Durning. Set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression, the film's story is a modern satire loosely...
" and "No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men (film)
No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American crime thriller directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin. The film was adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name...
." It is thanks to him in the movie realistically transferred to lighting, camera movement and panoramic surveys. To simulate filming, he tried to make the complete darkness in the shadows and glare on the light. Deakins also used simple techniques of using a point source of light to create three-dimensional scenes coverage (e.g., illuminated by candles homes Vikings).
The abundance of fire-breathing dragons required a lot of scenes featuring different types of fire. Were invited to the best specialists from Glendale and Redwood City, hired pyrotechnics, which should be shown as in the real world is what they want done. The whole day he did a variety of explosions: creating a red light, then blue, arranged a fire or explosion simulated glass, etc. High-speed camera at a speed of 400–1000 frames per second it all recorded. Digitized stereo recordings have become an important resource for further work on the effects of cartoon. Directors recalled that, when they first saw the finished scene of the explosion of a giant dragon, they admired like little children.
Music
John PowellJohn Powell
John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with...
returned to DreamWorks Animation to score How to Train Your Dragon, making it his sixth collaboration with the studio, following his previous score for Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
(which he scored with Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
). Powell composed a very orchestral score, combining bombastic brass with loud percussion and soothing strings, while also using exotic, Scottish and Irish tones with instruments like the penny whistle and bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
. Additionally, Icelandic singer Jónsi
Jón Þór Birgisson
Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson is the guitarist and vocalist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is known for his use of a cello bow on guitar and his falsetto voice. He is also blind in his right eye and is openly gay. His boyfriend Alex Somers has done much of the graphic design for...
wrote and performed the song "Sticks & Stones" for the film. The score was released by Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
on March 23, 2010.
Overall, the score was very well received by film score critics. Powell earned his very first Academy Award
Academy Award for Best Original Score
The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
nomination for his work on the film, ultimately losing to Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
and Atticus Ross
Atticus Ross
Atticus Ross is an English musician, composer and producer. Ross, along with Trent Reznor, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for The Social Network in 2011.-Early career:...
for their score for The Social Network
The Social Network
The Social Network is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film portrays the founding of social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits...
.
Competition for 3D screens
The film was released March 26, 2010.The month before, DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg is an American film producer and CEO of DreamWorks Animation. He is perhaps most famous for his period as chairman of The Walt Disney Company's film division, and for producing DreamWorks animated films such as Shrek, Antz, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Chicken...
protested Warner Bros.' decision to convert Clash of the Titans
Clash of the Titans (2010 film)
Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy and action remake of the 1981 film of the same name . The story is very loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus. Directed by Louis Leterrier and starring Sam Worthington, the film was originally set for standard release on March 26, 2010...
from 2D to 3D, then to release it one week after How to Train Your Dragon. Entertainment reporter Kim Masters described the 3D release schedule around March 2010 as a "traffic jam", and speculated that the lack of 3D screen availability could hurt Katzenberg's prospects despite his support of the 3D format.
In March 2010, theater industry executives accused Paramount of using high-pressure tactics to coerce theaters to screen How to Train Your Dragon rather than the competing 3D releases, Clash of the Titans and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)
Alice in Wonderland is a 2010 American computer-animated/live action fantasy adventure film directed by Tim Burton, written by Linda Woolverton, and released by Walt Disney Pictures...
. As theater multiplexes often had just one 3D screen, theaters were unable to accommodate more than one 3D presentation at a time.
Box-office
How to Train Your Dragon topped the North American box office with $43.7 million in its first weekend of release. The film grossed $217,581,231 in the United States and Canada and $277,297,528 in foreign countries with a worldwide total of $494,878,759. How to Train Your Dragon is Dreamworks AnimationDreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
's highest-grossing film in the American and Canadian box office other than a Shrek film. It is the fifth highest-grossing animated film of 2010 with $494.8 million, behind Toy Story 3 with $1,063.2 million, Shrek Forever After with $752.6 million, Tangled with $576.6 million, and Despicable Me with $543.1 million and the 10th highest-grossing movie of 2010.
Critical reception
The film received broad critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 98% of 163 professional critics have given the film a positive review with an overall rating average of 7.9 out of 10. Among Rotten Tomatoes' Top Critics, which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs, the film holds an overall approval rating of 93%, based on a sample of 27 reviews. The site's general consensus is that "Boasting dazzling animation, a script with surprising dramatic depth, and thrilling 3-D sequences, How to Train Your Dragon soars." On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted mean
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
rating out of 0–100 reviews from film critics, the film has a rating score of 74 based on 33 reviews. CinemaScore
CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.-Background:...
polls conducted during the opening weekend revealed the average grade cinemagoers gave How to Train Your Dragon was A on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of The Chicago Sun-Times gave it 3 stars out of 4, stating that: "It devotes a great deal of time to aerial battles between tamed dragons and evil ones, and not much to character or story development. But it's bright, good-looking, and has high energy". Claudia Puig of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying "It's a thrilling action-adventure saga with exhilarating 3-D animation, a clever comedy with witty dialogue, a coming-of-age tale with surprising depth and a sweetly poignant tale of friendship between man and animal." Rolling Stone film critic Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
praised the film, giving it three out of four stars and in his print review wrote, "[The film] works enough miracles of 3-D animation to charm your socks off." Roger Moore of The Orlando Sentinel, who gave the film 2½ stars out of 4, wrote a mixed review describing the film as a "more coming-of-age dramedy or 'everything about your world view is wrong' message movie than it is a comedy. And that seems like a waste of a funny book, some very funny actors and some darned witty animation." Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith is an American critic, novelist and essayist. He is a staff film critic for the New York Post. His film reviewing style has been called "an exercise in hilarious hostility" by Entertainment Weekly....
of The New York Post gave the film 2/4 stars labeling the film as "Avatar for simpletons. But that title is already taken, by Avatar". A. O. Scott
A. O. Scott
Anthony Oliver Scott, known as A. O. Scott , is an American journalist and critic. He is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with Manohla Dargis.-Background and education:...
of At The Movies felt the characters and the story were not strong points, but loved the cinematography and said, "that swooping and soaring, they are worth the price of a ticket, so go see it." Village Voice film critic Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor
Ella Taylor is a film critic who was a staff writer for the LA Weekly and Village Voice Media, writing film and book reviews, interviews, profiles, and cultural and political commentary from 1989 to 2009, when she and much of the staff were laid off....
panned the film describing it as an "adequate but unremarkable animated tale". Film critic James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
of ReelViews praised the film and its story, giving it 3.5 out of 4 stars he wrote, "Technically proficient and featuring a witty, intelligent, surprisingly insightful script, How to Train Your Dragon comes close to the level of Pixar's
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
recent output while easily exceeding the juvenilia Dreamworks has released in the last nine years." Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
film critic Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
praised the film giving it an A- and wrote, "How to Train Your Dragon rouses you in conventional ways, but it's also the rare animated film that uses 3-D for its breathtaking spatial and emotional possibilities."
Accolades
| Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Award | Category | Name | Outcome |
| Academy Awards 83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ... |
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Academy Award for Best Animated Feature The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles-based professional organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences... |
Chris Sanders Dean DeBlois Dean DeBlois Dean DeBlois is a Canadian film director, film producer, screenwriter, animator and editor. He is best known for co-writing and co-directing The Oscar-nominated animated films Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon , and for directing the acclaimed Sigur Rós documentary/music film... |
|
| Academy Award for Best Original Score Academy Award for Best Original Score The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:... |
John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... |
||
| Annie Awards 38th Annie Awards The 38th Annual Annie Awards honoring the best in animation of 2010 was held February 5, 2011 at Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.-Best Animated Feature :How to Train Your Dragon – DreamWorks Animation... |
Annie Award for Best Animated Feature Annie Award for Best Animated Feature The Annie Award for Best Animated Feature is an Annie Award, awarded annually to the best animated feature film and introduced in 1992. In 1998 the award was renamed Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Theatrical Feature, only to be reverted back to its original title again in 2001... |
Bonnie Arnold Bonnie Arnold Bonnie Arnold is a Hollywood animation film producer who has worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. Arnold grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but later worked her way to Hollywood and caught the wave of computer-animation.- Life and career :Arnold has a... Chris Sanders Dean DeBlois |
|
| Annie Award for Best Animated Effects in an Animated Production | Brett Miller | ||
| Jason Mayer | |||
| Annie Award for Best Character Animation in a Feature Production | Gabe Hordos | ||
| Jakob Hjort Jensen | |||
| David Torres | |||
| Annie Award for Best Character Design in an Animated Feature Production | Nico Marlet | ||
| Annie Award for Best Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Chris Sanders Dean DeBlois |
||
| Annie Award for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production | John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... |
||
| Annie Award for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Pierre-Olivier Vincent | ||
| Annie Award for Best Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production | Tom Owens | ||
| Alessandro Carloni | |||
| Annie Award for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production | Jay Baruchel Jay Baruchel Jonathan Adam Saunders "Jay" Baruchel is a Canadian actor. He has had a successful career in comedy films, and has appeared in supporting roles in such box office successes as Million Dollar Baby, Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder, as well as starring in films like She's Out of My League, The Trotsky,... |
||
| Gerard Butler Gerard Butler Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in... |
|||
| Annie Award for Best Writing in an Animated Feature Production | William Davies William Davies (screenwriter) William Davies is an English screenwriter and film producer. He has written and co-written a number of Hollywood blockbusters including the 1988 Twins, Johnny English, Alien Autopsy, Flushed Away, and most recently, How to Train Your Dragon and Johnny English Reborn.The British-born Davies is a... Chris Sanders Dean DeBlois |
||
| British Academy Film Awards 64th British Academy Film Awards The 64th British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs, were held on 13 February 2011 honouring the best national and foreign films of 2010. The nominees were announced on 18 January 2011. The King's Speech earned the most nominations with fourteen... |
BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film -Winners and nominees:... |
||
| BAFTA Award for Best Film Music BAFTA Award for Best Film Music The Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music is an annual award given by British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-1960s:*1968 - The Lion in Winter - John Barry... |
John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... |
||
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards The Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards, commonly called the Critics' Choice Awards, are bestowed annually by the Broadcast Film Critics Association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Nominees are selected by written ballots in a week-long voting period, and are announced in... |
Best Animated Feature Film | ||
| Golden Globe Awards 68th Golden Globe Awards The 68th Golden Globe Awards was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais.... |
Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film The Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film was awarded for the first time at the 64th Golden Globe Awards in 2007. It was the first time that the Golden Globe Awards had created a separate category for animated films since its establishment. The nominations are announced in January and... |
||
| Golden Reel Awards Motion Picture Sound Editors Founded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit of the soundtracks, and improve the professional relationship of its... |
Best Sound Editing in an Animated Feature Film | ||
| International Film Music Critics Association International Film Music Critics Association The International Film Music Critics Association is a professional association for online, print and radio journalists who specialize in writing about original film and television music.-History and purpose:... |
Film Score of the Year | John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... |
|
| Best Original Score for an Animated Feature | John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... |
||
| Film Music Composition of the Year | John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... – "Forbidden Friendship" |
||
| John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... – "Test Drive" |
|||
| Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Animated Movie | ||
| People's Choice Awards 37th People's Choice Awards The 37th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2010, were held on January 5, 2011 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California, and were broadcast live on CBS at 9:00 pm ET... |
Favorite Family Movie | ||
| Satellite Awards Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are an annual award given by the International Press Academy. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards.- Film :*Best Actor – Drama*Best Actor – Musical or Comedy*Best Actress – Drama... |
Motion Picture (Animated or Mixed) | ||
| Saturn Awards 37th Saturn Awards The 37th Saturn Awards, honoring the best in science fiction, fantasy and horror film and television in 2010 were held on June 23, 2011.-Best Science Fiction Film:*Inception*Hereafter*Iron Man 2*Never Let Me Go*Splice... |
Saturn Award for Best Music Saturn Award for Best Music The following is a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Music.-Multiple Winners:*John Williams - 7 awards*Danny Elfman - 5 awards*James Horner - 3 awards*Alan Silvestri - 3 awards*Alan Menken - 2 awards*John Ottman - 2 awards*Miklós Rózsa - 2 awards... |
John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... |
|
| Saturn Award for Best Production Design | Kathy Altieri | ||
| Saturn Award for Best Animated Film Saturn Award for Best Animated Film The following are a list of Saturn Award winners for Best Animated Film:-Winners:... |
Chris Sanders Dean DeBlois |
||
| Teen Choice Awards Teen Choice Awards The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with... |
Choice Animated Movie | ||
| Toronto Film Critics Association Toronto Film Critics Association The Toronto Film Critics Association is an organization of film reviewers from Toronto-based publications. As of 1999, the TFCA is member of FIPRESCI.-History:... |
Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film The Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Animated Film is one of the annual awards given by the Toronto Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:... |
||
| Venice Film Festival Venice Film Festival The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the... |
Most Creative 3D Film of the Year | ||
| Visual Effects Society Visual Effects Society The Visual Effects Society is the entertainment industry's only organization representing the full breadth of visual effects practitioners including artists, animators, technologists, model makers, educators, studio leaders, supervisors, PR/marketing specialists and producers in all areas of... |
Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture The Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture is one of the annual awards given by the Visual Effects Society starting from 2008.-2000s:-2010s:... |
Simon Otto Craig Ring Bonnie Arnold Bonnie Arnold Bonnie Arnold is a Hollywood animation film producer who has worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. Arnold grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but later worked her way to Hollywood and caught the wave of computer-animation.- Life and career :Arnold has a... |
|
| Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture | Gabe Hordos Cassidy Curtis Mariette Marinus Brent Watkins |
||
| Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture | Andy Hayes Laurent Kermel Jason Mayer Brett Miller |
||
| Vits Awards | Favorite Movie | ||
| World Soundtrack Academy World Soundtrack Academy The World Soundtrack Academy , launched in 2001 by the Flanders International Film Festival Ghent, is aimed at organizing and overseeing the educational, cultural and professional aspects of the art of film music, including the preservation of the history of the soundtrack and its worldwide promotion... |
World Soundtrack Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year World Soundtrack Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year The WS Award for Soundtrack Composer of the Year is one of the three main prizes given by the World Soundtrack Academy to honour the best movie soundtracks and the people who work on them.-Winners and nominees:... |
John Powell John Powell John Powell is a British composer, best known for his scores to motion pictures. He has been based in the United States since 1997 and has composed the scores to over fifty feature films. He rose to fame in the late 1990s and 2000s, scoring numerous animated films, and collaborating with... |
|
| World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film The World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film is one of the three main prizes given by the World Soundtrack Academy to honour the best movie soundtracks... |
Jón Þór Birgisson Jón Þór Birgisson Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson is the guitarist and vocalist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is known for his use of a cello bow on guitar and his falsetto voice. He is also blind in his right eye and is openly gay. His boyfriend Alex Somers has done much of the graphic design for... |
||
Home media
How to Train Your Dragon was released on single-disc DVD, 2-disc Double DVD Pack and Blu-ray/DVD combo pack in Canada and the United States on Friday, October 15, 2010. Among the features available in the 2-disc DVD edition is an original sequel short film, Legend of the Boneknapper DragonLegend of the Boneknapper Dragon
Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon is a 2010 animated short film by DreamWorks Animation that is a sequel to the feature film, How to Train Your Dragon....
.
In addition, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
has signed a deal with DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
to gain exclusive distribution rights to a Blu-ray 3D version of the film. Beginning on October 15, 2010, How to Train Your Dragon appears alongside and replaces Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens
Monsters vs. Aliens is a 2009 American computer-animated 3-D science fiction film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
in the Samsung 3D Starter Kit which retails for $349.99, contains two pairs of active-shutter glasses, and offers a choice between either Monsters vs. Aliens or How to Train Your Dragon on Blu-ray 3D.
Sequels
A sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, was confirmed on April 27, 2010. The film is being directed and written by Dean DeBloisDean DeBlois
Dean DeBlois is a Canadian film director, film producer, screenwriter, animator and editor. He is best known for co-writing and co-directing The Oscar-nominated animated films Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon , and for directing the acclaimed Sigur Rós documentary/music film...
, the co-director of the first film. Bonnie Arnold
Bonnie Arnold
Bonnie Arnold is a Hollywood animation film producer who has worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation, Pixar Animation Studios and DreamWorks Animation. Arnold grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but later worked her way to Hollywood and caught the wave of computer-animation.- Life and career :Arnold has a...
, the producer of the first film, is also returning, with Chris Sanders
Chris Sanders
Christopher Michael "Chris" Sanders is an American film animator and voice actor best-known for co-directing and co-writing the Disney animated feature Lilo & Stitch, and providing the voice of Experiment 626 from Lilo & Stitch and Leroy from Disney's Leroy & Stitch...
, who co-directed the first film, only exec-producing this time. The film is scheduled for release on June 20, 2014. It was announced that the entire original voice cast – Baruchel, Butler, Ferguson, Ferrera, Hill, Mintz-Plasse, Miller and Wiig – would return for the sequel.
On December 3, 2010, DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg is an American film producer and CEO of DreamWorks Animation. He is perhaps most famous for his period as chairman of The Walt Disney Company's film division, and for producing DreamWorks animated films such as Shrek, Antz, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Chicken...
confirmed that at least one more sequel is being planned after How to Train Your Dragon 2, making for 3 total films
Television series
On October 12, 2010 it was announced that Cartoon NetworkCartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
had acquired worldwide broadcast rights to a weekly animated series based on the movie, scheduled to begin sometime in 2012. 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
The Penguins of Madagascar
The Penguins of Madagascar is an American CGI animated television series airing on Nickelodeon. It stars nine characters from the DreamWorks Animation animated film Madagascar: The penguins Skipper , Kowalski , Private , and Rico ; the lemurs King Julien , Maurice , and Mort...
and Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness
Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness is an American computer-animated television series based on the Kung Fu Panda films. The series was originally set to air on Nickelodeon in 2010, but was pushed back to 2011. A total of 52 episodes have been produced or ordered...
, How To Train Your Dragons 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
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon is a US cable TV channel.Nickelodeon may also refer to:-In television:*Spinoffs of the Nickelodeon channel:** Nickelodeon Magazine, a children's magazine.** Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park....
.
Video game
An action adventureAction-adventure game
An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...
video game released by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
called How to Train Your Dragon
How to Train Your Dragon (video game)
How to Train Your Dragon is a action-adventure game based upon the film of the same name. It was developed by Etranges Libellules and Griptonite Games, and released by Activision on March 23, 2010, for the Wii, Xbox 360, PS3 and the Nintendo DS. The game enables players to create their own dragons...
was released for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, PS3 and Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
gaming consoles. It is loosely based on the film and was released on March 23, 2010.