Plot and Story Overview
How to Train Your Dragon 1
How to Train Your Dragon follows Hiccup, a teenage Viking on the island of Berk, who captures a wounded dragon named Toothless during a raid. Instead of killing the dragon, Hiccup befriends it and learns that dragons are not the enemies of his people. The film explores themes of courage, tolerance, and leadership as Hiccup tries to change the traditions of his village. The movie was produced by DreamWorks Animation and released by Paramount Pictures in 2010. It became one of the highest-grossing animated films of its year, earning over $494 million worldwide according to Forbes and other box office trackers.
How to Train Your Dragon 2
How to Train Your Dragon 2 takes place five years after the first film and follows Hiccup as he discovers a hidden world of wild dragons and a mysterious dragon rider named Eret. The plot centers on the conflict between humans and dragons and introduces the villain Drago Bludvist, who seeks to control all dragons. Hiccup must decide between following his father's expectations or forging his own path. The sequel was also produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox, and it grossed over $621 million globally, making it one of the highest-grossing films of 2014.
Cast, Crew, and Production Details
Main Voice Cast and Creative Team
Jay Baruchel voices Hiccup in both films, with Gerard Butler as Stoick the Vast, America Ferrera as Astrid, and Craig Ferguson as Gobber. How to Train Your Dragon 2 adds Kit Harington as Eret and Cate Blanchett as Valka, Hiccup's long-lost mother. The films were directed by Dean DeBlois, who also co-wrote the screenplay based on the book series by Cressida Cowell. The animation was handled by DreamWorks Animation, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, which is part of Comcast. The original score was composed by John Powell, who won an Academy Award nomination for the first film.
Box Office and Critical Reception
How to Train Your Dragon 1 received a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The sequel holds a 92% approval rating and was also nominated for the same award. Both films are among the top-grossing animated franchises, with the first two films combined earning over $1.1 billion worldwide. DreamWorks Animation reported strong home entertainment and streaming sales after theatrical runs, and the films remain among the most-watched animated titles on major platforms.
Legacy and Franchise Expansion
How to Train Your Dragon 3 and Beyond
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the third film in the series, was released in 2019 and concluded the original trilogy. Directed by Dean DeBlois, the film grossed over $524 million globally and received positive reviews for its animation and emotional ending. The franchise also includes short films, television series, and live shows. NBCUniversal and DreamWorks Animation continue to manage the intellectual property, and the films are available on streaming platforms under the Universal Pictures banner.
Impact on Animation and Franchise Value
The How to Train Your Dragon series is credited with advancing character-driven storytelling in animated films and raising the bar for visual effects in fantasy settings. The franchise has generated billions in revenue across box office, home media, merchandise, and licensing. DreamWorks Animation was acquired by NBCUniversal in 2016, and the