How To Train Your Dragon 3’s Director Thinks The Franchise Should Continue

35 minutes ago

After almost a decade of How To Train Your Dragon movies, the newly released The Hidden World has audiences saying goodbye to the animation trilogy. But with all the good vibes and major dollar signs already being sent the movie’s way, is this really the end?

How To Train Your Dragon writer/director Dean DeBlois was able to see his vision through. He has always planned the series to be a trilogy, and for a good reason: to create a satisfying and focused franchise from beginning to end. However, considering how successful and beloved the movies have become, the chances of it coming back in some shape or form are quite likely. While DeBlois is sticking to ending the movies with The Hidden World, here’s what he thinks about how the franchise should continue:

I think if DreamWorks decided to open it up at some point, I hope it would be a different timeline, different characters with the Hiccup/Toothless story remained intact.

There you have it! The filmmaker feels solid about leaving the franchise be, but can imagine the world opening up if a different point in time and characters were explored and his trilogy was left alone. During my recent interview with Dean DeBlois at DreamWorks in Glendale, he talked about this along with discussing what he wanted to deliver from the ending. Check it out below:

We love a thoughtful ending and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World does just that! After selling out hundreds of early screenings, many fans were walking out the theaters in tears of bittersweet joy, thanks to the movie’s conclusion.

You’d think it’s not wise to touch a good ending, but then there’s the Toy Story franchise. After the touching conclusion to 2010’s Toy Story 3, audiences thought they were saying goodbye to Woody, Buzz and the gang. Then Toy Story 4 came along. Almost a decade after the conclusion, Pixar didn’t mind continuing the franchise anyway.

Messing with a good ending can be sacred, which is why Dean DeBlois’ idea to have the How To Train Your Dragon continue by exploring a completely different world is a clever approach. Star Wars and Star Trek have done that in a sense, and it has proven to be an intriguing way to explore the world created in more depth.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World follows Hiccup, Toothless and the Berkians as they try to escape a dragon hunter named Grimmel and Toothless becomes smitten with a Light Fury. The movie is expected to win the weekend when it comes to theaters tomorrow, February 22. Bring tissues, the last installment of the trilogy is a tearjerker… though it’s a satisfying tearjerker.