How to Train Your Dragon Sequel

[TheCube]

Ugh, this is so frustrating.

So the Annecy Film Festival had a HTTYD 2 Work in Progress session where they showed off the stuff so far, but I haven't been able to find any articles regarding it... Yet.

There's one French article that basically summarized all of these kinds of sessions which happened the previous day (June 10). The downside being, it's written in French: www.premiere.fr/Cinema/News-Cinema/Annecy-2013-Tempete-de-boulettes-geantes-2-Pixar-et-un-cauchemar-hollandais-3771108 (Google translate is your bestestest friend!)

All the Cloudy w/ a Chance of Meatballs 2 stuff aside, the last paragraph is what is keeping me from sleeping, because it seems to say that tomorrow they'll be summarizing the stuff that happened today, which includes HTTYD 2. Will update (double-post, maybe?) when that article comes out.

[Hiccup's Apprentice]

Some new details about the sequel have been revealed at Annecy today. You can read about it here:
variety.com/2013/film/news/deblois-arnold-talk-up-dwas-how-to-train-your-dragon-2-1200495206/

I was going to post the article here, but it's rather long. And it could be considered spoiler-y, so read it at your own risk.

[TheCube]

Well that article came out, like, literally 30 minutes after I went to bed depressed at the lack of press coverage (in South Korea right now). *sadface*

Kind of a tangential topic, but a bit of Googling regarding what Ms. Cowell said led to her article about her childhood as an inspiration of the Isle of Berk, published only about four days ago. Very interesting stuff: www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/children_sbookreviews/10100992/Cressida-Cowell-my-real-life-dragon-island.html

[Hiccup's Apprentice]

Someone on Tumblr has a first-hand account of what was shown at the Annecy event, which includes more details about what was shown than the news article. You can read it here:
starbuckviper.tumblr.com/post/52797996234/i-managed-to-get-into-the-how-to-train-your-dragon

Heads-up: it does contain some spoiler-y info about a particular scene in the movie, so if you want to not read about those kinds of details then don't click the link.

She states that they were very strict about no video cameras in the room, so I don't expect any video of the event to surface on the internet.

[barracuda]

The trilogy will also explain, as Cressida Cowell’s kid-lit novel series that inspired the movies, why dragons no longer exist.

“There was a period of time, when all the cultures in the world believed in dragons, so what did happen to them?” asked Cowell, who attended Annecy’s Work in Progress.

That doesn't sound like a happy end for a trilogy to me. What was the explanation for that in the novel series?

[TheCube]

I think what Cowell meant by her words is that the book series and the film trilogy will share the same ending where dragons for one reason or another exit our world. Pretty sure they won't all die as that would be a very, very dark way to end a children's book series, but there's still two movies to go so we'll have to see.

Kinda nervous about Hiccup's new cheat sword. Are they gonna explain the tech behind this seemingly magical sword?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using proboards

[barracuda]

Jun 12, 2013 20:21:28 GMT -5 TheCube said:

I think what Cowell meant by her words is that the book series and the film trilogy will share the same ending where dragons for one reason or another exit our world. Pretty sure they won't all die as that would be a very, very dark way to end a children's book series, but there's still two movies to go so we'll have to see.

Exiting the world? Like traveling through a dimension gate?

I was indeed thinking of something darker, like any of all the generic reasons why many species don't exist today anymore... I'm always expecting the worst.

Jun 12, 2013 20:21:28 GMT -5 TheCube said:

Kinda nervous about Hiccup's new cheat sword. Are they gonna explain the tech behind this seemingly magical sword?

Yes, that thing confused me as well. I though they decided to stay away from "prophecy and magic" and then they introduce an insta-tame fire sword that make dragons look stupid?

[Hiccup's Apprentice]

Speculation: I'm hoping that this sword is something that all dragons innately know about somehow, and when Hiccup shows it to a wild dragon, the dragon will see the sword and understand that they can trust Hiccup. With an explanation like this, they won't have to resort to magic or divine intervention or anything of that sort.

I hope they don't go the 'magic' route, as this kind-of breaks with the first film in that their world felt realistic, and because it didn't contain any magic or divinity. Also, I hope that the sword does not make the dragons unconditionally obedient to Hiccup whenever he has it out; I think that the dragons should still be able to think for themselves for the most part.

Not to criticize or condemn the film, as we've been told very little about it so far and the film is still over a year away from release, it's just speculation on my part. I trust that they will do a good job on it, and we'll learn more about these things in time.

[TheCube]

Jun 12, 2013 23:35:35 GMT -5 barracuda said:

Exiting the world? Like traveling through a dimension gate?

I was indeed thinking of something darker, like any of all the generic reasons why many species don't exist today anymore... I'm always expecting the worst.

Well no, lol.

What i'm thinking of is that they could explain that dragons do exist but not in the open. They might be hibernating, or simply hiding, thanks to... uh, the "vigilante rider." That's all I'm gonna say. Disappear! *throws ninja smoke bomb, smoke clears but nothing's happened* Well that was five bucks wasted.

Anyway, returning to the sword, the Tumblr dude's description of it is quite intriguing. There's something like a canister attached to the sword and it seems to change the function of the flame mechanism of the sword. I think that takes a significant amount of magic undertone out of the sword.

The fact that Hiccup turns the flames on and waves it in a certain pattern before touching the dragon is also pretty cool, and I guess the flame is what really is doing the job. Dragons are fire-breathing badasses, after all, so communicating through what's essentially a beam of flame is an interesting concept. Though, why does Hiccup, the master dragon communicator, have it?

[barracuda]

Jun 13, 2013 3:13:19 GMT -5 TheCube said:

That's all I'm gonna say. Disappear! *throws ninja smoke bomb, smoke clears but nothing's happened* Well that was five bucks wasted.

You forgot the JIF


Well, if the sword is based on believable technology, like this sword from Fallout 3, for example, then I'm fine with it. But they're really driving the steampunk aspect of the series to the limit, aren't they?

[TheCube]

Well I was aiming for a more obscure reference, from this:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y11s8Ncg6pM#t=2m07s

But any stock "smoke out" fail will do XD (BTW, GIF creator went: "IT'S PRONOUNCED JIF DARNIT")

I agree that this is kind of pushing the envelope, but there is some method to the madness. Especially the green smoke becoming flames: it sounds like the green smoke of a Zippleback? Maybe Hiccup has learned to harness these draconic substances to use it to his advantage.

[Hiccup's Apprentice]

www.berksgrapevine.com/2013/06/first-official-dragons-2-images.html

Thoughts?

[barracuda]

"Global License - The source for licensing & retail intelligence"

Sounds like that kind of reading material you would expect to find in the marketing department of a merchandising company.

Great images, though! Better than some leaked blurry photos.

[TheCube]

For some reason the magazine reminds me of that scene from Airplane! where a nun's seen reading "Boys' Life" and then a boy's seen reading "Nuns' Life" XD

But back on topic, I'm so glad they gave out an image of Astrid. She looks so much better than she did in the first set of leaked images.

[barracuda]

I also noticed this image posted on the official Twitter channel:



Isn't he missing... something? I mean, more than usual. Is there a connection to the message that I don't understand or is that just a plain mistake?