How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (also known as How to Train Your Dragon 3) is a 2019 American animated fantasy film loosely based on the book series by Cressida Cowell. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, it is the sequel to How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) and the third and final installment of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy.[4] Written and directed by Dean DeBlois and produced by Bonnie Arnold and Brad Lewis, the film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, and F. Murray Abraham, with Gerard Butler, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig, Justin Rupple (replacing T.J. Miller), and Kit Harington in supporting roles. The film follows 21-year old Hiccup seeking a dragon utopia known as the "Hidden World" while coming to terms with Toothless' new bond with a female Fury, as they deal with the threat of a ruthless dragon hunter named Grimmel the Grisly.
Discussions regarding a third How to Train Your Dragon film began in December 2010, with DeBlois later stating that the second film was being intentionally designed as the second act of the trilogy. The film underwent various changes in its release date due to distributor changes. The animation challenges of the production required DreamWorks Animation to update and invent new software to handle complex tasks, such as lighting the Light Fury dragon.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was released on January 3, 2019, in Australia, and on February 22 in the United States. Like its predecessors, it received acclaim from critics, who praised its animation, voice acting, musical score, and emotional weight.[5] The film grossed over $525 million worldwide, becoming the fifth highest-grossing animated film of 2019, as well as Universal's highest-grossing animated film not to be produced by Illumination. It received several accolades: five Annie Awards nominations, a Golden Globe nomination, and a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards. A live-action reboot of the franchise is scheduled to be released in June 2025.
Plot[edit]
A year after becoming chieftain,[a] Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, his Night Fury Toothless, and their fellow dragon-riders continue to rescue captured dragons to bring them to Berk; however, the island is becoming overpopulated with dragons. In response, Hiccup desires to find the "Hidden World", a safe haven for dragons once spoken of by his late father, Stoick. Meanwhile, a white female Light Fury, held captive by warlords, is given to an infamous dragon hunter Grimmel the Grisly as bait for him to capture Toothless for the warlords' use as an alpha.
Toothless discovers the Light Fury in the woods, and the two become enchanted with each other until the Light Fury, sensing Hiccup's and Astrid's nearby presence, flees. Hiccup and Tuffnut later discover Grimmel's dragon traps in the area. Grimmel visits Hiccup that night, demanding he hand over Toothless while revealing he single-handedly killed every Night Fury species to near extinction, but Hiccup has prepared an ambush for him. Grimmel escapes while his Deathgripper dragons burn down Hiccup's house and Berk. Hiccup then rallies the citizens and dragons to leave Berk on a quest to find the Hidden World and safety from dragon hunters.
Mid-journey, the Berkians discover an island on which they initially plan to rest, but soon begin to settle there, dubbing it "New Berk". Seeing Toothless' inability to fly solo hindering his growing relationship with the Light Fury, Hiccup rebuilds an automatic tailfin for him.[b] Upon receiving it, Toothless flies off, meeting up with the Light Fury and flying with her to an unknown land. On a scouting patrol, Valka notices Grimmel's approaching army and reports back to Hiccup. Hiccup and the dragon riders head to capture Grimmel but fall into his trap and barely escape. Ruffnut is captured, although she irritates Grimmel until he lets her go.
Hiccup, Astrid, and her dragon Stormfly search for Toothless. They find the Hidden World, and see Toothless and the Light Fury leading the dragons as a happily mated couple. When the two humans are soon discovered, the inhabitant dragons attack them, but Toothless rescues them and returns them to the Berkians, with Hiccup realizing that humans would be intruders and unsafe in the Hidden World. Ruffnut returns, but unbeknownst to her, Grimmel had secretly followed her to New Berk. Grimmel appears and captures Toothless and the Light Fury, who had followed them to New Berk. Toothless' alpha status allows Grimmel to capture the rest of Berk's dragons.
With Astrid's encouragement, Hiccup sets out with the dragon riders to stop Grimmel and his army. Gliding on wingsuits, they catch Grimmel's army off-guard, igniting a battle, and freeing the dragons while fending off Grimmel's men. With help from Stormfly, Hiccup frees Toothless while Grimmel drugs the Light Fury into obeying him. Hiccup and Toothless give chase and defeat Grimmel's Deathgrippers, but Grimmel tranquilizes Toothless midair, causing the dragon to fall. Hiccup, realizing he cannot rescue Toothless alone, frees the Light Fury and implores her to save Toothless, unfastening his prosthetic leg and causing both him and Grimmel to fall. Grimmel plummets into the ocean where he is killed on impact[c], while the Light Fury returns to save Hiccup.
Back on the island, Toothless and Hiccup realize that dragons will never be safe in the human world and humans will never be allowed in the Hidden World. Hiccup bids farewell to Toothless as the Berkians set their dragons free to live in the Hidden World, with the Light Fury leading the dragons away and Toothless following them. Three months later, Hiccup and Astrid marry and become the chieftains of New Berk.
Nine years later, Toothless and the Light Fury have mated and hatched three hybrid dragon fledglings, Night Lights. Hiccup, Astrid, and their two children[d] sail across the sea to visit them at the edge of the Hidden World. After introducing his son and daughter to his old friend, Hiccup and Astrid take their children flying on Toothless and Stormfly, accompanied by the Light Fury and their offspring. Hiccup vows that until humankind is ready to co-exist peacefully with one another, the dragons will stay hidden while the Berkians guard their secret.
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World grossed $160.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $361 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $521.8 million, against a production budget of $129 million.[3] Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $130 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it 12th on their list of 2019's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".[38]
In the United States and Canada, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World held early screenings at 1,000 theaters on February 2, 2019 and grossed $2.5 million, one of the highest advance showing totals ever.[39] It was released alongside the wide expansion of Fighting with My Family, and was initially projected to gross $40–45 million from 4,259 theaters in its opening weekend.[40] After making $17.5 million on its first day (including $3 million from Thursday night previews), weekend projections were increased to $60 million. It went
on to debut to $55 million finishing first at the box office.[3][41][42] The film made $30 million in its second weekend, retaining the top spot, before being dethroned by newcomer Captain Marvel in its third.[43][44]
The film grossed $1.5 million on its opening day in Australia, setting a record for a DreamWorks Animation film in that country (surpassing Shrek 2). In New Zealand, the film grossed $173,000 on its opening day, ranking as DreamWorks Animation's second biggest opening day in the country, behind Shrek 2.[45] By its third weekend of international release the film has grossed a total of $41 million.[46] As of March 24, 2019, the film's largest markets in other territories were China ($53.7 million), Russia ($26.8 million), France ($25.0 million), United Kingdom ($24.8 million) and Mexico ($21.0 million).[3]
Critical response[edit]
On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 90% based on 275 reviews, and an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The rare trilogy capper that really works, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World brings its saga to a visually dazzling and emotionally affecting conclusion."[47] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[48] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale (the same score earned by the first two films), while those at PostTrak gave it a 90% positive score and a 77% "definite recommend".[42]
Jennifer Bisset of CNET praised the voice performances of the main characters, while also citing the visuals and action sequences, and singled out the development of the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless, saying, "Continuing a series-long focus on family and love, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World narrows on what those values mean for Toothless. He experiences romance. He grows up. And with heavy, satisfied hearts, we let him, and Hiccup, go."[49]
Michael Nordine of IndieWire gave the film a B, saying, "Directed once again by Dean DeBlois, The Hidden World strikes a bittersweet chord in reminding its young audience that all good things — including the age of dragons — must come to an end." He later went on to applaud the CGI, lauding the "arresting visuals", and stating that "The animation itself is striking — an early sequence in which the sky is filled with dragons is an early sign of the visual treats to come — and ends up being the film's highlight."[50] Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times gave a positive review of the characters and emotional messages of the film, writing "More bittersweet and less triumphal than its predecessors, and directed by a returning Dean DeBlois, The Hidden World concerns the exigencies that Hiccup faces as a leader, both politically and personally. If you truly love that dragon you trained, its message says, let him go."[51]
Conversely, some critics felt the film had the presence of too many juggled sub-plots and an obligatory ending, with Movie Crypt concluding that "Fans will enjoy seeing their characters grown and progressing as story arcs are closed, but the final resolution rings hollow. Ultimately, none of it appeared necessary other than a need to say goodbye; the dragons and their champions certainly earned a better conclusion than that."[52] Kerry Lengel of The Arizona Republic says that "The plot is thin and holey and the characters are mostly just a single gag set on repeat" and calls it "a lazy effort".[53]
Future[edit]
A live-action film unrelated to the animated trilogy was announced to be in development. It will be produced by Marc Platt Productions and distributed by Universal Pictures, with DeBlois set to return to write and direct. It was originally scheduled for release on March 14, 2025, but was delayed to June 13 of that year due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[85][86][87]