How to Train Your Dragon 2 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids How to Train Your Dragon 2 |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Dean DeBlois |
| Produced by | Bonnie Arnold |
| Written by | Dean DeBlois |
| Starring | |
| Music by | John Powell |
| Editing by | John K. Carr |
| Studio | DreamWorks Animation |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | May 16, 2014 (Cannes) June 13, 2014 (United States) |
| Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $145 million |
| Money made | $621.5 million |
How to Train Your Dragon 2 is an animated fantasy film from 2014. It is based on the popular book series by Cressida Cowell. This movie is the second part of the How to Train Your Dragon film series. DreamWorks Animation made the film, and Dean DeBlois wrote and directed it.
Many actors from the first movie returned to voice their characters. These include Jay Baruchel as Hiccup and America Ferrera as Astrid. New voices joined the cast, like Cate Blanchett as Valka and Djimon Hounsou as Drago Bludvist. The story takes place five years after the first film. Hiccup, now 20, and his dragon Toothless explore new lands. They meet Hiccup's long-lost mother, Valka, and a dangerous man named Drago Bludvist. Drago wants to control all dragons and use them for his army.
The film was a big success, earning over $621 million worldwide. It was praised for its amazing animation, voice acting, and emotional story. It won a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and several Annie Awards. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The third movie in the series, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, came out in 2019. A live-action version of the first film is planned for 2025, and a live-action How to Train Your Dragon 2 is scheduled for 2027.
Contents
Story of the Film
Hiccup's New Challenges
Five years have passed since the Viking villagers of Berk and the dragons became friends. Hiccup and his best friend, Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, spend their days mapping new places. Hiccup's father, Stoick the Vast, wants Hiccup to become the new chief. But Hiccup is not sure if he is ready for such a big role.
Meeting New Characters
While exploring a burnt forest, Hiccup and his girlfriend Astrid meet dragon trappers. These trappers work for Drago Bludvist, a warlord who wants to control all dragons. Hiccup and Astrid escape and warn Stoick about Drago. Stoick explains that Drago is a dangerous man who once attacked his village.
Hiccup believes he can talk to Drago and change his mind. He flies off with Toothless to find him. Instead, they find a mysterious dragon rider. This rider turns out to be Valka, Hiccup's mother, who everyone thought was dead. Valka explains that she has been rescuing dragons from Drago. She takes them to a secret island nest. This nest is protected by a giant ice-breathing dragon called a Bewilderbeast. This alpha dragon can control other dragons with its sounds.
Family Reunion and Battle
Stoick and his friend Gobber find Hiccup at the dragon nest. Stoick is overjoyed to find his wife, Valka, alive. Meanwhile, Astrid and the other dragon riders make Eret, a trapper, lead them to Drago. Drago captures them and learns about Berk's dragons. He then plans to attack the dragon nest. Eret helps Astrid and the others escape.
A big battle begins at the dragon nest. Drago brings his own powerful Bewilderbeast. This dragon defeats the alpha Bewilderbeast, becoming the new alpha. It then controls all the dragons. Hiccup tries to stop Drago, but Drago refuses. He wants to conquer the world because dragons killed his family when he was young. Drago's Bewilderbeast hypnotizes Toothless. It forces Toothless to attack Hiccup. Stoick bravely jumps in front of Hiccup and is killed instead.
Hiccup Becomes a Leader
Heartbroken, Hiccup pushes Toothless away. Drago takes control of all the dragons and rides Toothless to attack Berk. After a sad Viking funeral for Stoick, Hiccup feels lost. Valka reminds him that his father believed in him. Inspired, Hiccup and his friends return to Berk on baby dragons. These young dragons are too small to be controlled by the Bewilderbeast.
Back in Berk, Drago has taken over the village. Hiccup frees Toothless from the Bewilderbeast's control. Toothless then challenges Drago's Bewilderbeast. Toothless becomes super-powered and immune to the Bewilderbeast's control. He breaks the Bewilderbeast's power over the other dragons. The freed dragons help Toothless defeat the Bewilderbeast. Drago and his dragon retreat into the sea.
The Vikings and dragons celebrate their victory. Hiccup is officially made the new chieftain of Berk. Valka decides to stay with her son. All the dragons accept Toothless as their new alpha. Berk begins to rebuild, and Hiccup feels confident about their future with the dragons.
Voice Actors
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- Jay Baruchel voices Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. He is the son of Stoick and Valka, and Astrid's fiancé.
- America Ferrera voices Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup's fiancée.
- Cate Blanchett voices Valka Haddock. She is Stoick's wife, Hiccup's long-lost mother, and a dragon rescuer.
- Mary Jane Wells sings for Valka in the song "For the Dancing and the Dreaming".
- Gerard Butler voices Stoick the Vast. He is the chief of Berk, Hiccup's father, and Valka's husband.
- Craig Ferguson voices Gobber the Belch. He is Stoick's close friend and a skilled warrior.
- Jonah Hill voices Snotlout Jorgenson.
- Christopher Mintz-Plasse voices Fishlegs Ingerman.
- Kristen Wiig and T.J. Miller voice Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, who are twins.
- Djimon Hounsou voices Drago Bludvist. He is a cruel warlord who hunts dragons.
- Kit Harington voices Eret, son of Eret. He is a dragon trapper who works for Drago.
- Randy Thom provides the vocal effects for Toothless.
Making the Film
How the Idea Started
After the first How to Train Your Dragon movie was very popular, a sequel was announced in 2010. Dean DeBlois, who helped direct the first film, started writing the story for the second movie. He agreed to direct the sequel only if he could make it part of a three-movie series.
DeBlois was inspired by movies like The Empire Strikes Back (1980). He wanted the new film to be bigger and more emotional, just like Empire expanded the Star Wars universe.
Voice Actors and Research
All the original voice actors returned for the sequel. In 2012, Kit Harington joined the cast. Later, Cate Blanchett and Djimon Hounsou were announced as new voices. They played Valka and Drago Bludvist.
To make the film's world feel real, the creative team visited Norway. They explored cities like Oslo and Bergen, and saw the beautiful fjords. DeBlois also traveled to Svalbard to see polar bears in their natural home. These trips helped them create the stunning settings in the movie.
Animation Technology
Over five years, DreamWorks Animation greatly improved how they made movies. How to Train Your Dragon 2 was the first film to use new technology called "scalable multicore processing." This allowed artists to see their complex animation changes right away. It saved a lot of time. The studio also used new animation and lighting software. These tools helped make the characters' faces more detailed and realistic.
More than 500 people worked on the film. They worked at DreamWorks Animation offices in Glendale, Redwood City, and Bangalore, India.
Release and Home Video
Movie Release
How to Train Your Dragon 2 was shown at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2014. It was released in the United States on June 13, 2014. The film was also shown in IMAX 3D in theaters around the world.
Watching at Home
The movie became available digitally on October 21, 2014. It was then released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 11. The Blu-ray and digital versions included a new animated short film. This short film was called Dawn of the Dragon Racers (2014). In it, Hiccup and his friends compete to become the first Dragon Racing Champion of Berk.
In January 2019, a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray version of the film was released. This made it one of the first DreamWorks Animation films available in this high-quality format.
Music of the Film
John Powell composed the music for How to Train Your Dragon 2. He also scored the first movie and was nominated for an Academy Award. Powell wanted the music to grow with the characters. He recorded the score in London with a large orchestra and choir. They used many unique instruments, including Celtic harp and uilleann bagpipes.
Jónsi, the lead singer of Sigur Rós, wrote and performed two new songs for the movie with Powell. These songs were "For the Dancing and the Dreaming" and "Where No One Goes." The soundtrack album was released on June 13, 2014.
Future of the Series
The Third Film
The third movie in the series is How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. It was released on February 22, 2019. Dean DeBlois, Bonnie Arnold, John Powell, and most of the main voice cast returned for this final film. F. Murray Abraham joined the cast as a new character named Grimmel.
Live-Action Remakes
Universal Pictures announced a live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon 2 on April 2, 2025. This movie is being developed after the live-action remake of the first How to Train Your Dragon film. The live-action sequel is planned to be released on June 11, 2027.
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