Will ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Have A Fourth Film? The Director Lets Us Know His Plans

Upon its initial release, How To Train Your Dragon 2 came across as mild hum at the box office. Despite having more than stellar reviews (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), the film only garnered a $49 million opening weekend, falling short of the estimated $65 million. As the Inquisitr noted back in June, this didn’t make the film a flop, but it was definitely a bit disappointing for all involved.

Even though the movie fell short of the first film’s performance domestically (nearly $40 million short), it did admirably overseas, bringing the worldwide total to more than $600 million to date, which more than covers the film’s $145 million budget–plus whatever money was spent on advertising. To top it all off, How To Train Your Dragon 2 has the honor of being the highest grossing animated movie of the year thus far. Not too shabby for the initially disappointing flick.

Despite the fact How To Train Your Dragon 2 didn’t quite set the world on fire, a sequel for the film was pretty much always guaranteed. But are there plans to expand the series into more than just a trilogy? In an interview with Collider, director Dean Deblois elaborated on that very thought.

“I think I’ve talked [Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of Dreamworks Animation,] down from that (laughs). There may be spinoffs to come, but my involvement and my dedication to completing a story that has a reason for being and a strong sense of integrity and three chapters I think is in place and intact. Everybody seems to be in agreement that we’re moving in the right direction.”

So those who had hoped for the continued adventures of Hiccup and Toothless in How To Train Your Dragon 4 are out of luck as of this point–though do not cry just yet, for there is still the possibility of spinoffs. And let’s not forget, we still have How To Train Your Dragon 3 to experience, which will delve much deeper into the dragon lore, Delois says.

I’m also playing with the idea of what happened to the dragons and why they are no more, as suggested by Cressida Cowell’s books. So the whole mystery of where did they go? Did they come back? What transpired? I think it’s all compelling stuff and it’s definitely a story that’s gonna have a lot more Toothless emphasis in it. We continue to get more insight into the dragon world and shed light on their intelligence and all the aspects that we’ve been slowly cooking over the last two films.

It all sounds promising, and if the second film was any indication, How To Train Your Dragon 3 should be a real treat.