First things first: The third installment of DreamWorks’ much-loved How To Train Your Dragon franchise officially has a title! The conclusion to the movie trilogy will be called How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. The film is still slated for a 2019 release and will include returning voice cast Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, Cate Blanchett as Valka, Gerald Butler as Stoick, and Craig Ferguson as Gobber.
The DreamWorks offerings at Annecy Animation Film Festival will include a presentation on the making of its animated films and the work of How To Train Your Dragon director Dean DeBlois. Most excitingly, the festival will also preview footage from the final How To Train your Dragon film.
DreamWorks will open and close the festival with two new short films produced via its new shorts program, launched last year to develop up and coming talent and explore new storytelling opportunities for potential features. The two shorts screened at Annecy will be Bird Karma, which premiered at the 2018 New York International Children’s Film Festival, and Bilby, making its world debut.
In honor of the 20th anniversary of The Prince of Egypt, Annecy will debut a fully remastered version of the critically acclaimed 1998 film. This retelling of the Moses story was DreamWorks’ first traditionally animated film, and its gross $218 million worldwide earnings made it the most financially successful non-Disney animated film at the time.
DreamWorks Television will be showing new content at Annecy as well, with a presentation from Trollhunters executive producer and Emmy-winning director Rodrigo Blaas. Blaas will provide a sneak peek at 3 Below, the upcoming Netflix follow-up to Guillermo del Toro’s Trollhunters series and the next chapter in his Tales of Arcadia trilogy.
“Annecy has established itself as the premiere animation festival of the world, and we are extremely honored to be included in its line-up with our first two short films and work-in-progress footage from How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World this year,” said Chris deFaria, president of DreamWorks Animation Film Group. “It’s always a thrill for our filmmakers and artists to show their work to Annecy’s knowledgeable and appreciative audience” (Variety).
The Annecy Animation Film Festival was established in 1960 and is currently held every year in June to showcase new animation in feature film, short film, television and advertising, and student work. It is held in Annecy, France and is one of the world’s leading film festivals for animation.
For a full list of the films that will be screening at this year’s Annecy from June 11-16, visit http://www.annecy.org and navigate to ‘Official Selection.’
Via Variety.
