Today Cartoon Network and Dreamworks Animation announced that the hit animated film How To Train Your Dragon is being developed into a weekly animated series that continues the adventures of Hiccup and Toothless. Based on the book by Cressida Cowell, the film rolls fire-breathing action, epic adventure and laughs into a captivating and original story. Hiccup is a young Viking who defies tradition when he befriends one of his deadliest foes-a ferocious dragon he calls Toothless. Together, the unlikely heroes must fight against all odds to save both of their worlds.
In the How To Train Your Dragon television series on Cartoon Network, the characters and worlds originally created for the big screen will be explored and further developed in a number of exciting ways that will be revealed over time. TV audiences will be taken on original, new adventures with Hiccup and Toothless every week.
“Great characters and captivating story telling along with state of the art animation is what we love giving our audience,” said Stuart Snyder, President/COO of Turner’s Animation, Young Adults & Kids Business. “The How To Train Your Dragon weekly series definitely falls into that category of giving our viewers around the globe something they can’t find anywhere else on television and DreamWorks Animation is a proven leader in taking this art form to the next level. We are ecstatic to be bringing this project to our network and working with everyone at DreamWorks Animation.”
“How To Train Your Dragon has already captured the hearts and minds of audiences around the world and we are thrilled to join together with Cartoon Network to expand on this amazing movie in a television series of its own,” commented Ann Daly, COO of DreamWorks Animation. “It is incredibly exciting to be able to bring viewers deeper into the world of dragons and tell new stories each week inspired by our characters from the film.”
No word yet on who will be providing the voices for the animated series, though it is unlikely anyone from the film will reprise their roles. Their are currently eight books and one short story in Cowell’s Dragon series with a ninth book due next year, so there would seem to be plenty of source material to draw from. The film is out on DVD and combo Blu-ray on October 15th and look for the weekly series starting in 2012.
