Meet The Characters of How to Train Your Dragon

dragon_header

With the revelation of a tie-in book for Dreamworks’ next CG toon How to Train Your Dragon comes our first real sniff at the film’s human characters. Get a good look at them all after the break, just to reconfirm your Pixar bias. Also note that the book promises “Cool 3D images” and a “3D movie viewer”, which sound intriguing. What on earth will this “movie viewer” be? I’ll be blowed if I know but I really do want to find out.

So, here’s the book cover in all its glory.

how_to_train_your_dragon

Are those twins fighting on the right of the image? I think we can quite clearly see who the hero, slightly feisty love interest, fat friend and snarling antagonist are. Doesn’t look too promising does it? Somewhat tired, to say the least.

If the source stories are anything to go by, the hero is called Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.

Perhaps more surprising than the human designs are the dragon faces. Not really what I was expecting at all - they’re looking rather short and humanoid, when the obvious route would have been longer and more lizardy. Is that the ‘bad’ dragon on the top left? Why’s that one getting the prime spot, with the other dragon off in the background? All the same, if you’re up for the book, its available for pre-order on Amazon now.

You can - just about - get a better look at the dragons from another book cover. This one too is up for pre-order. That promise of “Over 200″ combonations is a rather amusing way of saying “12 pages” because that’s what we have here - a 12 page book.

dragon_mix_and_match

At least that first one has 24 pages, right?

If you look to the Simon and Schuster site you’ll see that the first book is part of a series they’re calling “Dreamworks 3D”, which suggests that this 3D viewer, whatever it is, will be employed in several tie-in books from here on out.

  • Lance_HBomb
    lolwut?
  • Rudin
    Great to see that they have all the cliches covered early. D:
  • charlesab
    It really sucks. Looks like an independant film made for $5 million ...
  • shadow
    Looks like complete and utter garbage, the female Dragon from Shrek looks more visually interesting.

    I mean really, it's a movie about dragons, artists should go all out on this stuff. But nooooo we get some of the worst dragon designs in the history of cinema.
  • simmy25
    Those are porbably the ugliest dragons ever put on screen. How can they make even the dragons ugly?! I mean, c'mon! Just search "dragon" on deviantart and about 80% of the results will be better than these
  • kekel
    What are you talking about?? From what i hear this film is going to be awesome and the character design is really cool. Are you one of these people that only like movies done by Pixar?? Come on, look at these characters again. They look cool!
  • simmy25
    actually, I'm one of those people that like good movies
  • Ashitaka
    Still reminds me of masturbation. Anyone?
  • Tristan
    It's Chris Sanders, so I know he'll be rockin' it.
  • simmy25
    it's not like he designed the characters though
  • lordsketch
    Actually, my main worry is hoe not-Chris Sanders this looks... and he moved to Dreamworks long after this started production... which probably means he just got there at the last minute to pick up the pieces of a disaster.
    I'll still give it a chance, cause I really love Sanders' work.
  • simmy25
    I agree
    But I don't think Dreamworks would/will ever put a whole movie in the hands of a single artist and give him (almost) total freedom like Disney did with Sanders in Lilo and Stitch.
    Just imagine the diversity and originality of animations that would come out every year if all studios did this. Trying hard not to look like a fanboy, but it would be something like Pixar
  • lordsketch
    I agree in part, simmy, but let's not forget it was Disney under John Lassetter
    who took Sanders off his own developed "American Dog" and turned it into the bland mess that was "Bolt" - and drove him to Dreamworks.
    Plus, of all I gather about him, he's not one to take shit lying down.
    That said, Dreamworks are not really makers of wonderfull original work, and the common wisdom on Lilo and Stitch is that it sort of fell through the cracks at a weird time at Disney and the big-wigs didn't really notice, which isn't the case probably in other studios right now.
    Hollywood big-wigs seem to never get it - Visionary Director-led projects always make for better films then Too Many Chefs on the committee... I guess by we know what to expect...
  • simmy25
    I completely agree with what you're saying
    I wasn't praising Disney; just praising Lilo and Stitch and how it was handled.
    In the last decade or so, Disney has been more in the veins of Dreamworks than of Pixar in the way they make movies. I just hope things move to a diferent direction from now on.
  • jasonb26
    actually you couldn't be more wrong. both chris and dean started in animation, and have a heavy hand in all of the animation in their films. of course they don't do it by themselves, but when you say "...not like he designed it...", there isn't really a 'he', anymore - which we both agree on.
  • simmy25
    I see what you're saying, but what I meant was that they weren't using Sanders' style in the characters design, even if he didn't design them himself
  • jasonb26
    the guys who did this - Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders - also did lilo & stitch, and are pretty damn talented. I think i remember reading that they'd really like to be able to do a more adult themed film soon, hopefully they get the chance. i'd be curious to see what they came up with.
  • The guy on the left looks like Kevin Durand; the girl, Evan Rachel Wood, and then you've got Jack Black third from the right.
  • BrendonConnelly
    And Lady Gaga as the twins?
  • D
    Isn't most people said the same thing about Kung Fu Panda? That the movie looks cliche and like utter garbage? But it had a talented director and it turn out to be great. And the director of this film is also pretty talented, so, you can never know..
  • musicsoup
    Don't fall into Brendan's trap, people. He's already got you guys ripping into this movie based on a few stills from the cover of these books. Everything he thinks he knows about the movie, the story, and the characters is wrong. We'll just leave it at that. At least reserve judgement until you see the trailer.
  • BrendonConnelly
    Trap? Trap?

    We've all seen one teaser, and that was hardly mind blowing. I'm a Chris Sanders supporter as much as anybody, but... I want to see something to give me more confidence.
  • dreamworker
    Never underestimate how bad Dreamworks' marketing can make a movie look!

    This book is embarrassing. With this (and that godawful teaser) being your only glimpse into this world, you are totally right to be pessimistic. I don't know who posed the characters, but it looks like they went out of their way to make them look terrible, especially the dragons.

    They certainly don't look like that when posed by animators and lit by lighters.

    How to Train your Dragon is actually FANTASTIC. Better than Panda. I think everyone will be blown away. Chris & Dean have done an incredible job.

    DW needs new marketing in a bad way.
  • BrendonConnelly
    This is all very encouraging. Can you point us at something we can all see to raise our spirits? Or maybe sneak me something via e-mail...?

    brendonconnelly at yahoo dot co dot uk
  • dreamworker
    The only thing that will raise your spirits is seeing the actual film in March.
    I don't expect that even the trailers will do it justice.

    And... email protected property? NOT A CHANCE :)
  • BrendonConnelly
    It happens all the time. It's not impossible one of your colleagues will see this and respond themselves.
  • bluesquint
    Hi all,

    I work for a supplier and have been working on some initial product for next year for HTTYD. A couple of weeks ago i saw some footage across the whole of the movie. It honestly looks very good.

    i agree with all the 'marketing' comments posted, as these teasers really don't do what i saw justice. Hopefully there'll be some footage released soon...? Dreamworker - any ideas?
  • paige
    okay okay.. have you even read the book, the way it make it sound even shows that the dragon are going to be ugly so i do not know what you are talking about stop being a baby it going to be a very good movie anyways so shut up.
  • paige camp
    there not sapose to be cute so shut up the dragons god damn it, get over it
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