After a less-than-impressive opening weekend in the states, How to Train Your Dragon 2 expanded worldwide to become the most successful animated movie of the year, and one of the top grossing movies of 2014. Critically-acclaimed (by CraveOnline no less) and enchanting millions, it seemed like nothing could stand in this franchise’s way. Except for Pixar. They’re pretty darned scary.
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The conclusion of the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, aptly titled How to Train Your Dragon 3, was scheduled to come out on June 17, 2016. That’s the same date that Pixar plans to release their Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory. Presumably seeing the crowded box office as a “no-win” situation, and presumably see no better release date available that year, Dreamworks Animation has opted to push How to Train Your Dragon 3 back almost an entire year, to June 9, 2017 (via ComingSoon).
Of course, more time to complete a movie is often a blessing, even though the formal change in a release date could be disguising that well. CGI animated movies like How to Train Your Dragon 3 take a lot of time and effort to reach the standard of quality we have come to expect from this franchise, so if this is the amount of time they need to either get it right, or at least get it in front of an audience that won’t have their attentions divided by aquatic scavenger hunts, we say let ’em wait.
William Bibbiani is the editor of CraveOnline’s Film Channel and the host of The B-Movies Podcast and The Blue Movies Podcast. Follow him on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
