WATCH: The First 5 Minutes Of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Here's the next iteration of the planned trilogy of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON tales - and we get to watch a full 5 minutes from it. Lots of action by way of a dragon race the vikings like to engage in, so some mild visual spoilers in this, but nothing really concerning the overall story I would say.

The imagery looks better and better everytime I see a Dreamworks Animation project! The score is well done again too and with hearing Jay Baruchel's voice again, it was a welcome memory from the first.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
The thrilling second chapter of the epic HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy brings us back to the fantastical world of Hiccup and Toothless five years after the two have successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snoutlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island’s new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 flies into theaters June 13.

20th Century Fox Previews a Massive Summer 3D Blockbuster Line-Up at CinemaCon

Tim here, and I just finished the 20^th Century Fox CinemaCon presentation! They decided to show more than to tell during the presentation, and as a result we got to see a lot of footage from their upcoming movies, both 2D and 3D releases. For the 3D releases everything we got to see was in 2D because they are all still in post-production, so the 3D isn't ready yet. However, we saw the opening of X-Men: Days of Future Past, the beginning of How to Train Your Dragon 2, and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

The footage from each of these projects looked spectacular, and it's likely the effects are incomplete. X-Men: Days of Future Past in particular looked great, and of course the beginning was an on the edge of your seat action pumped beginning to the picture. I won't go into any spoilerish details, however it is sure to set in motion the events of the movie with panache. The film was shot with 3ality Technica Rigs and the ARRI ALEXA. 

How to Train Your Dragon 2 is set 5-years after the events of the previous film and it looks like the Vikings have adopted Dragon racing into their new pastime activities. However, where's Hiccup? He's experimenting still with his dragon buddy Toothless. I got to see some of that sequence in 3D from the previous trailer and it looks great in the format. We can be sure that this will be great in the format like the last one. It also looks like a fun second installment. 

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is definitely my most anticipated movie of the summer, and the footage shown justified those expectations. This was shot with 3ality Technica Rigs and the ARRI ALEXA also and the footage looks amazing. It's awe inspiring how gorgeous the picture looks and how seamless the VFX are when added to the real world environments. The CGI is so lifelike, and yet I'm sure it will be even better by the time the movie is released. Heck, in stereoscopic 3D this will hands down look breathtaking.

Fox also teased us with a few images from Ridley Scott's Exodus, which just finished shooting in native stereoscopic 3D with the 3ality Technica Rigs and the RED Epic Dragon camera. No footage sadly, but considering how well Scott used 3D on Prometheus it's easy to believe this will look just as sensational.

The big three summer blockbusters from 20^th Century Fox are all released this year on these dates: X-Men: Days of Future Past - 23 May 2014; How to Train Your Dragon 2 - 13 June 2014; Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - 11 July 2014. And finally Ridley Scott's Exodus hits 12 December 2014 in 3D.

Dreamworks Animation's Production Slate AND Photos Of KUNG FU PANDA 2's New Characters!

I have said it before and I will say it again: Dreamworks Animation is amping up their game to the point where I was guessing that they might actually take home the Oscar this year, rather than Pixar (But really, TOY STORY 3 was just about perfect). Any other year and I think DWA had it. They are that good. And getting better.

And speaking of better - KUNG FU PANDA was amazing! We all knew we would get a chance to revisit the Jack Black led gang after the worldwide acclaim the original has received. I have some shots of the new characters that will be in KFP2 and I have placed the pics throughout the post. Here are their descriptions:

- The Wolf Boss and his pack were once guards in Gongmen City’s royal palace. Now he is Lord Shen’s most loyal servant, military strategist and trusted right paw.
- The Gorillas are the muscle in Lord Shen’s army. If his evil schemes require any heavy lifting, they’ll be the ones doing it. Shen’s personal guard is made up entirely of these powerful (and powerfully large) brutes, who are honor bound to their master.
- The aged Soothsayer has been advisor to the Peacocks, rulers of Gongmen City, her entire life. She is wise and gifted with knowledge of the future.
- Lord Shen is hyper intelligent, supremely lethal, and burns with ambition. It’s a combustible combination. He’s intent on wiping out kung fu and taking over China. That puts him on a collision course with Po and The Five.

So, what about Dreamworks Animation's other plans? How about their production slate up to summer 2014? Here it is!

- KUNG FU PANDA 2, May 26, 2011
- PUSS IN BOOTS, November 4, 2011
- MADAGASCAR 3, June 8, 2012
- RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, November 21, 2012
- THE CROODS, March 1, 2013
- TURBO, June 7, 2013
- ME AND MY SHADOW, November 8, 2013
- MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN, March 21, 2014
- HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, June 20, 2014

"At DreamWorks Animation, our creative ambition has never been greater and the release schedule we’re unveiling today is designed to give our movies the time and resources they need to realize their full potential so each one can become a true event for our audiences," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation.

Here are more details about each individual movie:

KUNG FU PANDA 2 will be released on May 26, 2011. It is being directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda), produced by Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda) and written by Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger (Kung Fu Panda). It stars Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Gary Oldman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong and Michelle Yeoh. In the sequel, Po is living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five. But Po’s life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu. Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins… only then will he be able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed.

PUSS IN BOOTS will be released on November 4, 2011. It is directed by Chris Miller (Shrek the Third) and produced by Joe Aguilar (Merry Madagascar) and Latifa Ouaou (Monsters vs. Aliens). It is being written by Tom Wheeler (The Cape). Andrew Adamson (Shrek, The Chronicles of Narnia) and Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob Thornton and Amy Sedaris. Way before he ever met Shrek, the legendary Puss In Boots goes on a heroic journey, teaming up with mastermind Humpty Dumpty and the street-savvy Kitty Softpaws to steal the famed Goose that lays the Golden Eggs. It’s the adventure of nine lifetimes!

MADAGASCAR 3 will be released on June 8, 2012. It is directed by Eric Darnell (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and produced by Mireille Soria (Madagascar, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa) and Mark Swift (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa). It is being written by Noah Baumbach (Fantastic Mr. Fox) and once again stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer and Andy Richter. Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.

RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, will be released on November 21, 2012. It is directed by Peter Ramsey (Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space) and co-directed by Joyce. The film is being produced by Christina Steinberg (Bee Movie, National Treasure) and Nancy Bernstein, long-time head of Production at DreamWorks Animation. Rise of the Guardians is being written by Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and Michael Siegel. It stars Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law. More than a collection of the well-known childhood legends, Rise of the Guardians is an epic adventure that tells the story of a group of heroes – each with extraordinary abilities. When an evil spirit known as Pitch lays down the gauntlet to take over the world, the immortal Guardians must join forces for the first time to protect the hopes, beliefs and imagination of children all over the world.

THE CROODS will be released on March 1, 2013. It is being written and directed by two-time Academy Award® nominee Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon, Lilo & Stitch) and Kirk DeMicco (Space Chimps) and produced by Kristine Belson (How to Train Your Dragon) and Jane Hartwell (Shrek). It stars Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke and Cloris Leachman. The Croods is a comedy adventure that takes us back to a previously undiscovered era in the history of our planet known as the Croodaceous, when nature was still a work-in-progress… full of never-before- seen creatures and landscapes. Audiences will relate to the hilarious family antics as an imaginative and resourceful newcomer helps the Croods navigate their way through the fantastic world beyond their cave.

TURBO will be released on June 7, 2013. It is being directed by David Soren (Merry Madagascar), who first brought the project to the studio, and produced by Lisa Stewart (Monsters vs. Aliens). It is being written by Darren Lemke (Shrek Forever After) together with Soren. Turbo tells the story of an ordinary garden snail with an impossible dream: to become the fastest snail in the world. When a freak accident gives him extraordinary speed, Turbo sets out to try to make this dream come true.

In ME AND MY SHADOW, which will be released on November 8, 2013, the studio will pioneer a groundbreaking combination of both CG and traditional animation techniques seamlessly together throughout the film. The film is directed by Mark Dindal (Chicken Little, The Emperor’s New Groove) and produced by Melissa Cobb (Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2) and Teresa Cheng (Shrek Forever After, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron). It is being written by Tom Astle and Matt Ember (Get Smart). Me and My Shadow tells the story of Shadow Stan, an extremely frustrated shadow who yearns for a dynamic life but happens to be stuck with Stanley Grubb, the world’s most boring human. Finally pushed to the brink, Shadow Stan breaks the singular rule of the Shadow World – “They lead, we follow” – and takes control of Stanley!

MR. PEABODY & SHERMAN will be released on March 21, 2014. It is directed by Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, The Lion King) and produced by Jason Clark (Monster House, Stuart Little) and Denise Nolan Cascino (Megamind). It is being written by Craig Wright (United States of Tara, Six Feet Under). Robert Downey Jr., Susan Downey, Bullwinkle Studio’s Tiffany Ward and Classic Media’s Eric Ellenbogen are serving as executive producers on the film, which stars two-time Academy Award® nominee Robert Downey Jr. Based on Jay Ward’s classic cartoon, Mr. Peabody is the world’s smartest person who happens to be a dog. He and his “pet” boy Sherman discover that someone has stolen their time traveling WABAC machine and is changing moments in history to disastrous and comical results. It’s up to this most unexpected of father-son teams to somehow put a stop to this villain before his actions destroy the space-time continuum in Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, the sequel to the Academy Award®-nominated original film from 2010, will be released on June 20, 2014. It is being directed and written by Dean DeBlois (How to Train Your Dragon) and produced by Bonnie Arnold (How to Train Your Dragon). Also based on the book series by Cressida Cowell, the sequel is being executive produced by Chris Sanders (How to Train Your Dragon) together with DeBlois. How to Train Your Dragon 2 again stars Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, TJ Miller and Kristen Wiig.

All in all an impressive lineup and a challenge for DWA to keep dishing out the good stuff. In glorious stereoscopic 3D of course! I will have more info on these tentpoles as they become available.

Source: The Film Stage