# How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is a 2019 American animated fantasy film loosely based on the book series by Cressida Cowell. Produced by DreamWorks Animation, it is the sequel to How to Train Your Dragon 2 and the final film in the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy. Written and directed by Dean DeBlois, the film stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, F. Murray Abraham, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig, and Kit Harington. The film follows 21-year old Hiccup seeking a dragon utopia known as the "Hidden World" while coming to terms with Toothless's new bond with a female Fury, as they deal with the threat of Grimmel the Grisly, a ruthless dragon hunter.
Discussions regarding a third How to Train Your Dragon film began in December 2010, with DeBlois later stating that the second film was being intentionally designed as the second act of a trilogy. The animation challenges of the production required DreamWorks Animation to update and invent new software to handle complex tasks, such as lighting the Light Fury dragon.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World was released on January 3, 2019, in Australia, and on February 22 in the United States. Like its predecessors, it received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its animation, voice acting, musical score, and emotional weight. The film grossed over $525 million worldwide. It received several accolades: five Annie Awards nominations, a Golden Globe nomination, and a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards.

## Plot

A year after becoming chieftain, Hiccup, his Night Fury Toothless, and their fellow dragon-riders continue to rescue captured dragons to bring them to Berk; however, the island is becoming overpopulated with dragons. In response, Hiccup desires to find the "Hidden World", a safe haven for dragons once spoken of by his late father, Stoick. Meanwhile, a white female Light Fury, held captive by warlords, is given to an infamous dragon hunter Grimmel the Grisly as bait for him to capture Toothless for the warlords' use as an alpha.
Toothless finds the Light Fury in the woods, and they become enchanted until she flees, sensing Hiccup and Astrid nearby. Later, Hiccup and Tuffnut discover Grimmel's dragon traps. That night, Grimmel visits Hiccup, demanding Toothless while boasting of killing nearly every Night Fury to extinction. Hiccup, having prepared an ambush, faces Grimmel, who escapes as his Deathgripper dragons destroy Hiccup's house and Berk. Hiccup then leads the citizens and dragons to seek the Hidden World for safety from hunters.
Mid-journey, the Berkians discover an island on which they initially plan to rest, but soon begin to settle there, dubbing it "New Berk". Seeing Toothless' inability to fly solo hindering his growing relationship with the Light Fury, Hiccup rebuilds an automatic tailfin for him. Upon receiving it, Toothless flies off, meeting up with the Light Fury and flying with her to an unknown land. On a scouting patrol, Valka notices Grimmel's approaching army and reports back to Hiccup. Hiccup and the dragon riders head to capture Grimmel, but fall into his trap and barely escape, except Ruffnut, who irritates Grimmel until he lets her go.
Hiccup, Astrid, and Stormfly search for Toothless and find the Hidden World, where Toothless and the Light Fury lead the dragons. When the resident dragons spot Hiccup and Astrid, they attack, but Toothless saves them and returns to New Berk. Hiccup realizes humans would be intruders and unsafe in the Hidden World. Ruffnut returns but unwittingly brings Grimmel, who captures Toothless and the Light Fury. Grimmel uses Toothless's alpha status to capture Berk's dragons by holding the Light Fury hostage.
With Astrid's support, Hiccup joins the dragon riders to thwart Grimmel and his army. They surprise Grimmel's forces while gliding on wingsuits, sparking a battle to rescue the dragons. Hiccup, aided by Stormfly, frees Toothless as Grimmel drugs the Light Fury. Hiccup and Toothless chase Grimmel, defeating his Deathgrippers with lightning, but Grimmel tranquilizes Toothless midair, making him fall. Realizing he needs help, Hiccup frees the Light Fury and urges her to save Toothless before falling with Grimmel into the ocean. Hiccup removes his prosthetic leg, causing Grimmel's demise, while the Light Fury returns to rescue him.
On the island, Toothless and Hiccup acknowledge that dragons will never be safe in the human world and that humans are forbidden in the Hidden World. Hiccup says goodbye to Toothless as the Berkians release their dragons to the Hidden World. Three months later, Hiccup and Astrid marry and become New Berk's chieftains.
Nine years later, Toothless and the Light Fury have mated and hatched three hybrid dragon fledglings called Night Lights. Hiccup, Astrid, and their two children sail across the sea to visit them at the edge of the Hidden World. After introducing his son and daughter to his old friend, Hiccup and Astrid take their children flying on Toothless and Stormfly, accompanied by the Light Fury and their offspring. Hiccup vows that, until humans and dragons are ready to co-exist peacefully, the dragons will stay hidden while the Berkians guard their secret.

## Voice cast

* Jay Baruchel – Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the son of Stoick the Vast and Valka, the newly crowned Viking chief of Berk, the one who initially trained the dragons, and Astrid's husband
** A.J. Kane – younger Hiccup
* America Ferrera – Astrid Hofferson, an excellent fighter and Hiccup's wife
* F. Murray Abraham – Grimmel the Grisly, an infamous dragon hunter who is responsible for the near-extinction of the Night Furies
* Cate Blanchett – Valka Haddock, a dragon rescuer and Hiccup's mother, now living on Berk after twenty years of isolation
* Gerard Butler – Stoick the Vast, the late father of Hiccup and Berk's previous chieftain, as seen in flashbacks
* Craig Ferguson – Gobber the Belch, a seasoned warrior, blacksmith, and dragon dentist
* Jonah Hill – Snotlout Jorgenson, a brash, overconfident, and fairly unintelligent but reliable friend of Hiccup
* Christopher Mintz-Plasse – Fishlegs Ingerman, an enthusiastic friend of Hiccup knowledgeable in dragon lore, which he often relates in a role-playing game style
* Kristen Wiig – Ruffnut Thorston, Tuffnut's fraternal twin who is friends with Hiccup
* Justin Rupple – Tuffnut Thorston, Ruffnut's fraternal twin who is friends with Hiccup. He was originally voiced by T.J. Miller in the first two films and the TV series.
* Kit Harington – Eret, a former dragon hunter who used to work for Drago Bludvist, who has joined the dragon riders after the events of the second film
* Julia Emelin – Griselda the Grievous, an aggressive warlord who works with Grimmel
* Ólafur Darri Ólafsson – Ragnar the Rock, an incompetent warlord who works with Grimmel
* James Sie – Chaghatai Khan, a less aggressive and stubborn warlord who works with Grimmel
* David Tennant – Ivar the Witless, a dragon trapper who works for the Warlords
** Tennant also voices Spitelout Jorgenson, the father of Snotlout
* Robin Atkin Downes – Ack, a blond-bearded Viking
* Kieron Elliot – Hoark, a Viking with a knotted beard
* Ashley Jensen – Phlegma the Fierce, a female Viking who works as a botanist at the School of Dragons
* Gideon Emery – a trapper
* Randy Thom – vocal effects for Toothless and the Light Fury

## Production

In December 2010, DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg announced that there would also be a third film in the series: "How To Train Your Dragon is at least three: maybe more, but we know there are at least three chapters to that story." Dean DeBlois, the writer and director of the second and the third film, stated that How to Train Your Dragon 2 was being intentionally designed as the second act of the trilogy: "There are certain characters and situations that come into play in the second film that will become much more crucial to the story by the third." DeBlois said in an interview that the third part would be released in 2016. Although the series has taken a different path of telling a story of Hiccup and Vikings, author Cressida Cowell revealed that the trilogy and the book series will have similar endings (with "an explanation as to why dragons are no more").
The film was produced by Bonnie Arnold and Brad Lewis. DeBlois and Chris Sanders were the executive producers; Sanders was an executive producer of the second film and co-director of the first. Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Kristen Wiig returned in the third film, with Justin Rupple replacing T.J. Miller as Tuffnut. DeBlois revealed that Miller did originally return to voice Tuffnut, but DreamWorks recast him after the actor's sexual assault allegations and arrest for calling in a fake bomb threat. Cate Blanchett also reprised her role as Valka from the second film. On November 14, 2017, it was announced that Kit Harington would reprise his role as Eret and F. Murray Abraham had joined the cast. During the earlier stages of production, DeBlois stated that Djimon Hounsou would also return as Drago Bludvist. It was even planned to have Drago redeemed by the film's end, but halfway through development, DreamWorks co-founder Steven Spielberg convinced DeBlois that the story of Drago's redemption required more screen time that they could not provide, causing his inclusion to be scrapped. On April 17, 2018, DreamWorks Animation announced that the sequel's title would be How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. The animation challenges of the production required DreamWorks Animation to update and invent new software to handle complex tasks, such as lighting the Light Fury dragon.

### Music

John Powell, who composed the previous two films, returned to compose the film's score. In addition, Powell's collaborators Batu Sener, Anthony Willis, and Paul Mounsey are credited as additional composers. Also returning from the previous films, Jónsi wrote a new song for the film, titled "Together from Afar", which was released as a single on January 31, 2019. Jónsi also provided vocals for a track titled "The Hidden World".

## Release

In September 2012, 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks Animation's then-distributor partner, and the studio itself announced the film was originally going to be released on June 17, 2016. In September 2014, the film's release date was pushed back a year from its original release date of June 17, 2016 to June 9, 2017. DeBlois explained the release date shifts as such: "It's just that these movies take three years. I think it was a little ambitious to say 2016... As is normally the case, they kind of throw darts out into the future and wherever they land they call that a release date until we start talking about it in practical terms, and then it's like, 'Uh yeah that's not enough time'. So knowing that they take three years from this moment, from outlining and writing the screenplay through to the final lighting of it, it's just a process of building models and doing tests and animating, storyboarding, the whole thing just adds up to about three years."
In January 2015, the release date was pushed back a year from June 9, 2017 to June 29, 2018 following DreamWorks Animation's corporate restructuring and lay-offs meant to maximize the company's "creative talent and resources, reduce costs, and drive profitability." On June 18, 2016, the release date was moved up from June 29, 2018 to May 18, 2018, taking the release date of the Warner Animation Group's The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. On December 5, 2016, the US release date was pushed back from May 18, 2018 to March 1, 2019. The release date was moved up for a final time from March 1, 2019 to February 22, 2019, taking the slot of The Turning, a live-action DreamWorks film which in turn was pushed back to January 24, 2020.
The film was the first DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by Universal Pictures, following the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation by both Comcast and NBCUniversal in 2016.

### Home media

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World for digital download on May 7, 2019, and on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, and DVD on May 21. Physical copies contain two 2018 short films: Bilby and Bird Karma.

### Video games

Unlike the first two films of the trilogy, The Hidden World does not have a tie-in game based on its plot. Instead, there are two games set before the events of the film, which are the top-down action adventure game DreamWorks Dragons: Dawn of New Riders available on consoles and personal computers (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows) and the match-3 game Dragons: Titan Uprising for mobile devices (iOS and Android).

## Reception
### Box office

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World grossed $160.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $361 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $521.8 million, against a production budget of $129 million. Deadline Hollywood calculated the film's net profit as $130 million, accounting for production budgets, marketing, talent participations, and other costs; box office grosses and home media revenues placed it 12th on their list of 2019's "Most Valuable Blockbusters".
In the United States and Canada, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World held early screenings at 1,000 theaters on February 2, 2019 and grossed $2.5 million, one of the highest advance showing totals ever. It was released alongside the wide expansion of Fighting with My Family, and was initially projected to gross $40–45 million from 4,259 theaters in its opening weekend. After making $17.5 million on its first day (including $3 million from Thursday night previews), weekend projections were increased to $60 million. It went on to debut to $55 million finishing first at the box office. The film made $30 million in its second weekend, retaining the top spot, before being dethroned by newcomer Captain Marvel in its third.
The film grossed $1.5 million on its opening day in Australia, setting a record for a DreamWorks Animation film in that country (surpassing Shrek 2). In New Zealand, the film grossed $173,000 on its opening day, ranking as DreamWorks Animation's second biggest opening day in the country, behind Shrek 2. By its third weekend of international release the film has grossed a total of $41 million. As of March 24, 2019, the film's largest markets in other territories were China ($53.7 million), Russia ($26.8 million), France ($25.0 million), United Kingdom ($24.8 million) and Mexico ($21.0 million).

### Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 90% based on 272 reviews, and an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The rare trilogy capper that really works, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World brings its saga to a visually dazzling and emotionally affecting conclusion." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale (the same score earned by the first two films), while those at PostTrak gave it a 90% positive score and a 77% "definite recommend".
Jennifer Bisset of CNET praised the voice performances of the main characters, while also citing the visuals and action sequences, and singled out the development of the relationship between Hiccup and Toothless, saying, "Continuing a series-long focus on family and love, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World narrows on what those values mean for Toothless. He experiences romance. He grows up. And with heavy, satisfied hearts, we let him, and Hiccup, go."
Michael Nordine of IndieWire gave the film a B, saying, "Directed once again by Dean DeBlois, The Hidden World strikes a bittersweet chord in reminding its young audience that all good things — including the age of dragons — must come to an end." He later went on to applaud the CGI, lauding the "arresting visuals", and stating that "The animation itself is striking — an early sequence in which the sky is filled with dragons is an early sign of the visual treats to come — and ends up being the film's highlight." Ben Kenigsberg of The New York Times gave a positive review of the characters and emotional messages of the film, writing "More bittersweet and less triumphal than its predecessors, and directed by a returning Dean DeBlois, The Hidden World concerns the exigencies that Hiccup faces as a leader, both politically and personally. If you truly love that dragon you trained, its message says, let him go."
Conversely, some critics felt the film had the presence of too many juggled sub-plots and an obligatory ending, with Movie Crypt concluding that "Fans will enjoy seeing their characters grown and progressing as story arcs are closed, but the final resolution rings hollow. Ultimately, none of it appeared necessary other than a need to say goodbye; the dragons and their champions certainly earned a better conclusion than that." Kerry Lengel of The Arizona Republic says that "The plot is thin and holey and the characters are mostly just a single gag set on repeat" and calls it "a lazy effort".

### Accolades

Accolades received by How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World :
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Academy Awards | February 9, 2020 | Best Animated Feature | Dean DeBlois, Bonnie Arnold, and Brad Lewis | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | January 25, 2020 | Best Animated Feature | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | January 25, 2020 | Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production | Dane Stogner and Rani Naamani | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | January 25, 2020 | Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Pierre-Olivier Vincent, Kirsten Kawamura, Woonyoung Jung, and Iuri Lioi | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | January 25, 2020 | Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production | Dean DeBlois | Nominated |
| Annie Awards | January 25, 2020 | Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Feature Production | John K. Carr, Mark Hester, and Mary Blee | Nominated |
| Art Directors Guild Awards | February 1, 2020 | Excellence in Production Design for an Animated Film | Pierre-Olivier Vincent | Nominated |
| Artios Awards | January 30, 2020 | Animation | Christi Soper Hilt | Nominated |
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 14, 2019 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | January 25, 2020 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Animated | Tighe Sheldon, Scott R. Lewis, Shawn Murphy, Gary Rizzo, and Blake Collins | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 12, 2020 | Best Animated Feature | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Detroit Film Critics Society Awards | December 9, 2019 | Best Animated Feature | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 23, 2019 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Georgia Film Critics Association Awards | January 10, 2020 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 5, 2020 | Best Animated Feature Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Golden Reel Awards | January 19, 2020 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Sound Effects, Foley, Dialogue and ADR for Animated Feature Film | Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Leff Lefferts, Al Nelson, Jonathan Borland, Malcolm Fife, Dee Selby, Jana Vance, and Geoff Vaughan | Nominated |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 29, 2019 | Best Animation/Family TV Spot | "Heroes" (Inside Job) | Nominated |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 29, 2019 | Most Original TV Spot | "New Year's Eve" (MOCEAN) | Nominated |
| Golden Trailer Awards | May 29, 2019 | Best Original Score TV Spot | "Last Ride" (Buddha Jones) | Nominated |
| Hollywood Critics Association Awards | January 9, 2020 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 20, 2019 | Original Score – Animated Film | John Powell | Won |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 20, 2019 | Original Song – Animated Film | John Powell and Jónsi for "Together From Afar" | Nominated |
| Houston Film Critics Society Awards | January 2, 2020 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| International Film Music Critics Association Awards | February 20, 2020 | Best Original Score for an Animated Film | John Powell | Nominated |
| Movieguide Awards | January 24, 2020 | Best Movie for Families | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| National Board of Review Awards | December 3, 2019 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Won |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | January 6, 2020 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| People's Choice Awards | November 10, 2019 | Favorite Family Movie | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| People's Choice Awards | November 10, 2019 | Animated Movie Star | America Ferrara | Nominated |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | January 18, 2020 | Best Animated Motion Picture | Brad Lewis and Bonnie Arnold | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | December 9, 2019 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards | December 16, 2019 | Best Animated Feature | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | December 19, 2019 | Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Saturn Awards | September 13, 2019 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | December 16, 2019 | Best Animated Feature | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards | January 7, 2020 | Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film | John Powell | Nominated |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards | December 15, 2019 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | December 8, 2019 | Best Animated Film | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | January 29, 2020 | Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature | Chris Grun, Ronnie Cleland, Ariel Chisholm, and Philippe Brochu for "The Hidden World" | Nominated |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | January 29, 2020 | Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated Feature | Derek Cheung, Baptiste Van Opastal, Youxi Woo, and Jason Mayer for "Water and Waterfalls" | Nominated |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards | December 8, 2019 | Best Animated Feature | How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World | Nominated |
| World Soundtrack Awards | October 18, 2019 | Best Original Score of the Year | John Powell | Nominated |
| World Soundtrack Awards | October 18, 2019 | Public Choice Award | John Powell | Won |

## Spinoffs

A short film titled How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming was released on December 3, 2019. Set before the epilogue of The Hidden World, it depicts Hiccup and Astrid teaching their children about the friendship between humans and dragons in order to protect their legacy.
An animated television series, titled Dreamworks Dragons: The Nine Realms, premiered in October 2021, and ran for eight seasons, concluding in December 2023. Set 1,300 years after The Hidden World, Hiccup and Astrid's descendant Tom Kullerson explores the realms with his friends and his dragon named Thunder, who is a descendant of Toothless and the Light Fury.