DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms

***DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms*** is a computer-animated television series and the sequel to the first *DreamWorks Dragons* series in the *How to Train Your Dragon* franchise, produced by DreamWorks Animation.

The series takes place over a millennium after the original continuity, where humans have largely forgotten their history with dragons in the present day. When a groundbreaking geological discovery leads to humanity's rediscovery of the mythological creatures, a group of children eventually encounters dragons themselves. However, in order to protect them, they must keep them a closely guarded secret.

Jeremy Shada leads the voice cast, along with Ashley Liao, Marcus Scribner, Aimee Garcia, Julia Stiles, Lauren Tom, Keston John, Justina Machado, D'Arcy Carden, Carrie Keranen, and Angelique Cabral; and the showrunners are John Tellegen, Chuck Austen, and Henry Gilroy, with Beth Sleven as supervising producer. The series premiered on December 23, 2021, on Hulu and Peacock.

## Plot

### Synopsis

> Set 1,300 years after the events of *How to Train Your Dragon*, dragons are now just a legend to the modern world. When a geological anomaly opens up an immense, miles-deep fissure in the earth's surface, scientists from all over the world gather at a new research facility to study the mysterious phenomenon. Soon, a group of misfit kids, brought to the site by their parents, uncover the truth about dragons and where they've been hiding—a secret they must keep to themselves to protect what they've discovered.
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### Summary

A group of modern-day teens are brought into I.C.A.R.I.S., a geological station studying a mysterious fissure that emanates electromagnetic energy and that they are instructed to avoid. Inevitably, one of the teens, Tom Kullerson, falls into the fissure and is saved by a dragon. Tom and his friends soon discover the fissure uncovers the truth about the ancient legends about dragons: the fissure is a gateway to the ancient home to the mythical creatures. Fearing that their families might explore the dragons should they find out about the creatures' existence, the teenagers make a pact to keep the secret of the fissure. However, the new group of dragon riders is caught between the desire to learn more about their new companions and the will to protect the mythical beings at all costs.

## Production

In February 2019, Dean DeBlois, the writer and director of the second and the third film, spoke to CinemaBlend ahead of the release of *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World*, and was asked if the franchise may carry forward in the future. While confirming that this film was intended to conclude Hiccup and Toothless' journey, he also stated that if the franchise were to continue, the best approach would be to put it in a completely different age.

> I think what we tried to do was deliver a satisfying ending that ultimately meant that Hiccup and Toothless would go their separate ways, but also reassure the audience it was for the best, that we see them thrive in their adulthood. For me it's a satisfying end, ... And beyond that, ... I think if DreamWorks decided to open it up at some point, I hope it would be a different timeline, different characters with the Hiccup/Toothless story remained intact.
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In March 2020, *DreamWorks Dragons: The Series* showrunner Douglas Sloan teased the series on Twitter, indicating that a new "dragons" series set in the modern era was in the works. The series had been in production since April 2020.

On October 13, 2021, *DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms* was revealed by DreamWorks Animation. The announcement included a teaser trailer that shows the dragons straight to the modern world, as well as a promotional image for the series.

On December 23, 2021, the series premiered on streaming services, Hulu and Peacock.

### Cast and Crew

The series' showrunner and executive producer is John Tellegen, a writer for two previous television spinoffs of the franchise that aired on Netflix, with Douglas Sloan. Chuck Austen, co-showrunner of *She-Ra and the Princesses of Power*, and Henry Gilroy, co-writer for *Star Wars: The Clone Wars* will also executive-produce, with Beth Sleven as supervising producer, Ricky Roxburgh serving as a story editor, and Nadia Vurbenova-Mouri as art director.

The principal voice cast includes Jeremy Shada as Tom Kullerson, previously playing Finn on *Adventure Time*, Lance in *Voltron: Legendary Defender*, and Robin in *Batman: The Brave and the Bold*; Ashley Liao voices Jun Wong; Marcus Scribner voices D'Angelo Baker; Aimee Garcia voices Alex Gonzalez; Julia Stiles voices Olivia Kullerson; Lauren Tom voices May Wong; Keston John voices Philip Baker; Pavar Snipe voices Angela Baker; Justina Machado voices Carla Gonzalez; Angelique Cabral voices Hazel Gonzalez; D'Arcy Carden voices Linda; Carrie Keranen voices Wilma Sledkin.

## Broadcast and Promotion

### Promotion

A short teaser was released in October 2021 and reveals the logo of the new animated series. The trailer also showcases different species of dragons, and introduces a new dragon and rider flying over what is clearly a modern landscape.

A series of clips were released a day before the premiere.

## Release

The series premiered on December 23, 2021, on Hulu and Peacock.

## Trivia

* *DreamWorks Dragons: The Nine Realms* is only the latest television series to spin out of the films.
	+ The first, originally titled *DreamWorks Dragons: The Series*, ran on Cartoon Network for two seasons from 2011 to 2014. It was then picked up by Netflix, where it was retitled *DreamWorks Dragons: Race to the Edge*, where it aired for another six seasons between 2015 and 2018. It was followed by *DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders*, a preschool-oriented spinoff series that premiered on Netflix in 2019. There have also been a variety of short films, comic novels, and video games predicated on *How to Train Your Dragon*.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CXP1ECaLW7G
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/teaser-dreamworks-dragons-take-flight-for-the-future-in-the-nine-realms
3. ↑ https://www.cbr.com/how-to-train-dragon-spinoff-hulu-peacock
4. ↑ https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2467293/how-to-train-your-dragon-3s-director-thinks-the-franchise-should-continue
5. ↑ https://comicbook.com/movies/news/how-to-train-your-dragon-franchise-could-continue-dean-deblois
6. ↑ https://twitter.com/vrdjs143/status/1242471923243560962
7. ↑ https://twitter.com/LauraLizRobnson/status/1448300371198185478
8. ↑ https://www.animationmagazine.net/streaming/the-next-gen-spreads-its-wings-in-dragons-the-nine-realms-new-trailer
9. ↑ https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/dragons-the-nine-realms-julia-stiles-marcus-scribner-1235128643
10. ↑ https://www.awn.com/news/dreamworks-drops-dragons-nine-realms-sneak-peek