The universal appeal of Hiccup and Toothless has touched the hearts of many people round the globe when the first “How To Train Your Dragon” soared successfully into theatres last 2010 and nabbed two Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and Original Score. The first film, based on the children’s books written by British author Cressida Cowell, introduced to audiences the gangly teenage Viking Hiccup, whose world is flipped upside down when he encounters and befriends an injured dragon he names Toothless.

In the upcoming sequel, “How To Train Your Dragon 2,” it is Hiccup’s coming of age story, “not the ‘further adventures’ of Hiccup and Toothless” as some sequels are prone to do. When director Dean DeBlois pitched his idea for the second film to DreamWorks Animation executives, another crucial element of his pitch was the fact he wanted to age the characters by five years. In the movie, it is effectively a Utopian society, but there is trouble looming as Hiccup, now a young man, discovers while out exploring with Toothless that the ruthless conqueror Drago Bludvist (Djimon Hounsou) is hell-bent on destruction. He is building a dragon army. It is up to Hiccup to face his destiny and tackle the daunting challenges that lie ahead.

He discovers an unexpected ally: his long lost mother Valka (Cate Blanchett). Valka disappeared many years ago and it emerges that she is in fact a dragon whisperer who has an uncanny connection to these amazing creatures. Presumed dead by both her husband Stoick (Gerard Butler) and their son, she has spent two decades rescuing dragons from traps and keeping them safe in an Arctic, dragon sanctuary.

Astrid, Hiccup’s champion dragon racer girlfriend returns, voiced by America Ferrera, as do other familiar characters from the first film: Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) Tuffnut (T.J. Miller) and Gobber (Craig Ferguson). Kit Harington from “Game of Thrones” joins the cast asthe dragon trapper, Eret, Son of Eret.

Meanwhile, Hiccup’s and Toothless’ loyal friends along with their dragons are also the comic relief of “How To Train Your Dragon 2” — particularly Ruffnut, who develops a crush on Eret, son of Eret, while simultaneously fending off two suitors of her own: Snotlout and Fishlegs.

“Kristen Wiig, who plays Ruffnut, does it so well,” DeBlois says of her constant rejection of the boys and her slavish fawning over Eret. “She’s the last of Berk’s scarce and scary single ladies but she has no interest in either of them. We have some very strong female characters in Astrid and Valka. We thought there was room to have one that was completely shallow and vapid as well,” he chuckles. “We made Ruffnut as ridiculously shallow as possible. She’s willing to throw everything she has at Eret to try to get his attention, just as Snotlout and Fishlegs are dying for hers.”

This time around audiences get to see a different side of Jonah Hill: putting romantic charm into his character as Snotlout tries to gain the advantage over Fishlegs for Ruffnut’s affections. But he really hasn’t changed much. Christopher Mintz-Plasse is back as Fishlegs, the big, loveable oaf who knows everything there is to know about dragons. “We get to see a more aggressive side to him this time around because of his competition with Snotlout,” Owens adds. Ruffnut’s antagonistic twin is played by T. J. Miller. “T.J. Miller is one of the funniest people on Earth,” DeBlois says. “He gives us all sorts of ad libs that I love to use whenever we can. I just can’t get enough of the banter he has with Kristen as the battling twins — and they’re always at war with each other. It’s just kind of a silly, nonsensical joke. We love to play out the idea that even though they’re forced to work together, they’re always trying to sabotage each other.”

“Eret, son of Eret, who is one of three new characters in Dragon 2, is a little bit full of himself. He claims to be the finest dragon trapper alive,” says DeBlois, “because he and his team have been successfully trapping them for some time.” In time, his opinion will change. “There’s more substance to him than Hiccup and Astrid give him credit for when they first meet him,” DeBlois says. “Through their influence, Eret comes around to realizing that dragons aren’t the commodity he has thought them to be; that they are loyal and if you take the time to earn their loyalty, they will do anything for you.” Despite his abilities, Eret doesn’t trap dragons for his own amusement. He works for Drago Bludvist, a vicious megalomaniac without conscience or mercy, who once claimed to be a man of the people, devoted to freeing mankind from the tyranny of dragons. In reality he presents an even bigger danger than Eret, who’s just a middleman: Drago is building a dragon army.

“How To Train Your Dragon 2” is action-packed, moving and funny. Visually stunning, the 3D film is highly immersive with wondrous images of fantastic and realistic looking dragons soaring across the skies. Watch what the riders have to say about their latest adventure here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrc2Fixrg2E&index=9&list=PLcZs6n5iZPx_-8_XBzvmNwZkTOXw_-c7w

A DreamWorks Animation film, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” opens June 11 in cinemas (available in 2D, 3D and 4DX format) from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

America Ferrera stars alongside Jay Baruchel in “How Tot Train Your Dragon 2,” the second film in the animated 3D trilogy about a young Viking calledHiccup and his dragon, Toothless. As the thrilling story unfolds, Hiccup has an unexpected meeting with an extraordinary woman who shares his passion for dragons - his mother Valka (Cate Blanchett). Also starring in the film are Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse,T.J. Miller and Craig Ferguson.

Baruchel voices the story’s intrepid hero while Ferrera plays his feisty girlfriend, Astrid. Five years on from the original 2010 film from DreamWorks Animation, we find Hiccup enjoying life as an explorer. But his dad, Stoick, the mighty Chieftain of Berk (Gerard Butler), thinks his son needs to shape up and take his responsibilities as a future leader more seriously. There is currently peace on Berk, where humans and dragons are living happily.

“Astrid and Hiccup have an easygoing, relaxed and comfortable relationship,” says director Dean DeBlois. “Astrid is a natural Viking, in that she’s athletic, aggressive, capable, and super-smart with strong leadership skills, in contrast to Hiccup, who’s wavering and unsure of where he’s heading in life. In this film, Astrid becomes the strong, supportive voice of reason. America is wonderful as Astrid. She knows the character inside out. Jay and America play so well off of each other.”

“It is so exciting to play a great female character both boys and girls will be watching. It is wonderful that they will be seeing a male and a female character as equals in their capabilities and their excitement. Astrid likes to be a leader and Hiccup is a bit of a loner. He’s flying around and discovering new territories, exploring with Toothless. Astrid doesn’t look like me. She’s Nordic, blonde and blue eyed and so I thank them for not typecasting her and going for the essence of the character. Astrid is great, she is kicking butt and she is a natural born leader who is probably better suited to being the future Chieftain of Berk than Hiccup is. She is winning the tournament racing [with Stormfly, her dragon],” adds Ferrera.

There are challenges ahead for Hiccup. Together with Toothless, he has to defend his village from a terrible army of dragon trappers, led by Drago (DjimonHounsou), a mad genius and self-proclaimed ‘Dragon God’,who strikes fear into the hearts of even the bravest Vikings.

Ferrera further describes her character’s evolved relationship with Hiccup now that they’re grown-ups. “Their relationship is still very playful and competitive, but they match each other in their lust for life and adventure. What is fun is that our characters are more grown up now. Because there is a romantic aspect to their relationship, there are more tender moments between them. In the first film she was thinking: ‘Who is this guy? Why should he get to be chief of Berk when I’ve worked hard my whole life?’ But this time she’s his number one supporter because she sees that he’s special and totally capable of leadership. She is a partner in his adventure.”

“I’m so thankful that America came back to play Astrid,” DeBlois says. “She has such a strong, powerful voice and it comes through in the character with this spunky, up-for-anything quality. But also inherently in America’s voice is a sense of reason and self-assuredness that the character of Astrid really represents to the story.”

“It’s everything the first movie was and even better; it is just as exciting, but it’s deeper and more complex and more fun,” Ferrera concludes.

Ferrera is perhaps best known for her fearless portrayal of Betty Suarez on ABC’s hit comedy “Ugly Betty.” This breakthrough role earned Ferrera an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series, a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series-Musical or Comedy, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance for a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as ALMA and Imagen Awards.

Her film credits include David Ayer’s crime thriller “End of Watch,” co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Anna Kendrick, Michael Peña and Cody Horn and Todd Berger’s comedy “It’s a Disaster” opposite Julia Stiles and David Cross, “Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants,” “Our Family Wedding,” “Towards Darkness” and “Under the Same Moon.”

“How To Train Your Dragon 2” opens in cinemas on June 11 from DreamWorks Animation and 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

20^th Century Fox brings the high-flying adventure, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” ahead of its regular release date in Philippine cinemas with its nationwide sneak previews on June 9 (Monday) and June 10 (Tuesday) starting at 5:00pm.

From DreamWorks Animation, the studio that brought the world blockbuster family animation such as “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “The Croods,” comes the highly anticipated sequel to the Academy Award®-nominated “How To Train Your Dragon,” based on the children’s book series by Cressida Cowell.

In the thrilling second chapter of the epic trilogy, five years have passed since the heroic young Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) befriended an injured dragon and forever changed the way the residents of Berk interact with the fire-breathers. Now, Vikings and dragons live side-by-side in peace on the fantastical isle that has been transformed into a dragon’s paradise.

Available in 2D and 3D - “How To Train Your Dragon 2” opens in cinemas nationwide on June 11 from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

Toothless, the dragon the world over loves is back in “How To Train Your Dragon 2” and recently graced this year’s Cannes Film Festival along with the rest of the stellar voice cast and director Dean DeBlois.

From DreamWorks Animation, the studio that brought you “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “The Croods,” comes the highly anticipated sequel to the Academy Award®-nominated “How To Train Your Dragon,” based on the children’s book series by Cressida Cowell. In the thrilling second chapter of the epic trilogy, five years have passed since the heroic young Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) befriended an injured dragon and forever changed the way the residents of Berk interact with the fire-breathers. Now, Vikings and dragons live side-by-side in peace on the fantastical isle that has been transformed into a dragon’s paradise.

But when grown-up responsibilities loom on the horizon, Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless take to the skies in search of answers. It’s much more than he bargained for, though, when Hiccup discovers that a mysterious dragon rider is really his long-lost mother Valka (Academy Award®-winning actress Cate Blanchett) and that the peace between dragons and Vikings is threatened by the power-hungry Drago (Academy Award-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou) with help from the dragon trapper Eret, son of Eret (“Game of Thrones” actor Kit Harington).

As Astrid (America Ferrera), Gobber (Craig Ferguson) and Viking friends Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and twins Ruffnut (Kristen Wiig) and Tuffnut (T.J. Miller), lend their support, Hiccup, his mother and tribal chief father Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler), must work together to protect the dragons they have grown to love. In the process, Hiccup finds the answers he has been looking for in ways he could never have imagined.

A Dream Works Animation presentation, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” (3D) opens June 11 in cinemas nationwide in the Philippines from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

At the tail of the success of the first movie, Toothless and Hiccup are back for bigger adventures, laughs and battles as additional voice cast were revealed in this year’s Comic-Con event. From the phenomenal series “Game of Thrones,” Kit Harrington voices an amusing dragon-trapper named Eret whom he describes as very cocky and brazen; Cate Blanchett who’s known for her role in “The Lord of the Rings” franchise also joins the cast as Valka, a savior of dragons while Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond”) is cast as the voice of Drago Bludvist who chases dragons for personal vendetta. Here’s the trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thZf28Xa20k&feature=youtu.be

Directed by Dean Deblois, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” soars five years after best friends Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) and Toothless united dragons and Vikings on the island of Berk.

Landing June 11, 2014 in theaters nationwide, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” is a DreamWorks Animation and 20^th Century Fox presentation to be distributed by Warner Bros. (Phils.).

Chasing more adventures, the fearless best of friends Hiccup and Toothless stand earnest to conquer new highs in the latest teaser poster of the upcoming adventure movie “How To Train Your Dragon 2.”

Featuring the returning voice cast leads from the first movie, Jay Baruchel (Hiccup), America Ferrera (Astrid) and Gerard Butler (Stoick) with vocal talents from Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, TJ Miller, Craig Ferguson and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. The movie also features additional new voices from Djimon Hounsou as Drago Bludvist, Cate Blanchett as Valca and Kit Harrington as Eret.

“How To Train Your Dragon 2” comes back after five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and Vikings on the island of Berk. All grown up now, with their friends, Astrid, Snoutlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races as the island's new favorite contact sport. While Hiccup and Toothless fly away in unknown territories for more fun and adventure, they soon encounter a fearsome rider who is building an army of beasts by trapping dragons. 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.

From DreamWorks Animation and 20^th Century Fox, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” opens June 2014 in cinemas nationwide in the Philippines to be distributed by Warner Bros.