After surprising audiences with a movie that was leaps and bounds better than most of their previous work, and even gaining buzz at a Pixar level of praise, DreamWorks Animation is looking to recapture the magic of How to Train Your Dragon as the studio has just announced a sequel to the film that reclaimed the top box office spot last weekend. Honestly, with all the success and positive word of mouth its received, I can’t say I’m surprised. It has grossed over $370 million worldwide, and with the Shrek franchise fading (the final chapter, Shrek Forever After, arrives this summer) they’ll need another good bankable series to fill theaters.

While I loved the film, I will be approaching this sequel with plenty of cautious optimism. DWA was able to capture a different kind of lightning in a bottle with How to Train Your Dragon. It was lightning that didn’t rely on pop culture references, talking animals or a Billboard chart-topping soundtrack, and it turned out to be one of their best films (maybe even better than the original Shrek). But a sequel with such an amazing first film is always risky. Of course, we all know that a studio can’t pass up an opportunity like this without turning it into a cash cow, and every time they take on a new franchise I sincerely hope they don’t fuck it up.

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