DreamWorks Animation‘s “How to Train Your Dragon 3” and “Larrikins” have shifted to Universal Pictures‘ slate following NBCUniversal’s completion of its $3.8-billion acquisition of DreamWorks Animation. The two films will keep their previous release dates.
“Larrikins” will hit theaters on Feb. 16, 2018, while “How to Train Your Dragon 3” will launch on May 18, 2018. “Larrikins” is up against tough competition: Disney/Marvel’s “Black Panther.” “Dragon,” meanwhile, currently has the date all to itself.
Twentieth Century Fox’s distribution agreement with DreamWorks Animation expires at the end of 2017.
The star-studded “Larrikins” has an all-Australian voice cast that consists of Margot Robbie, Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Rose Byrne, and Ben Mendelsohn. Tim Minchin and Chris Miller will direct the rock ‘n’ roll musical from a script by Harry Cripps.
Jacki Weaver, Josh Lawson, Damon Herriman, and Ewen Leslie will also lend their voices to the film about a sheltered Australian marsupial who’s forced to embark on a road trip. Larrikins is Australian slang for maverick or rebel.
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“How to Train Your Dragon 3” will have the same creative team as the first two films, with writer-director Dean DeBlois and producer Bonnie Arnold aboard. Its returning voice cast includes Jay Baruchel as Hiccup, America Ferrera as Astrid, and Cate Blanchett as Valka.
The original film grossed $494.9 million worldwide in 2010, while the sequel flew to $621.5 million globally four years later.
