When your movie makes $180 million at the box-office and ascends to the top of the box-office during the course of its five-week run, you know a sequel can’t be too far off.
DreamWorks has given the green light for a sequel to the animated hit “How to Train Your Dragon.”
CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg says the sequel is being targeted to open in 2013.
And that’s not all DreamWorks has in mind for “Dragon.”
there’s a live arena show in the works, something akin to “Walking With Dinosaurs” that plays in venues like the Staples Center in Los Angeles and Allstate Arena in Chicago.
There’s also a TV series in development and an online virtual world based on “Dragon.”
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish,” Katzenberg told analysts about “Dragon” during a conference call to discuss quarterly earnings.
“Dragon” is at $180 million domestic and on track to equal the boxoffice performance of “Kung Fu Panda,” which took in $215 million domestically and is getting a somewhat similar franchise treatment.
“Panda,” though, boasted a $60 million opening weekend compared to just $44 million for “Dragon,” which cast doubt on a sequel. “It certainly had us a bit nervous,” Katzenberg said.
Katzenberg said “Dragon” has such impressive legs at the boxoffice because it is DWA’s best-reviewed film. It is in the “beloved category,” he noted.
I don’t see where they could tack a sequel onto this. It was wrapped up rather nicely at the end.
It’s like saying there’s going to be a Wall-E sequel. Where do you put it?
I anticipate bad things from this.