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Dragons: Rescue Riders, later changed to Dragons: Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky, is a Netflix and Peacock original series for the How to Train Your Dragon Franchise aimed at younger children than the two prior HTTYD TV series were. The first season of the series was released on September 27, 2019. A second season was released on February 7, 2020. The third season was released on November 24, 2021. The fourth season was released on February 3, 2022. The fifth season was released on May 19, 2022. The sixth and final season was released on September 29, 2022.

Overview[]

Twins Dak and Leyla spend their days rescuing dragons and helping people in their adopted town of Huttsgalor. An animated comedy adventure series.
  Netflix official description  
Aimed at a younger set than the previous Dragons shows on Cartoon Network and Netflix, Rescue Riders follows twins Dak and Leyla, who were raised by dragons and thus have a unique ability to communicate with them. They lead a team of five young dragons who rescue other dragons and help people in the town of Huttsgalor. Franchise veteran Jack Thomas executive produces, Brian K. Roberts is a co-ep and TJ Sullivan directs. It's due to premiere later this year
  — Hollywood Reporter[1]  
A CGI animated comedy adventure series that opens a brand new chapter in Dreamworks Animation’s Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning How to Train Your Dragon franchise. ... The all-new series is about twins, Dak and Leyla, who — because they were raised by dragons — share a unique ability to communicate with them. The brother and sister lead a team of five young dragons that spend their days rescuing other dragons, and helping the people in their adopted town of Huttsgalor.
  — Cartoon Brew[2]  
Twins Dak and Leyla and their dragon friends devote their lives to rescuing others, defending their home of Huttsgalor and having fun along the way.
This feel-good animated adventure series is based on the beloved "How to Train Your Dragon" books.
  — Netflix official description²  
In a faraway corner of the vast and exciting Viking and dragon world, live two special kids, ten-year-old Dak and his twin sister Leyla and five young dragons, Winger, Summer, Cutter, Burple and Aggro.

Because they were raised among dragons, Dak and Leyla not only can ride them, they also have the amazing ability to speak to them! What sounds like growls and roars to everyone else sounds like words to Dak and Leyla. Together the twins and their dragon friends go on exciting adventures - rescuing, defending and protecting other dragons while also helping out their adopted home of Huttsgalor! Along the way, they develop and master new skills involving teamwork, problem solving and resolving conflicts.''

  — Official Website[3]  
Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky is a “comedy action comedy” about two twins, Dak and Leyla, who were rescued from a shipwreck at an early age by a kindly dragon who raised them alongside her own son, Winger. Because they grew up with dragons, Dak and Leyla can ride them and communicate with them, where other humans cannot. Now, these two kids and their five dragon friends pay forward their mother’s kindness by rescuing dragons and people. This series is set in the “How to Train Your Dragon” universe, but features all new characters, locations and stories aimed at younger audiences.
  — Official Website[4]  


Development and Production[]

Rescue Riders was designed to be a starter series for those in Pre-K and elementary school to watch before they are old enough for the more intense “Dragon” movies. Jack C. Thomas stated that the idea was to take the world and the DNA of the franchise and create a new type of storytelling aimed at a younger audience, creating a new canon within the franchise.

Visuals from the movies and from Dragons: Race to the Edge and other TV series were researched for a way the production team could interpret that into a brighter, more chunky and a little younger-skewing visual. "We created a world that felt younger, while still keying off of some of the same inspirations as the original films." While death and violence were prominent in the film series, that was toned down for Rescue Riders. Jack Thomas and the team pitched Rescue Riders to Dean DeBlois, who gave the team advice on the design and loaned one of his designers to give some ideas – to try to bring the characters a little more into the Dragon world.[5]

Development was begun on Dragons: Rescue Riders as early as 2016, when Jack Thomas was pulled from Dragons: Race to the Edge early because he was put in charge of this new Dragons spin-off aimed at a much younger demographic.[6][7]

Voice Actors were working on Dragon: Rescue Riders by Fall of 2017, with John C. McGinley cryptically announcing his role on Twitter[8]. Animation was also well underway, with Tony Ha as the Lead Animator beginning in 2017[9] at Bardel Entertainment. Around the same time, Brennley Brown announced on her Instagram that she, too, had begun voice work for an unnamed series at DreamWorks Animation. She would later post a script to her Instagram Stories, revealing the episode title "Snoggletog - Part 2", and tagged "DreamWorks" on the story.

In January of 2018, DreamWorks Animation bought trademarks for merchandise and services under the name DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders in preparation of the project's release.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

In April of 2019, Netflix posted a title page for the series, however, a week later, the page was removed for unknown reasons.

Dragons: Rescue Riders was officially announced in July 2019 by several entertainment news outlets[1][2]. Bardel Entertainment also announced the series at that time, and Netflix re-launched a title page for the series.[16]

Three weeks prior to release, Netflix updated the title page suggesting the series is based off the book series rather than the movie franchise.

DreamWorks Animation finally officially announced the series on September 12, 2019 with a poster and trailer; two weeks before the series was due to drop. Around the same time, DreamWorks' official website launched a page for the series.

On September 22, 2021, it was announced that the series would change its streaming platform to Peacock, starting with season 3 and onwards. The title of the series was also changed to Dragons: Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky.[17]

On September 15, 2022, it was revealed that the series would conclude with its sixth season on September 29 of the same year.[18]

Characters[]

People[]

Dragons[]

Dragon Species[]

Locations[]

Trivia[]

  • Dean DeBlois revealed in January 2019 that, despite having the same Dragons branding, Dragons: Rescue Riders is set apart from the media so far appearing in the Franchise, particularly since it is featuring 'talking' dragons[19]
  • Some fans have noted a few parallels between the original How to Train Your Dragon Books series and Dragons: Rescue Riders. This includes 'talking' dragons (called Dragonese in the Books) and being raised by dragons, as happened to Hiccup Horrendous Haddock II in the Book series.
  • When Netflix launched the first title page for the series, it was said to be for ages "3-4", and when the series was officially announced, it was said to be directed at "preschoolers". However, Jack Thomas said in an interview that the series was aimed at "8 year olds", and Netflix's new title page rates the series "Y7" for ages 7+. It is currently uncertain which age demographic the series will most accurately be targeting.
  • It’s currently unknown if Rescue Riders takes place in the same universe as the HTTYD movies. However, since they do mention some dragon species, like Night Fury and Deadly Nadder, it possible that series takes place before or during the movies.

External Links[]

See Also[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 'How to Train Your Dragon' Spinoff Among 7 Preschool Series Set at Netflix. (July 22, 2019) Hollywood Reporter.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Dudok de Wit, Alex, (July 22, 2019) Netflix Reveals Slate Of Upcoming Preschool Series, Including ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ Spinoff. Cartoon Brew
  3. Official Website
  4. Official Website
  5. INTERVIEW: “Dragons: Rescue Riders” EP Jack Thomas and Co-EP Brian K. Roberts
  6. Jack Thomas ’82 uses skills learned in law school as Emmy Award-winning writer, executive producer (May 8, 2017). Moritz College of Law
  7. Everything Geek Podcast Guest Interview- Jack Thomas (September 2, 2016). YouTube
  8. Ok. Here we are: "Dragon Rescue Riders" (November 27, 2017) Twitter
  9. Tony Ha's Animation Portfolio (Copyright 2019). Thanimation
  10. Trademark Info: DREAMWORKS DRAGONS RESCUE RIDERS (Copyright 2019) Trademarks411
  11. DREAMWORKS DRAGONS RESCUE RIDERS Trademark Information-Digital Media
  12. DREAMWORKS DRAGONS RESCUE RIDERS Trademark Information-Paper Media (Copyright 2019) Trademarkia
  13. DREAMWORKS DRAGONS RESCUE RIDERS Trademark Information-Apparel (Copyright 2019) Trademarkia
  14. DREAMWORKS DRAGONS RESCUE RIDERS Trademark Information-Toys (Copyright 2019) Trademarkia
  15. DREAMWORKS DRAGONS RESCUE RIDERS Trademark Information-Services (Copyright 2019) Trademarkia
  16. Bardel's Twitter (Copyright 2019). Twitter
  17. Rescue Riders Spinoff coming to Peacock. (Date Posted - September 22, 2020).
  18. Peacock Teases ‘Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of The Sky’ Season 4 Trailer and Art. (Date Posted - September 15, 2022). Animation World Network.
  19. It has nothing to do with our trilogy or TV series. (January 12, 2019) Twitter.

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