Lots of things going on with the franchise right now; the HTTYD train is not slowing down one bit. The new Homecoming short film for the holiday season is something to be excited about. However, there seems to be an ongoing question regarding it if you've noticed in the comments.
When does it take place? Before or after the epilogue?
The way I see it, there is evidence and theory that supports both side of the argument. All are strong supports, but can be refuted too. Thought I'd compile it for the sake of reference.
Proof it takes place BEFORE the epilogue:
News sites and the synopsis on the DreamWorks website.
The plot of the short (the kids don't understand why they need to celebrate dragons)
Dean's comments on the epilogue.
Whether Toothless remembers Hiccup.
Proof it takes place AFTER the epilogue:
The synopsis on the leaked image of the back cover of the disc version
The promo pics of the Night Lights sneaking around Berk
The Playmobil set featuring Hiccup and Astrid's kids with the Night Lights
Whether Toothless remembers Hiccup.
I put the whole 'Toothless remembering' thing on both sides because that's a debate in and of itself. Before or after, we know this is in the ten years after the dragons left for the Hidden World. And as intelligent as Toothless is, he's still an animal living in the wild, reverting back to his old instincts. But, I want to hear the thoughts of everybody who know how to hone into this a little more. My analytical abilities only go so far compared to other fans.
On the other side is something I hope will make a lot of people happy (some I'm sure, others not so) I was reading an article on ComicBook.com about Kit Harrington's love for voice-over roles, like his work as Eret in the films. Around one of the first paragraphs in the article, I caught this little snippet.
'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World' will not be the end of the series, not by a long shot. The studio has some serious plans to keep the story going even though Hiccup’s journey with his friend Toothless looks like it has come to a close.
"Serious plans."
I wish I could give you all a reference or proof of that statement, people. but when I clicked on the hyperlink, it just lead to the news of THW's box office opening back in February. Could just be the embellishment of the writer. Personally, though, I'm kinda believing it. HTTYD is DreamWorks' most successful franchise, and we've seen lots of proof already it's not going away anytime soon.
Anyway, what does everyone else think? About the theories for Homecoming and the word from the article?