Dragons: Rescue Riders is a new Netflix 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.
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] |
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.[4]
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.[5][6].
Voice Actors were working on Dragon: Rescue Riders by Fall of 2017, with John C. McGinley cryptically announcing his role on Twitter[7]. Animation was also well underway, with Tony Ha as the Lead Animator beginning in 2017[8] 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.[9][10][11][12][13][14]
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.[15]
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.
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 will be featuring 'talking' dragons[16]
- 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.
Characters
People
- Dak voiced by Nicolas Cantu
- Duggard voiced by Carlos Alazraqui
- Elbone voiced by Roshon Fegan
- Finngard voiced by Sam Lavagnino
- Hannahr voiced by Moira Quirk
- Leyla voiced by Brennley Brown
- Magnus Finke voiced by Brad Grusnick
- Marena voiced by Grey Griffin
- Mrs. Borgomon voiced by Grey Griffin
- TBD voiced by Mary E. McGlynn[17]
Dragons
- Aggro voiced by Marsai Martin
- Burple voiced by Noah Bentley
- Cindarnanopusflickerstaff voiced by Brett Pels
- Cutter voiced by Andre Robinson
- Grumblegard voiced by John C. McGinley
- Laburn voiced by Ashley Bornancin
- Lurke voiced by Carlos Alazraqui
- Mama Ironclaw voiced by Secunda Wood
- Snoop voiced by Jeff Bennett
- Summer voiced by Skai Jackson
- Vizza voiced by Tara Strong
- Winger voiced by Zach Callison
- Heaty
- Sizzle voiced by Carlos Alazraqui
Forecasted to Appear in Future Seasons
- Axel voiced by Jacob Hopkins
- Gludge voiced by Brian Posehn
- Oscar voiced by Patton Oswalt
Dragon Species
- Cavern Crasher (mentioned)
- Fastfin
- Fire Fury
- Foreverhorn
- Foreverwing (mentioned)
- Hideous Heatwing
- Hobblegrunt (mentioned)
- Piercing Shriekscale
- Prickleboggle (mentioned)
- Relentless Razorwing
- Rockspitter
- Scuttleclaw (mentioned)
- Sea Gronckle (mentioned)
- Shivertooth (mentioned)
- Silver-tailed Ironclaw
- Slinkwing
- Slobber Smelter
- Submaripper (mentioned)
- Swiftwing
- Threadtail (mentioned)
- Wave Glider (egg only)
Locations
External Links
References
Dragons: Rescue Riders is also available in other languages. Do visit these pages if you prefer reading content from the respective languages: • Polski |