How to Train Your Dragon

Berk is a Viking island at war with the dragons that raid its livestock. Hiccup, chief Stoick's scrawny son, wants to kill a dragon to earn respect. With a launcher he built himself, he downs a Night Fury but can't bring himself to kill it. The dragon has lost part of its tail, so Hiccup builds a fin that lets it fly again. That's how his friendship with Toothless begins. In Gobber's dragon training, Hiccup uses what he's learned and tops the class, to Astrid's suspicion. Stoick finds out and uses Toothless to locate the dragons' nest, home to a giant queen. Hiccup and his friends arrive riding dragons, and he and Toothless bring the queen down. Hiccup loses part of his left leg, gets a prosthetic, and Berk starts living alongside dragons.

1. Behind the scenesThe Lilo & Stitch duo

   Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, who made Lilo & Stitch, took over as directors midway through production. They moved the story far from Cressida Cowell's book.

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2. Behind the scenesRoger Deakins on lighting

   Cinematographer Roger Deakins, of The Shawshank Redemption, worked as a visual consultant. He helped shape the lighting and camera moves of the flight scenes.

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3. Behind the scenesTwo Oscar nominations

   The film was up for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, by John Powell. It lost the animation award to Toy Story 3.

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