Dreamworks announces slew of sequels to popular tales

Chinese fans of DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon will probably be delighted to know that Toothless, Hiccup and Astrid will be returning for another thrilling adventure early next year.

The announcement was made during a recent gathering of around 100 business partners and journalists in Beijing, where DreamWorks Animation SKG screened some scenes from its popular franchises. It marked the first such branding event since the company was acquired by NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast Corporation, in 2016.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the franchise's third and final installment, is scheduled for a global release in February 2019.

Chris deFaria, president of DreamWorks Feature Animation Group, revealed at the event that the company is also producing the sequels Trolls World Tour (arriving April 2020), The Croods 2 (September 2020) and The Boss Baby 2 (March 2021), as well as introducing new characters and tales like Abominable, set for release in September next year and Spooky Jack (September 2021).

DeFaria also launched the DreamWorks Shorts Program, which will see two inaugural films released this year: Bird Karma and Bilby