Dragon Hunters (film)

Plot

The world consists of floating islands populated by rogues, peasants, and petty lords, all threatened by dragons. Lian-Chu, a gentle giant, and Gwizdo, a scheming young man, are dragon hunters dreaming of owning a farm. Lord Arnold lives in fear of the World Gobbler, a monstrous dragon that returns every twenty seasons. His niece Zoe hires Lian-Chu and Gwizdo, believing them to be heroes, and joins them on a dangerous journey to the end of the earth.

Production

On 14 October 2007, Arthur Qwak and Guillaume Ivernel were hired to direct the film, based on Qwak's TV series. Frédéric Engel-Lenoir and Qwak wrote the script, with Philippe Delarue and Tilo Seiffert producing on a €12,000,000 budget. Development and storyboarding took place in Paris, with animation, lighting, and color completed in Berlin and Luxembourg City to maximize tax credits. Klaus Badelt was announced as composer on 10 December 2007.

Reception

Dragon Hunters grossed €34,068 in France and $12,235,843 worldwide. In Brazil, it opened at number four, rose to number three in its second weekend, then dropped to fourth and fifth in subsequent weeks. On Rotten Tomatoes, 67% of 9 reviews were positive, with an average rating of 5.8/10.

Did You Know?

• The English dubbed version was released in the United States on 5 April 2008.
• About 1 million DVDs (French and English versions) were sold in the US.
• The soundtrack includes the song 'Lotus' performed by Jalan Jalan.