AceShowbiz -

"How to Train Your Dragon" side character(s) could get their own solo movies. Dean DeBlois, the director and writer of the first two films, gives update on the development of the third movie and reveals the possible spin-off projects in the process. However, he is not too keen to continue the story with a fourth film.

"I think I've talked [Jeffrey Katzenberg] down from that (laughs)," he told Collider. "There may be spin-offs to come, but my involvement and my dedication to completing a story that has a reason for being and a strong sense of integrity and three chapters I think is in place and intact. Everybody seems to be in agreement that we're moving in the right direction."

"Just this past Thursday I presented the outline for the film and I'm gonna take a two week break, but after that I'll be working on the screenplay and hopefully turning the first draft in by the end of the year. So all is going well. It continues to be the third act of this trilogy and we get to see Hiccup's coming of age come to a completion," he went on.

The director added, "I'm also playing with the idea of what happened to the dragons and why they are no more, as suggested by Cressida Cowell's books. So the whole mystery of where did they go? Did they come back? What transpired? I think it's all compelling stuff and it's definitely a story that's gonna have a lot more Toothless emphasis in it."

"We continue to get more insight into the dragon world and shed light on their intelligence and all the aspects that we've been slowly cooking over the last two films."

The franchise has Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, T.J. Miller and Kristen Wiig among the voice cast.