My HTTYD3 script notes (Drago)
Warning, mild SPOILERS ahead.
-Almost the same beginning. Enter the map.
-I really like the idea of Eret and Valka going on missions together. Plus, they’re both new characters from the second film and don’t add anything to the group.
-I suppose that, in earlier scripts, Drago was going to have Deathgrippers, since the venom and the Bewilderbeast controlling techniques are quite similar.
-Since this is the “movie” version and the series are not canon and Heather doesn’t exist, Ruffnut should end with Fishlegs. Not just because of Tuff’s line in HTTYD2 “No, she still hates you.”, but because... it’s my script and I say so.
-That leaves Snotlout. Ruffnut knows she wants to be with Fishlegs, but Snotlout is not that sure of what he wants. And until he realizes, there’s going to be a lot of awkward conversations and lots of blushing.
-General Hoff, General Hoff. I mean, the comics are canon, right?
-Had to talk about the Book of Dragons. I found quite annoying that there was only five species or so written there and then, in the second movie, Valka is talking with Hiccup mentioning lots of new species and he’s like “Yep, I know the names and appearance of all of them.” How? Is there a pamphlet?
-Drago’s arc was tricky. We only have vengeance as his main characteristic and he wasn’t a deep character to begin with.
-Ruffnut and Astrid talking. Yes, this was in the other version too, but I’m quite happy having a scene with this two being friends.
-”A funny Valisbot Day”. I had so much fun creating headcanons about Hiccstrid’s relationship.
-It’s interesting how the “Hidden World” itself is just lazy writing (an excuse for the dragons to leave) unless you make it an island full of Night Furies.
-And there’s a map. A physical object that shows you where to go. Seriously, that “Hidden World” stuff was too much.
-Nicknames. :)
-I get that the nightmare doesn’t have much impact in this version but I’m too proud of this scene to put it out.
-Things started getting darker. With Drago as a villain, you can’t have it any other way.
-I wanted more Hiccstrid moments too, but come on, they both can’t leave their island in the middle of a war. So go Team Hicclegs.
-Putting her here was too good a chance to not take advantage of it. Hope HTTYD book fans would like it.
-”You had to stand on a table and recreate what your father would say using their (the Hoffersons) rug as a cape.” Sorry, I had to.
-Having another nightmare is the equivalent of all the flashbacks in the original movie, but it also makes sense that Hiccup’s mind goes through several scenarios of what he’s going to find and what’s going to happen.
-Since several characters have travelled long and across the archipelago, making up a new island didn’t make sense, so I started toying with the idea of a disappearing island (just like the Night Furies disappear in the night sky).
-While the encounter with Toothless and Evenfall is similar (and remites yet again to what happened in the original movie), Toothless doesn’t lose her that fast and lots of stuff happen before that.
-The Hidden World design actually makes sense for a Night Furies habitat. There’s glowing stuff everywhere and you just have to add some lakes full of fish.
-Some Tufflout fluff. It was my first time writing a character realizing he’s bi and while I didn’t have much time for developing it (maybe the next time) I hope I did an okay job at least.
-Toothless drawing (in his unique, abstract way) a map of Berk for the Night Furies.
-The final battle didn’t make much sense. I mean, they would win easily with the support of other tribes (series version) and, in this one, they think they can win thanks to their dragons. But then, Hiccup not being there wouldn’t have made an impact, so I had to put higher stakes.
-She meeting Hiccup and Fishlegs.
-The whole tribe in cells inside a cave is a hopefully-not-so-blatant nod to the books. Also, I needed an epic place for Drago and Hiccup’s final battle.
-My first idea was to have the Night Furies arrive for the first battle, but I really wanted to have a fight between Drago and Hiccup and, once again, the first battle had to have higher stakes.
-I don’t know a thing about Viking betrothal ceremonies, so I put a classic modern one with a couple of twists.
-Had to tone down Valka’s wariness of people in this one due to the lack of time and script issues (she speaks to a lot of people in this one). Sadly, that meant having to take out the Hofferson’s scene too.
-I know the ending doesn’t have the same impact as the one in the series version, but this one is quite cool too.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/30776096
