How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated action fantasy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox, loosely based on the book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell. It is the sequel to the 2010 computer-animated film How to Train Your Dragon and the second in the trilogy. The film is written and directed by Dean DeBlois, and stars. The film was released in the United States on June 13, 2014, and like its predecessor, received universal acclaim. Critics in particular praised the film for its animation, voice acting, action scenes, emotional depth, and darker, more serious tone compared to its predecessor. The film grossed over $618 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing animated film of 2014 as well as the eighth highest-grossing film of the year overall. While How to Train Your Dragon 2 has performed lower than its predecessor at the US box office, it has performed much better than the first film internationally. The third and final film in the series, titled How to Train Your Dragon 3, is scheduled to be released on June 29, 2018.