Based off of the 2003 children’s book of the same title, the Chris Sanders directed picture…

…

Chris Sanders? Wait a second. looks up the name on Wikipedia

Chris Sanders directed this?! Chris “Lilo & Stitch” Sanders?!

CHRIS “WAS GONNA MAKE A MOVIE CALLED AMERICAN DOG WHICH LOOKED AMAZING THEN DISNEY TOOK IT FROM ME AND CALLED IT BOLT” SANDERS?!

CHRIS “ONLY GUY WHO GOT A CHARACTER DESIGN SOLD BACK TO HIM BY DISNEY WHICH IS NOW A WEBCOMIC” SANDERS!?

Holy shit. I’m actually excited for this!

And looking at the voice cast, it sounds even better! You’ve got the Apatow trio of Jay Baruchel (as lead) along Jonah Hill and Christopher Mintz-Plasse; plus Gerard Butler…and did I hear Craig Ferguson in the trailer? Awesome!

You know, to use a (very vulgar) analogy that my boy Jami likes to implement on a regular basis, Dreamworks Animation has long been the “funny fat friend” to Pixar Animations “hot chick you want to fuck”, but with their past two films (Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens respectively), they’ve fast been building an admirable counterpoint of solid animation…and I think this movie might just continue the trend.  Of course, I’m sure Shrek Goes Forth will come out in 2011, and be so full of only-funny-in-the-moment pop culture gags that I will completely regret writing this paragraph.

I really like the almost salamander-esq design of the baby dragon, and I’m psyched about the vikings.

God damnit, I’m excited for a Dreamworks movie!

How To Train Your Dragon is due to hit theaters in IMAX3D on March 26th, 2010.