'Dragon' Producer: From Georgia to Hollywood

Jamie Gumbrecht - Atlanta Journal Constitution

Talking over the phone through a perfectly timed round of hiccups, Bonnie Arnold explained the story of a different Hiccup: a geeky Viking who boosts his entire village to high-flying glory in "How to Train Your Dragon."

The film opens Friday and Arnold --- an Atlanta native, 1977 University of Georgia graduate and producer of the animated film --- said they didn't stick too closely to the fantasy "Dragon" story originally told in a book by Cressida Cowell. They made Hiccup a little older, his dragon a lot bigger and the story as relatable as a fairy tale can be.

"I think that's what Hiccup's all about," Arnold said, pausing here and there to, well, hiccup. "It's simple but universal, this guy, Hiccup, whose perceived liabilities become his greatest assets."

In the film, the teen weakling among bearded giants manages to catch a never-before-seen dragon species. But as he gains the injured dragon's trust, he learns the kill-or-be-killed relationship between Vikings and dragons has to stop. He just has to convince his friends, father and a menagerie of fire-breathing, spiky-mouthed reptiles before they destroy each other.

The film features voices of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Gerard Butler and Craig Ferguson.

Arnold worked on "Dragon" for about four years, well before voices were cast.

"I'm like the mom of the baby," she said. "I was there for every little bitty thing all along the way, whether adapting the book into a screenplay, working with the directors to get their vision on the screen, working with casting, the composer, budgets and schedules, marketing."

Her favorite part? Watching the finished product with her teenage daughter. Here's what else she had to say about the film and her career.

Q: You've been working in animation since "Toy Story" in the 1990s. What do you think of changing technology, like 3-D effects used in "Dragon"?

A: It's this unbelievable, magical toolbox. It's not about showing off the tools, it's about those tools supporting the story you're trying to tell. To me, that tool just makes you feel more immersive. It can be the simplest story, but well-told and well-executed, that's what people are looking for.

Q: How did you jump from studying journalism to working in film?

A: When I grew up in Atlanta, no one was ever surprised I wound up in the film business, even though I was surprised. I always loved going to the movies and I really pursued journalism because I was interested in history, politics and I always watched the news. I ended up getting an internship with Georgia Public Television, heard about a job with a filmmaker doing a made-for-PBS thing called "American Playhouse." I got a job as a unit publicist. I remember walking on set for "King of America" and thought, "Oh, my God, this is what I want to do."

Q: What responses have you gotten to "Dragon" so far?

A: People seem to really love it and really respond to it. That's the greatest compliment for myself, the directors and the crew. You have to please yourself, though. You have to make the best film you can --- when I say "you," I mean the small village it took to create this film. We're the best audience, but the hard audience. What will happen on March 26? We will see.

----

More movie news

Movie reviews

Copyright 2012 by Atlanta Journal Constitution