The third and final installment of the DreamWorks’ Dragons franchise is set to hit cinemas 1st February.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, the third installment in the movie series based on the best-selling books by Cressida Cowell, is set to make its theatrical debut in just a few weeks, nine years after the first movie was screened in cinemas.

The franchise has amassed global box office revenues of more than $1b, and has enjoyed a successful transfer to TV with the Dragons: Race to the Edge animated series showing on CBBC, Netflix and other channels across the globe. HTTYD 3 is also the first DreamWorks movie to be released since the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation by Universal, and is therefore the first feature film to benefit from the promotional and marketing expertise of the studios.

To drive excitement and increase awareness in the run-up to the release, toy partners have launched product onto the market. For the festive period last year, Smyths Toy Superstores recently had an exclusive on four key lines from global toy partner Spin Master which launched a week before everyone else in the UK. Early lines are now available trade wide.

Posh Paws, the official plush partner, has launched a range of characters including Toothless, Hookfang, Stormfly, Barf and Belch as well as the new Light Fury, whom fans will meet in the upcoming film. As an added extra, the medium and large plush will come with glow-in-the dark features, including their wings and eyes.

Playmobil is also on board with a new range to coincide with the launch of the movie in February. Debuting at retail in August 2017, the company’s initial offering was well received, and new toy lines launched in Q1 last year.