‘How to Train Your Dragon 2’ follows Golden Globe win with Oscar nom

TORONTO – Canadian writer-director Dean DeBlois has found himself in an amusing quandary as he celebrates his new Oscar nomination and recent Golden Globe win for “How to Train Your Dragon 2.”

Feelings of “elation and relief” have hindered his efforts to finish the screenplay for the third instalment in the “Dragon” trilogy.

“It’s a little bit of a mind game because I need to be in a state of kind of self-loathing and feelings of ineptitude in order to write for some reason,” DeBlois said with a laugh Thursday just minutes after “Dragon 2” got an Oscar nomination for best animated film.

He also earned an Oscar nomination in the same category for the first “Dragon” film in 2011.

“I really have to feel like I have a point to prove, and then when you’re kind of breaking up the writing process with going to awards shows and being recognized or celebrated for the work you’ve done, it’s kind of the opposite validation that I need to write sometimes.

“It’s a really bizarre process.”

“How to Train Your Dragon 2” is up for the best animated film Oscar against “Big Hero 6,” “The Boxtrolls,” “Song of the Sea” and “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.”

Notably absent from the list is “The Lego Movie,” a widely acclaimed film that got a Golden Globe nomination and seemed to be a shoo-in for Oscar recognition.

“To be honest, I figured they would get the Oscar nom as well,” said DeBlois, 44. “I was really surprised, just because they’ve had so much traction with awards pundits and, rightly so, everybody seemed very enthusiastic about their chances.”

DeBlois co-wrote and co-directed 2010’s “How to Train Your Dragon” with Chris Sanders. Along with their shared best animated feature nomination, the film also got an Oscar nom for best original score.

With the sequel, DeBlois was the lone writer-director and said he had ambitious plans to make it even better than its predecessor. The Golden Globe and Oscar recognition “underscores and validates the bolder choices” he and his team made with some darker storylines, he said.

“There were times when, internally, I thought, ‘Is that just too much for our audience?’ and I think this kind of recognition supports it and makes us feel as a team that we made bold choices but we made the right ones along the way. So going forward it gives us confidence.”

The Brockville, Ont., native, who grew up in Aylmer, Que., said he woke up early to watch the Oscar nominations. He was in his bedroom with his husband, whom he married in October, and their three French Bulldogs when the news came in.

“It’s sort of like being up on Christmas Eve — you can’t sleep, (you’re) awake and kind of waiting for it to happen and having half-lucid dreams about, ‘Well, what if it’s a disaster?’” he said.

“So it’s really wonderful. It’s exciting, it’s nerve-racking and special, especially in the world of animation, where movies take four years to make. You only get to pull that all-nighter once every four years.”

DeBlois isn’t speculating on his chances of actually getting the golden statuette, he said, noting the Golden Globe was a surprise.

“I’m very proud of the film and super proud of the crew and I think we’re all certainly crossing our fingers. But you never know, because every one of the films has its own merits and in a very particular way,” he said.

“The craftsmanship is high on all levels. Each one took risks in its own way and I’m very hopeful but at the same time I dare not to be presumptuous.”