Whether or not the decision makers at DreamWorks Animation know how to train a dragon is up for debate, but they certainly know how to milk a franchise starring a dragon. According to The Hollywood Reporter, How To Train Your Dragon is set to fly in all new venues including a planned theatrical sequel in 2013, a live arena show akin to Walking With Dinosaurs, a television series and an online virtual world.

The evolution of Dragon from mere movie to multi-faceted franchise is a bit surprising given the film's initially weak performance at the box office. But after a mild $44 million opening weekend, Dragon managed to stay strong in the top five, rattled the debut of Kick-Ass, and even won first place last weekend over The Back-Up Plan and The Losers. The animated film is currently sitting atop a domestic gold pile to the tune of $180 million.

"It's not where you start, it's where you finish," DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said of the success of Dragon.