After Hotel Transylvania 2 director Genndy Tartakovsky was adamant that he wouldn’t return for another sequel.
The huge box office success of the animated film, which took in $473.2 million, over $115 million more than its 2012 predecessor, meant that Sony Pictures Animation were eager for a third installment, though.
But rather than being an offer from the studio, it was a surprise cruise trip from his in-laws that convinced Tartakovsky to make a third film, the first of the franchise that he has written as well as directed.
“When I did the press for ‘Hotel 2’ my big thing was, ‘I am never, ever going to do a third one.’ It was a big statement,” Tartakovsky recalled to me and a group of journalists during a recent presentation for “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.”
“But then that year I was surprised with a cruise by my in laws. Just locally. Who doesn’t love to be trapped on a Cruise with their in laws? As we were getting onto the boat and preparing for the experience I realized that this was the perfect setting for the monster family.”
“Then I really started to warm to the idea and it really started to write itself. With all things creative, sometimes when it happens organically that is the best sign. So I just started to roll with it. Everyone else agreed, and all of the cast has returned.”
As well as the return of Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, Mel Brooks, Keegan-Michael Key and David Spade Tartakovsky also confirmed that Chrissy Teigen has been added to the ensemble, too.
She will play Crystal, The Invisible Girlfriend to Spade’s Invisible Man, while Tartakovsky also provided more information on the additions of Jim Gaffigan and Kathryn Hahn to the franchise.
They will play Abraham Van Helsing, the legendary monster hunter and Dracula’s arch enemy, and Ericka Van Helsing, Abraham’s great granddaughter and the director for the cruise ship that Dracula takes a fancy, too.
Tartakovsky also confirmed that Joe Jonas will provide the voice for an all singing version of the Kraken, as well as premiering some of the footage for the film to us, the highlight of which was the opening scene, which introduced Abraham Van Helsing with a Road Runner style montage of him trying to capture and kill Count Dracula (Adam Sandler). He fails miserably. Repeatedly.
We also got a glimpse at Dracula on a monster version of Tinder, the Drac Pack on a Gremlin piloted plane, and then the cruise ship launching from the Bermuda Triangle and visiting the famed lost city of Atlantis, which is basically a nautical Las Vegas. All of which had the requisite amount of oddball, goofy, and family friendly comedy that we have come to expect from the franchise.
You can actually take a peek at all of the above in the trailer below, while we’ll get to see if “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” actually delivers when it is finally released on July 13, 2018.
