When offered the sequel, Dean DeBlois accepted it on condition he can turn it into a trilogy. For the sequel, he intends to revisit the films of his youth, with Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) having the pivotal inspiration for the film. "What I loved especially about Empire is that it expanded Star Wars in every direction: emotionally, its scope, characters, fun. It felt like an embellishment and that's the goal." Dean further explained, "I find it dangerous to second-guess the audience. I want to make the movie which I want to see. As a kid, I loved films that had a darker side and were emotionally challenging.... 'The Empire Strikes Back' was a big influence. It offered a heightened sense of emotion. It really served as a tonal model." Dean DeBlois admitted in an interview at the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival about the improper use of making animated motion picture sequels. "I think too often animation sequels seem unnecessary. They turn the same five or six characters into another adventure." Upon accepting the task to write and direct the sequel, DeBlois went to DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and pitched a completely different approach: "I told him I was interested if he would consider the idea of a trilogy, because then the first film could serve as a first act in a larger narrative on the way to an overall coming-of-age story where Hiccup would become a wise Viking chief, and we could end on roughly the same concept as Cressida Cowell's book, explaining why the dragons disappeared." With the decision to set the sequel five years after the events, it would work best for the story and DeBlois' ambition. "That way, we could avoid the problem that is often faced by sequels where you start with a character who had all his problems seemingly solved in the first film."