For Genndy Tartakovsky, co-writer and director of Columbia Pictures’ Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation, returning to the Hotel Transylvania characters was not a simple decision.
Simply put, there had to be a reason for him to come back and make another one – a seaworthy sequel. “I love the characters, but if we were going to do a third film, we had to take them someplace they’ve never been before – both physically and emotionally,” says Tartakovsky.
“That’s what we’re doing here. Not only are Drac’s Pack out of the hotel and visiting fun, exotic locations on a monster cruise, but we’ve turned Drac and Mavis’s relationship on its head. Instead of Drac being the concerned parent as his daughter falls in love and has a child, now Mavis is overly concerned as her father ‘zings’ for a second time. Or maybe she’s not overly concerned – maybe he’s in real danger.”
Tartakovsky says that the inspiration for the new film came directly from his real-life experience. “After I finished the second film, I needed a vacation – and my in-laws surprised us with a family cruise,” he notes. “I’m sure everyone loves their in-laws as much as I do, but the cruise forced us all to be together in a small space for a week. That inspired me – what would happen if you put Drac’s Pack in that situation?”
“I think the Hotel Transylvania films connect with families because they’re about families,” says Tartakovsky. “Sure, every family is different – but really, everybody’s kind of the same. And that’s what makes the movies connect all over the world.”
The setting opens up a whole new world for the characters, Tartakovsky says. “There’s even more visual humor, more fun than the first two films,” he says. “It’s not just a cruise – it’s an adventure. They get to explore new and exotic locations – including the lost city of Atlantis. But there’s also real danger involved as they start to wonder if Ericka, the ship’s captain, is leading them right into a trap.”
Bigger laughs – like Gremlin Air, where the little monsters that make your flight go wrong have been put in charge… like the Bermuda Triangle, which is a literal triangle that eats up planes and ships… relaxing times like moon bathing (can’t be in the sun), an underwater volcano, scuba diving, dolphin surfing… let’s face it: monsters may be just like us, but their vacations are way different (and way better).
And that doesn’t even include the monsters’ final destination: the lost city of Atlantis. “It’s our version of Vegas,” says producer Michelle Murdocca. “From the depths of the ocean arises a massive kraken – and just when you think this is it, he breaks into a swing-a-ding-ding Sinatraesque song, courtesy of Joe Jonas.”
In Philippine cinemas August 22, Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.