Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2024 film)

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (released internationally as Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation) is an upcoming American animated monster adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, The Jim Henson Company and release by Walt Disney Pictures. It will be a upcoming of Disney animated feature film, and the sequel to Hotel Transylvania: Escape 2 Internet (2018), it was directed by Joel Crawford, written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio and Michael McCullers, and features Adam Sandler, Ryan Reynolds, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, John C. Reilly, Maya Rudolph, Sadie Sandler, Jack McBrayer, Keegan-Michael Key, Asher Blinkoff, Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Rachel Bloom, Sarah Silverman, Taraji P. Henson and Idris Elba reprising their roles, with new additions to the cast including Jayma Mays, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, J. K. Simmons, Alfred Molina, Pharrell Williams, Harvey Guillén, Joe Whyte, Tara Strong, Chrissy Teigen, Awkwafina, Tiffany Haddish, Marsai Martin, Catherine Keener, Bobby Cannavale, Nick Jonas, John Mulaney, Keanu Reeves, Snoop Dogg, Danny Trejo, and Crawford, while Chris Parnell, who voiced The Fly in the first two films, voices Stan.

Discussions for a third Hotel Transylvania film began following its the success of second film release and was announced in January 2022 to be released on November 27, 2024 before being pushed forward for a June 2024 release date. Despite Rich Moore and Phil Johnston initially leaving the franchise, with Crawford confirmed in June 2022 after receiving inspiration from a "miserable" family vacation and the Chevy Chase National Lampoon's Vacation movies. Paul and Daurio was brought on board to write the film, previously doing the second film, while the rest of the voice cast, including Sandler, Samberg, and Gomez, reprised their roles. The official title was revealed in October 2023. A two sequels was in development.

Premise
In the film, Dracula embarks on a vacation on a luxury adventure with his vampire's family and friends.

Cast

 * Adam Sandler as Count "Drac" Dracula, Mavis' father, Count Vlad's youngest son, and Dennis’ maternal grandfather. Centuries after the demise of his beloved wife Martha, he ultimately falls for a human woman and proposes to her.
 * Jayma Mays as Ericka Van Helsing, the captain of the Legacy cruise, Dracula's love interest, and the great granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing.
 * J. K. Simmons as the Wolf / Death, a black hooded wolf who is initially presumed to be a bounty hunter before revealing his true identity to Dracula, who he wants to personally kill as punishment for Dracula defeating Van Helsing as his job is to deal with the dead. He wields twin sickles that combine into a double-bladed glaive.
 * Ryan Reynolds as Jonathan "Johnny" Loughran, Mavis' husband, Dracula's son-in-law, and Dennis' human father.
 * Selena Gomez as Mavis Dracula, Drac's daughter, Johnny's wife, and Dennis' vampire mother, from whom he inherited his vampire abilities which he first developed on his fifth birthday, as do all pureblood vampires.
 * Antonio Banderas as Vamp in Boots, a swashbuckling vampire, who is Drac's brother. The name of Vamp in Boots references of Puss in Boots.
 * Salma Hayek as Kitty Softvamp, a street-savvy Tuxedo vampire, who is Vamp' ex-fiancée. The name of Kitty Softvamp references of Kitty Softpaws.
 * Harvey Guillén as Perrito, a friendly and naïve dog who is initially disguised as Mama Luna's pet cats and wants to become a therapy dog.
 * Kevin James as Frankenstein, Drac's friend who hangs with Murray.
 * Jack McBrayer as Griffin, Drac, Frank, Wayne and Murray's invisible friend.
 * John C. Reilly as Wayne, a werewolf who is friends with Drac, Frank, Murray and Griffin.
 * Keegan-Michael Key as Murray, a mummy who hangs with Frank. Murray was previously voiced by CeeLo Green in the first film.
 * Maya Rudolph as Wanda, Wayne's werewolf wife who is friends with Eunice.
 * Fran Drescher as Eunice, Frank's wife who is friends with Wanda.
 * Asher Blinkoff as Dennis "Dennisovitch" Dracula-Loughran, Mavis and Johnny's dhampir son, Dracula's grandson, and Winnie's love interest. He has his mother's blue eyes and extraordinarily strong vampire abilities, and his father's orange hair and freckles.
 * Steve Carell as Phil Betterman, the patriarch of the Bettermans who had a history with Johnny's parents.
 * Kristen Wiig as Hope Betterman, the matriarch of the Bettermans and Phil's wife.
 * Sarah Silverman as Vanellope Loughran, who befriends Mavis and is Johnny's sister.
 * Rachel Bloom as Dawn Betterman, Phil and Hope's daughter and only child who befriends Mavis and Vanellope and is Johnny's old friend.
 * Taraji P. Henson as Yesss, an algorithm that determines the trending videos on BuzzzTube, and Vlad's love interest.
 * Marsai Martin as Goldilocks – known as Goldi, the leader of the Three Bears Crime Family who wants to use Last Wish to regain her biological family.
 * Kailey Crawford as Young Goldilocks
 * Catherine Keener as Mama Bear – Papa Bear's wife, Baby Bear's mother and Goldilocks' adoptive mother.
 * Bobby Cannavale as Papa Bear – Mama Bear's husband, Baby Bear's father and Goldilocks' adoptive father.
 * Nick Jonas as Baby Bear – Papa Bear and Mama Bear's son, and Goldilocks' adoptive brother.
 * Alfred Molina as King Poseidon
 * John Mulaney as "Big" Jack Horner, a feared pastry salesman and crime lord who plans to use the Wishing Star to gain control of all magic. He has collected various magical items, creatures and people ever since being denied fairy-tale fame by calling himself "Little" Jack Horner as a kid. His group of henchmen cooks is called "the Baker's Dozen".
 * Sadie Sandler as Winnie, the werewolf daughter of Wayne and Wanda. She is Dennis' best friend and mutual love interest. She is later voiced by Zoe Berri in the next film.
 * Idris Elba as Count Vlad, an ancient, more experienced and traditional vampire who is Dracula's father, the late Martha's father-in-law, Mavis' paternal grandfather, Jonathan's grandfather-in-law, and Dennis's maternal great-grandfather. Since the end of the third movie, he is Ericka's father-in-law.
 * Chris Parnell as Stan, a fish-man that works on the Legacy. Parnell previously voiced The Fly in the first two films.
 * Joe Whyte as:
 * Tinkles, Dennis' giant pet puppy.
 * Bob, one of the Gremlins who works as a co-pilot on Gremlins' airlines.
 * Pharrell Williams as Kraken, a giant music-loving sea monster that lives near Atlantis.
 * Chrissy Teigen as Crystal, an invisible woman who is Griffin's new girlfriend.
 * Awkwafina as Otto
 * Keanu Reeves as Sage
 * Snoop Dogg as The Gambler
 * Danny Trejo as El Diablo
 * Tiffany Haddish as Master of Ceremonies
 * Reggie Watts as Chancellor
 * Joel Crawford as:
 * Blobby, a green blob monster. He was previously voiced by Jonny Solomon in Hotel Transylvania 2.
 * Blobby Baby, a spawn of Blobby.
 * Puppy Blobby, Blobby Baby's pet and another spawn of Blobby.
 * Tara Strong as Frankenlady (voiced by Alison Hammond and credited as Frankenginger in the UK release), a female whose right arm is related to Frank from his right hand's side of the family.
 * Jaime Camil as El Chupacabra, a passenger on the Legacy.

Additionally, Crawford, Whyte, Strong, and Teigen also reprised their roles in the French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish, and Romanian language dubs of the movie.

Development and casting
After the critical and commercial success of Hotel Transylvania: Escape 2 Internet (2018), director Rich Moore stated that he will not return for the sequel. In February 2019, it was reported that Tim Hill was set to direct the film. In January 2022, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced that the third film, under the tentative title of Hotel Transylvania 3, had been set for release on November 27, 2024, with Joel Crawford was attached as director, replacing Hill as director, having previously helmed DreamWorks Animation's The Croods: A New Age (2020) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2020). Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, and Ryan Reynolds also reprised their previous roles, as Dracula, Mavis, and Johnny, respectively, and the film was written by Despicable Me writer Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio will return. Austin Powers writer Michael McCullers was announced as co-screenwriter. By early November 2022, the film had been entitled Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation. With the new cast members were announced in March 2023, including Jayma Mays, J. K. Simmons, Alfred Molina, Marsai Martin, Catherine Keener, Bobby Cannavale, Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Chrissy Teigen, Tiffany Haddish, Awkwafina, Snoop Dogg, Keanu Reeves, Nick Jonas, Joe Jonas, Kate Hudson, Joe Whyte, and Tara Strong. Sandler and Mays was worked previously in PAW Patrol: The Movie (2021), The Emoji Movie (2023), and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie (2023).

Writing
According to Crawford, he joined after he received inspiration from a "miserable" family vacation, and from the Chevy Chase National Lampoon's Vacation movies, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020). While wanting the film to retain the adult humor from previous entries, Crawford also wanted the film to have a darker tone, with Drac' mortality and fear of death being the film's main focus, wanting to use the concept of Puss being in his last life to tell a story about how to enjoy life. He drew inspiration from fairytales by the Brothers Grimm and how they were "cautionary tales that took you somewhere dark to make you appreciate the light". This also influenced the decision to depict Death as a wolf, as wolves in Brothers Grimm's stories were depicted as "the personification of fear". Other influences for the film include Spaghetti Westerns films, due to how those films managed to balance between different tones.The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly was cited as a particular influence on the film's plot.

Cinematography and Filming
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is the first Disney Animation film since Tangled (2010) to employ a tall frame, a decision made to "get closer to the characters". This layout was supplemented by romanticism lighting. According to Crawford, romantic (meaning heightened in spirit) is the film's key word in terms of the approach towards cinematography and lighting. The latter was also inspired by magical realism, due to the genre's heavy influence on the writing and characters.

The directors aimed to use the film's optics to portray strong emotions. Brian Leach—directors of cinematography, lighting—stated this use "would amplify, exaggerate, and distort perception, which is very in line with Dracula's point of view as a narrator". Her feelings of being left out were also shown using emotive lighting. The directors frequently reminded the crew of the emotional subtext of every scene as well as the intricacies of the individual parts. That subtext was applied by Beattie, Leach, and Jacomini in elaborate sequences, such as the song "Surface Pressure". On January 22, 2023, it was confirmed that production on the film had officially begun. The film includes live-action sequences, the animated sequences of the film are entirely computer-animated.

Animation and design
The film's design was inspired by Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), to make the film look more like storybook illustrations, from an idea suggested by production designer David Goetz.

Music
Henry Jackman returned to score the third film, having previously scored the first two installments. Mötley Crüe's song "Kickstart My Heart " and Pitbull's song "Shake Senora" were used in promotional material. Pharrell Williams released the new song "Yellow Light". Artists who are part of the original soundtrack include Becky G, Swae Lee, J Balvin, Tyga, Lil Mosey, Tainy, Weezer, Snoop Dogg, The Flaming Lips, and Kenny G. Cyndi Lauper and Rob Hyman also co-wrote the track "Secret to the Formula". Previous material that are part of the film but not on the soundtrack album are "Slow Ride" by Foghat, "Dream Weaver" by Gary Wright, and Kenny G's cover of "My Heart Will Go On" from the film Titanic. iamOther Entertainment and Columbia Records released the film's soundtrack on June 18, 2024, and Walt Disney Records released the film's score album released on June 22, 2024.

Theatrical
Summer Vacation was originally scheduled for release on November 27, 2024, a date that was later moved up five months earlier to June 21.