Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation

Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, titled Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation in some countries, is the sequel to Hotel Transylvania 2. It was released on July 13, 2018 and the twenty-eighth Sony Pictures Animation film.

Before the release of Hotel Transylvania 2 there was already talk going around about the possibility of a third film. On November 2, 2015 it was officially announced that Hotel Transylvania 3 would be released in 2018. It was originally stated that the previous films director, Genndy Tartakovsky, would not be returning to direct the third film. However, on June 20, 2016 Genndy confirmed that after a change of mind he would indeed return to direct Hotel Transylvania 3.

Plotedit | edit source
The film begins in 1897, just years before the events of the first film and 100 years before Johnny was certified yellow belt, where Dracula and his friends disguised as humans are travelling on a train to Budapest. Professor Abraham Van Helsing, a monster hunter, boards the train with his proton pack and unveils the monsters. The monsters escape by climbing through the roof of the train and jumping off. Van Helsing has a special interest in destroying Dracula, but is constantly outsmarted by him.

In the present day, a few months after the events of the previous film, Dracula is running his hotel business smoothly when his daughter, Mavis announces that they will be going on a cruise so he can get a vacation from giving vacations and spend more time with his family. The next day, Dracula, Mavis, Johnny and the rest of their family board a cruise ship called the Legacy. Dracula sees the ship's human captain, Ericka and falls in love with her. Meanwhile, Blobby is shown to be sea sick and eventually vomits out a tiny blob creature. The tiny blob quickly latches onto Blobby, believing him to be his father. Wayne and Wanda drop their kids off at a Kids Club.

Ericka goes to a secret room on the lower decks, where she meets Abraham Van Helsing, who is revealed to be her great-grandfather and is almost completely mechanized to avoid death. Van Helsing has plans to eliminate all the monsters in the cruise upon it's arrival at the lost city of Atlantis, despite Ericka attempting to secretly assassinate Dracula beforehand. After failing to kill Dracula at an underwater volcano, Ericka moans about being unable to get a hold of him. Dracula's friends hear this, and thinking that Ericka likes Dracula, inform him about what they overheard. Dracula asks Ericka out on a date and they dine on a deserted island, where Ericka becomes infatuated with Dracula's charm.

Mavis finds out Dracula is interested in Ericka and becomes worried, due to suspicion of Ericka's motives. The tour reaches Atlantis, which has been converted into a casino. Dracula decides to tell Mavis the truth about his affections, but gets distracted upon seeing Ericka going into a crypt below the city. He follows her, with Mavis close behind, and discovers that Ericka is after an object that her great-grandfather told her to get in order to carry out his plans. With Dracula's constant help, she gets past the numerous booby traps around the object and escapes. Mavis arrives, and Dracula tells her that he is in love with Erica, but Ericka leaves Dracula, saying she can't be with a monster.

A depressed Ericka gives Van Helsing the object of destruction, and he proceeds to set a trap for them at a DJ party. Noticing that Dracula is still upset, Mavis advises her father to talk to Ericka. Suddenly, Van Helsing shows up and pushes away the DJ, and a saddened Ericka reveals she is his great-granddaughter. Van Helsing unveils his weapon, a case for a musical note sheet, and plays a song that drives a friendly Kraken that lives near the island to attack the monsters. Ericka announces her love to Dracula before saving him from the Kraken. In order to pacify the Kraken, Johnny opens up a portable DJ kit and starts playing positive songs to beat Van Helsing's song. Upon playing Macarena, the Kraken is relaxed and happy for good; Van Helsing is unable to counter the song as everyone begins to dance, including the music sheet (which shreds itself in the process).

Van Helsing ends up dancing too and accidentally slips and falls down to the sea, but is saved by Dracula. Touched by this act of kindness, Van Helsing apologizes and gives everyone a refund before sending them back.

Later, back at Hotel Transylvania, Dracula proposes to Ericka, who agrees to marry him.

Castedit | edit source

 * Adam Sandler as Dracula
 * Selena Gomez as Mavis
 * Andy Samberg as Jonathan
 * Kathryn Hahn as Ericka Van Helsing
 * Asher Blinkoff as Dennis
 * Kevin James as Frankenstein
 * Fran Drescher as Eunice
 * Steve Buscemi as Wayne
 * Molly Shannon as Wanda
 * Keegan-Michael Key as Murray
 * David Spade as Griffin the Invisible Man
 * Mel Brooks as Vlad
 * Genndy Tartakovsky as Blobby, Blobby Baby, Blobby Puppy
 * Sadie Sandler as Winnie
 * Jim Gaffigan as Abraham Van Helsing
 * Chrissy Teigen as Crystal
 * Joe Jonas as Kraken
 * Jamie Camil as El Chupacabra
 * Joe Whyte as Tinkles, Bob
 * Chris Parnell as Stan
 * Aaron LaPlante as Gremlins, Gremlin Pilot, Gremlin Stewardess
 * Michelle Murdocca as Phone Voice, Kelsey, Witch #1, Witch #2
 * Joyce Arrastia as Zingr Witch, Witch 3
 * Sunny Sandler as Sunny
 * Tara Strong as Frankenlady
 * Libby Thomas Dickey as Libby
 * Patrick Harpin as Austrian Boy
 * Craig Kellman as Mr. Hydraberg
 * Robert Smigel as Harry Three-Eyes
 * Lex Lang, Brian T. Delaney, Robin Atkin Downes, Mona Marshall, Todd Haberkorn, Jessica Gee-George, Grant George, Rif Hutton, Caitlin McKenna, Andrew Morgado, Michelle Ruff, Joseph Sanfelippo, Keith Silverstein, Fred Tatasciore, Kirk Thornton, Amanda Troop, Kari Wahlgren, Audrey Wasilewski, Debra Wilson, Michael-Leon Wooley as Additional Voices

Productionedit | edit source
In September 2015, Michelle Murdocca, the film's producer, said before the second film's release that the studio was "talking about number 3 and moving forward and taking the franchise to the next level", but she and director Genndy Tartakovsky would not return, since they were working on Tartakovsky's Can You Imagine? before that project was later shelved. That same month, Tartakovsky revealed that he would not be returning for the sequel, telling TheWrap that "two is enough. I have a lot of other ideas, and I kind of have to express them and have them come out." In November 2015, Sony Pictures Animation announced that the third film, under the tentative title of Hotel Transylvania 3, will be released on September 21, 2018.

Despite previously leaving the series to develop other projects, Tartakovsky later confirmed that he would return as the director for this installment. Adam Sandler, Selena Gomez, and Andy Samberg would also reprise their previous roles as Dracula, Mavis, and Johnny in the film, which was being written by Austin Powers writer Michael McCullers. In June 2016, Sony Pictures Animation also confirmed that director Tartakovsky would be returning for the third film, after taking a leave of absence to work on the final season of his show Samurai Jack. According to Tartakovsky, he returned after he got an inspiration from a "miserable" family vacation and major inspiration for the film from the Chevy Chase National Lampoon's Vacation movies as the film would take place aboard a cruise ship. By early November 2017, the film had been entitled as Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.

Tartakovsky had become stumped with an idea for a third movie. Being surprised by his in-laws with a cruise for a week caused him to panic, but gave him an idea: "putting classic monsters into a summer movie".

Releaseedit | edit source
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation was originally scheduled for a September 21, 2018 release. However, on February 6, 2017, it was moved two months earlier to July 13, 2018, switching over to Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.

Triviaedit | edit source

 * This is the first film in the Hotel Transylvania series not to be released in September.
 * The fourth Sony Pictures Animation film to be released in July, after The Smurfs, The Smurfs 2 and The Emoji Movie.
 * The second Sony Pictures Animation film to have the "Sony Pictures Animation presents" credit, after Open Season 3.
 * Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is the third Sony Pictures Animation franchise has become a trilogy, after Open Season 3 and Smurfs: The Lost Village.
 * This is the second Sony Pictures Animation film not to include the Columbia Pictures logo at the beginning, despite the company distributing it possibly due to only distributing the film and not involved in the production after The Star and following The Angry Birds Movie 2.
 * The domestic theatrical release, the Netflix version and the TV version use the "Summer Vacation" subtitle card, while the international and most worldwide digital download releases use "A Monster Vacation" subtitle card. However, the North American DVD, Blu-ray, and selected digital releases contain no subtitle card, so don't expect to see the same version twice.
 * This is second Sony Pictures Animation film to be released on home media formats in October, after The Emoji Movie.
 * Ironically, each film in the Hotel Transylvania franchise shows a different vampire making scary faces; Dracula makes scary faces in the first film, Mavis makes a scary face in the second film, and Vlad makes a scary face at the Monster Ball in this film.
 * This is the first film of the franchise that does not feature a “Pouty Bat face” scene.
 * This is the last Sony Pictures Animation film to use the 2011 logo.
 * This is the first time Tinkles appears with Frankenstein, Eunice, Wayne, Wanda, Murray, Griffin the Invisible Man, Vlad, Blobby, Werewolf Kids and Winnie.
 * This is the first film where Mavis does not say "Holy rabies".
 * This is the 10th Sony Pictures Animation film to be produced in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, after The Star, Smurfs: The Lost Village, Hotel Transylvania 2, The Smurfs 2, Hotel Transylvania, Arthur Christmas, The Smurfs, Surf's Up, and Open Season.