Dragon Rider is an animated feature film based on the successful bestseller by Cornelia Funke, which has sold more than three million copies worldwide. A family film about an unlikely trio of heroes – a dragon, a boy and a forest brownie, and their epic adventure to find the 'Rim of Heaven' - the mythological safe haven for all dragons. Their quest leads them from the wilds of Northern Europe, halfway around the world, to the snowcapped Himalayas.

When humans threaten to invade the valley the dragons live in, Firedrake, a young silver dragon, and his best friend Sorrel, a forest brownie, sneak away in the middle of the night and secretly embark on a great quest to find the ‘Rim of Heaven’, a mystical place the other dragons consider to be a myth. On the way they meet Ben, a 14-year-old boy, who joins them on their journey under the pretense of being an alleged ‘Dragon Rider’. Firedrake puts his faith in the boy, despite Sorrel's protests that humans should not be trusted. Unbeknownst to the trio they are being stalked by a vicious, man-made, dragon-killing machine called Nettlebrand, who is intent on following them to the Rim of Heaven and hunting down Firedrake and all the other dragons there. Once Firedrake, Ben and Sorrel realise that Nettlebrand is following their tracks, a race against time begins. Their journey ends in the discovery of the Rim of Heaven, the defeat of Nettlebrand and avoiding the reignition of war between dragons and humans.

FIREDRAKE is a young and enthusiastic dragon, and the only silver dragon in the pack. When the humans threaten to invade the valley, feelings of responsibility drive him to take things in his own hands and secretly fly halfway around the world in search of the Rim of Heaven, with the sole intention of finding a safe place for the dragons to live. His self-belief is shattered when he realises he is ill-equipped to meet the challenges of a world filled with threat and menace. Firedrake seeks guidance from Ben, a self-proclaimed ‘Dragon Rider’, who he believes will help him to fulfill his task. Through his belief in Ben, Firedrake discovers his full dragon potential, which later turns out to be the key to fulfilling his destiny as the unlikely savior of all dragons and the only one who can overpower Nettlebrand. At the end of his quest Firedrake overcomes both mental and physical barriers and transforms from being naive and inexperienced, into a true, future leader.

BEN lives alone in a deserted warehouse in a big city. He’s street smart, clever, cunning and uses any opportunity to his advantage. But underneath his confident exterior Ben is a hurt and lonely little boy, orphaned at an early age and forced to live a premature adult life. Ben plays along with Firedrake’s false assumption that he is ‘Dragon Rider’ in the hope that he and Sorrel will lead him to the treasure hidden in the Himalayas. When he eventually discovers there is no treasure in the mountains, he is torn between fleeing or standing with his new friends to face Nettlebrand. Against his better judgment he chooses the latter. Throughout the quest Ben’s perspective of the world and of himself gradually changes from being self-centered, to caring and compassionate. He realises that he is destined to a purpose much greater than he could have ever imagined and learns the true value of friendship. During this transformation he becomes living proof to Firedrake and Sorrel that not all humans are inherently bad. For choosing the right path, Ben is rewarded with a wonderful new warm home and a loving foster family.

SORREL is a female brownie and Firedrake's best friend. She is small, fast, agile and would do anything to protect Firedrake. Using her keen senses, she detects threats and keeps the group out of trouble. She dislikes humans due to her family’s profound prejudice against them and is very worried by Firedrake's decision to allow Ben to join their quest. Firedrake’s newly found friendship with Ben tests Sorrel’s loyalty to the limit. She is confronted by her conflicting feelings and preconceptions about humans as well as being envious due to the threat of losing her place as Firedrake’s best friend. After going through the adventure as a team, meeting new friends and overcoming dangerous challenges together, Sorrel finally understands that humans can choose to change their ways from bad to good and drops her prejudiced opinions.