THE BALLOON MAN

'How to Train Your Dragon' Arena Show Will Take Dragons Worldwide

August 8, 2011

Source: THR

by Ethan Anderton

If the DreamWorks Animation adaptation of How to Train Your Dragon, or the forthcoming sequel just don't get you and your family close enough to the fire-breathing action, then you may want to listen up. According to THR, Australian live entertainment group Global Creatures and and their animatronic division The Creature Technology Company are working with DWA on a live arena show that will bring full scale, fire breathing dragons, projections, flying, stunts, circus performers and pyrotechnics. The show has been in the works for five years and will have its world premiere in Melbourne, Australia in March of 2012.After debuting down under, the show will then head over to New Zealand before making its way to the United States in June. Other locations and dates have yet to be determined yet, but the plan is to have it hit many more spots around the world. The companies behind the show also brought the live arena show Walking with Dinosaurs around the world, so they know exactly what they're doing here. In addition, DWA chief creative officer Bill Damaschke says, "the complex animatronics, the cast of eighty including Viking warriors and villagers as well as world-class circus and acrobatic performers, all are quite ambitious." Full scale fire-breathing dragons on stage with a slew of vikings and acrobatic action? Sounds pretty damn great to me. Tickets aren't on sale yet, so keep your ears to the ground for more info on this promising show.