Walking with Dinosaurs creator turns to lifesize fire-breathing dragons

Havelock North man Bruce Mactaggart who conceived the concept of the global best seller "Walking With Dinosaurs" is part of a new project with lifesize fire breathing dragons.
Mr Mactaggart is working with Global Creatures, the technical masterminds behind the phenomenon "Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular", and DreamWorks Theatricals in bringing high-flying, fire-breathing dragons to life in what they say is an unparalleled live entertainment event for a worldwide audience. 
The How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular is an epic arena adventure inspired by the Academy Award nominated DreamWorks Animation film, How to Train Your Dragon.
In the How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular, audiences across the globe will have the unique opportunity to experience the world of How to Train Your Dragon in a one-of-a-kind, live theatrical event that the creators promises will "break every rule of traditional arena entertainment."
In the state-of-the-art production, fire-breathing dragons will soar overhead, immersing audiences in a magical and mythical world of Vikings and Dragons. 
 The cast of characters features 24 Dragons, some with wingspans of up to 14 metres, Viking warriors and villagers as well as world-class circus and acrobatic performers. The arena spectacular will feature unrivalled production values, projections, flying, stunts, circus performers, fire and pyrotechnics.
 In one of the largest theatrical arena productions ever to go on tour, the How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular will require 40 semi-trailers to transport the production whilst on the road around the world.
The World tour of the How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular comes to New Zealand in April 2012, followed by the North American tour in June.
"In our film, audiences around the world were transported to the mythical world of Vikings and Dragons... and now, we are excited to immerse them in a one-of-a-kind live event in the How To Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation.
"The innovative team at Global Creatures and the creative storytellers at DreamWorks Animation have done an inspired job in every imaginable way to present this story on an unprecedented scale that will take audiences to unforgettable new heights."
The 2010 DreamWorks Animation film How To Train Your Dragon grossed approximately US$500 million at the worldwide box office and was among the best-reviewed movies of 2010.   
The How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular rolls fire-breathing action, epic adventure and laughs into a captivating and original story that is set in the mythical world of burly Vikings and wild dragons, and is based on the book by Cressida Cowell.
It centres on Hiccup, a Viking teenager who doesn't fit in with his tribe's longstanding tradition of heroic dragon slayers. Hiccup's world is turned upside down when he encounters a dragon that challenges him and his fellow Vikings to see the world from an entirely different point of view.
The Dragons have been created by Sonny Tilders and his team at The Creature Technology Company (Melbourne, Australia), whose previous work brought to life the stunning, lifelike dinosaurs in Walking With Dinosaurs - the Arena Spectacular.
Included in the cast of 24 Dragons are reincarnations of all of the favourites from the DreamWorks Animation film: Nadder, Gronckle, Nightmare, Toothless - the Night Fury and Red Death, which is the single largest animatronic creature ever made by The Creature Technology Company. 
Creature Designer Tilders said "The How To Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular" will incorporate everything they learned from Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular whilst taking the technology to a "brand new level." 
"Using state-of-the-art computer software we are able to make these creatures perform in ways that we previously thought unimaginable," he said.   
The How to Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular is presented in New Zealand by NZ Entertainment & Events Corporation Limited. NZEEC is New Zealand's leading live entertainment company who recently brought "Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular" to unprecedented acclaim at Vector Arena.
Bruce Mactaggart - the man who conceived the concept of "Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular" - the first global arena spectacular, is the Executive Chairman of NZEEC.