A still from the How to Train Your Dragon live show depicting Astrid swooping in to battle with the deadly Nadder. Photo: Courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

When a 7-year-old girl wrote to the Australian national science agency to ask for a dragon earlier this month as a gift and tried to call it "Toothless," it was clear that the DreamWorks franchise How to Train Your Dragon had created a special place in children's hearts.

Chinese audiences dreaming of the mythical creatures will be able to see what all the excitement is about when the How to Train Your Dragon live show visits China this summer, featuring an exciting story involving life-sized dragons.

The Yurun Group (a Chinese group involved in food production, tourism, real estate and many other sectors) is bringing the DreamWorks Animation's show to China after its incredible success in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

"China certainly knows about dragons. The history of dragons in China goes back thousands of years, and in this show dragons actually come to life," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of DreamWorks Animation, at a press conference at the National Stadium on Monday.

A newly-built theater adjacent to the National Stadium in Beijing will house the show, and there are also plans to take the act to several other Chinese cities. Tickets will go on sale after the Chinese Spring Festival, with four to eight performances planned each week.

Flying dragons



"The dragon arena show is something we first produced in New Zealand. It then moved to Australia, the United States and Canada and has been a tremendous success everywhere it's played," said Katzenberg.

The movie features a Viking boy named Hiccup, a smart lad but not as good at fighting dragons as his clansmen. One day he helps an injured dragon and discovers he has a special gift for communicating with the mysterious creatures. After building a friendship with dragons, the Vikings and the legendary animals unite to save their world in a spectacular battle. With it's warm and spirited story line, the live show delivers a special experience for audiences of all ages. Katzenberg says the show owes its great success to the unique technology behind it. "We created state of art projections that interact with the live elements of the show. We spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort into  making it beautiful."

DreamWorks produced the show with Global Creatures, whose remarkable Walking with Dinosaurs also won global applause. A dozen life-sized dragons feature in the show, with some of them displaying their huge wingspans while soaring across the theatre. The main characters are played by world-class acrobats and circus artists, who showcase their eye-catching skills by riding the flying dragons in front of the audiences.

"We are using new digital technology to create a beautiful, immersive world in the stadium. Audiences will feel like they have gone back in time," remarked Katzenberg. "To see these full-sized dragons is just amazing, you can watch dragons flying over you, breathing fire."

"The show is very visual, and much like our animated movies, I think it will be popular anywhere in world," said Katzenberg.

Dreams for China



At the press conference, Kaztenberg praised his Chinese partner Yurun Group for creating the opportunity by bringing the show to China. "All the work  they produce is first class," said Kaztenberg.

Feng Kuande, the executive director of Yurun Group, said: "Live shows are an important new area in entertainment, and go beyond what audiences can see in movies. How to Train Your Dragon combines real actors with amazing technology, and will be a unique experience for Chinese audiences." Katzenberg has been visiting China every month for more than two years, showing his strong interest in this market.

"I think China has nothing but promising opportunities. We are building a new Oriental Dreamworks company here with three Chinese partners, and also setting up an animation studio in Shanghai. There will be tremendous new ideas coming from that partnership," he said.