How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless takes his first test flight

The international cast of How To Train Your Dragon have been rehearsing 6 days a week, 8 hours a day since November last year at Fox Studios, Sydney. Starring two young Australians in the leading roles of Hiccup (Rarmian Newton) and Astrid (Sarah McCreanor) this brand new arena spectacular, produced by Global Creatures, is set to begin a world tour on March 2 at Hisense Arena, Melbourne.

While the cast are busy rehearsing, the team behind the slightly larger performers have been working tirelessly to ensure the dragons are ready to… yes, that’s right – fly. The 24 Dragons in How To Train Your Dragon have been created by Sonny Tilders and his team at The Creature Technology Company, building on technology already used by Global Creatures in their highly successful show Walking With Dinosaurs. 

“How To Train Your Dragon Arena Spectacular will incorporate everything we learned from Walking with Dinosaurs whilst taking the technology to a brand new level”, said Tilders.

“Using state of the art computer software we are able to make these creatures perform in ways that we previously thought unimaginable. Utilising computer controlled flying systems we have created a show that inhabits the air above you as well as the arena floor below.”

The cast of performers will be assisted by an international technical team whose members have created many of the world’s most memorable spectacles, and an Australian team who have worked on projects like the Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony. It is understood that there are more than 100 touring members of the cast and crew.

We have some special footage of one of the animatronic dragons (Toothless, for those who know the original DreamWorks animated movie) taking his first flight in Sydney recently. It’s breathtaking – really.