This August, the O2 Arena in London will be the host of a revolutionary exhibition, dubbed Walking With Dinosaurs. The manifestation will feature 15 of the beasts, all of them operated by animatronic devices, as well as by master puppeteers. The show is meant to give visitors a glimpse of how the real creatures may have behaved millions of years ago, in their natural environment. The star of the event will most likely be the full-scale Tyrannosaurs Rex model, which is one of the largest pieces in the exhibit. The model is so large, that an 8-year-old could easily fit in its open mouth.
The exhibition draws its name from a 10-year-old BBC series, and it's expected to employ over 65 performers on stage, next to the scaled models. The large T-Rex will also be accompanied by a smaller one, the faithful replica of a cub. The organizers share that, although the large model will most likely be the main attraction, the small one is somewhat of a “scene stealer,” with the little ones finding it easier to relate to the baby dino rather than to its massive parent.
The largest item in the exhibit is the herbivorous brachiosaurus dinosaur, which dwarfs the T-Rex anytime. The beast is 32 feet (9.7 meters) in height, and 72 feet (22 meters) in length. Real-life ones, which lived millions of years ago, could have reached even more impressive sizes, researchers say. The creatures fed on the canopy of trees, far above the height average herbivorous dinosaurs could reach.
Setting up the entire show hasn't been at all cheap, the researchers reveal. It took 10 million GBP ($14.3 million) to produce, and the team that worked on the layout and construction of the models, a group consisting of about 50 members, needed a full year to complete its task. Engineers, puppet makers, artists and animatronics experts also contributed to the overall designs, while paleontologists gave the organizers hints as to how the animals should move and even roar.
The show is not for the faint of heart, those behind the event caution. The experience is meant to faithfully reproduce encounters with each of the 15 animals, with all the consequences that may ensue afterwards. That's not to say that the T-Rex will actually eat the little kids in front of the terrified parents. It may be a good idea to expect anything if you're attending, as the models will most likely start roaring when you least expect it.
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