Universal Studios Hollywood to debut Dreamworks Theatre with ‘Kung Fu Panda’ attraction

After recently acquiring DreamWorks Animation, Universal Studios Hollywood is preparing for this summer’s debut of the all-new DreamWorks Theatre presenting the attraction, “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest.”

Inspired by the “Kung Fu Panda” franchise, this attraction will take guests on a journey that combines storytelling with state-of-the-art visual effects for an exciting and engaging experience.

Created and produced by Universal Creative and DreamWorks Animation, “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest” tells a story of the morning of The Emperor’s Great Feast of Heroes, where dragon warrior Po sets out on a dangerous mission to deliver the precious and rare Liquid of Limitless Power to the Palace. On the way, he enlists the help of the guests as they follow him on his adventure full of raging rapids, magic, river pirates and Kung Fu.

This multi-sensory attraction will introduce the first-ever integration of interior projection mapping that will immerse guests in 180 degrees of adventure. Developed by Universal Creative, this never-before-adapted technique will show a series of immersive scenic designs that will transform the interior of the attraction to enhance the story.

All of this will paired with seven Christie 4K Boxer Cinema Projectors and 360-degree surround sound audio, as well as physical effects like water and wind will bring Po’s wild adventure to life for guests. The attraction will also feature an original score by composer Germaine Franco.

The story of the attraction begins in the pre-show area of the theatre, where guests can meet a variety of DreamWorks characters who kick off the start of the narrative. Guests will then enter the main theatre, and sit in the new plush, fully-articulated seats that will pivot and move with the 180-degree action.

The recently-constructed show building the houses the DreamWorks Theatre is inspired by Mission revival architecture, and reflects back to Hollywood’s Art Deco period of the 1920s. The building will even include a box office ticket booth that is reminiscent of the time period, and will be staffed by a three-dimensional Pinocchio asleep on the job.

Going past the ticket booth, through the outdoor garden and into the queue for the theatre, guests will be able to see 36 movie posters that honor the DreamWorks Animation films. Inside the theatre’s lobby, over 20 award statuettes will be on display, and represent a sampling of the Emmy, Golden Globe, People’s Choice, Critic’s Choice, National Board of Review and Annie Awards that DreamWorks Animation has received from 2008 to 2015. A collection of original sculpted character maquettes of “Kung Fu Panda: The Emperor’s Quest” will also be on display, along with artifacts that Po brought back from the Spirit Realm.

The DreamWorks Theatre is set to open this summer, though no specific opening date has been set. For more information on the upcoming attraction, visit UniversalStudiosHollywood.com.