DreamWorks Animation and Regions Group of Companies have signed a licensing agreement to develop the first theme parks in major cities in Russia to feature the franchises of DreamWorks Animation.

DreamWorks' chief executive officer Jeffrey Katzenberg said: "Russia is one of the most important markets in the world for us. All of us at DreamWorks are extremely excited to work with Regions to be the first Hollywood studio to create not just one, but three theme parks in Russia.

"These parks are going to be groundbreaking cultural hubs that will give families the chance to truly enter the world of DreamWorks."

Each indoor theme park will include immersive high tech attractions and character entertainment featuring some of DreamWorks Animation's best loved franchises – Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda.

DreamWorks enjoys considerable success in Russia, with six of the top 10 animated films of all time in Russia are DreamWorks Animation pictures – Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Shrek Forever After, Puss In Boots, Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, Kung Fu Panda 2 and How to Train Your Dragon).

DreamWorks' latest blockbuster, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, is currently the second highest-grossing animated film in Russia's box office history and the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in Russia.

Turbo, a new feature film from DreamWorks, will have its worldwide debut in Russia on July 11 before arriving in US theatres on July 19.

Scheduled to open in 2015, the DreamWorks Animation theme parks will be Europe's largest year-round indoor entertainment zones.

Each theme park will form part of a larger development, which will include a mixed-use movie and concert hall, a 4D movie theatre, a three-star 400-room hotel, and a retail centre with 11,000 parking spaces.

The buildings have been designed with a height of 35m to give guests the sense of being outside.