travel

Cinema-inspired theme parks will give Disney a run for their money

August 19, 2015

Paramount London Entertainment Resort is to be a theme park dedicated to hits from the studio and the BBC. – AFP pic, August 19, 2015.During its recent conference in Anaheim, California, Disney shared some information about the new attractions coming to its American parks, including The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom in Orlando and two attractions devoted to Star Wars. Meanwhile, other big film studios have plans for their own theme parks.

Paramount London...

This park hopes to rival Disneyland Paris. Located in Kent, south-east of the capital on the Swanscombe peninsula, Paramount London Entertainment Resort wants to set itself apart by betting on studio films as well as BBC productions. The movies and shows that will inspire the attractions are not yet official but several sources have suggested "Star Trek," "Mission: Impossible" and "Doctor Who."

The £2b billion project (RM12 billion) provides different amusement spaces with covered attractions, cafés, bars and restaurants, shows and parades. A hotel complex will also be included and the resort will extend over 850 acres. Visitors however will need to remain patient as the park is scheduled to launch around Easter 2020. Construction may begin as early as October 2016.

...and Paramount Murcia

Paramount also intends to open a second park in Murcia, south of Madrid in Spain. Although several drafts and sketches of the project have been shared, the park now finds itself in a difficult position, having been subject to a number of delays and at risk of a complete shutdown.

If the resort does see the light of day, Murcia's Paramount Park is expected to include no less than seven hotels, a casino, a mall, a conference center and of course attractions. Performances reproducing movie scenes are also said to be in the works. As for rides, a mining train has been suggested as well as a flight simulator and a large eight-loop ride. Several distinct worlds will inhabit the resort, all inspired by studio movies. "Mission: Impossible" would be set at the heart of the adventure zone. Animated films like "Rango" and "Star Trek" will also be key elements of the park.

So far, the launch date as well as the beginning of construction is yet to be announced.

20th Century Fox World

One of the largest cinematographic production companies is working on a similar project for its first amusement park and has chosen Malaysia for its home. The group will transform part of a pre-existing park, Genting Highland, located in the mountains surrounding Kuala Lumpur, to breathe life into some of its most successful productions like "Ice Age," "Alien vs Predator," "Night at the Museum" and "Rio." An attraction based on "Titanic" by James Cameron has also been suggested.

Despite all this, the production company has evaluated the project at only US$300 million (RM1.2 billion) and the park will extend to a little over 1,000 acres. The park is scheduled to open in 2016, and the studio is also in talks for a park in South Korea.

Robot Land

The robots from "The Matrix," "I-Robot" and "Minority Report" will star in their own theme park. In the world of movie-inspired theme parks, South Korea has had the unique idea of building a vast play area exclusively limited to machines. Robot Land will be located around 30 km from Seoul, near the Incheon airport. The park is expected to include 11 rides as well as an aquatic park and performances.

Universal Studio Beijing

After Singapore and Tokyo, Universal Studios may settle in Beijing. Following in the footsteps of the studio's older parks, the Chinese park will take inspiration from the group's blockbusters to create amusement park rides.

The project, however, remains to be finalised, as previous park destinations have found themselves in a deadlock. This has been the case for locations in Dubai, Moscow and South Korea. In Beijing, the project is still in the negotiation phase although certain sources have already suggested a launch for 2018. Considering the present fragile state of the project, no information has yet come out as to the nature of the attractions. The company's American, Singaporean and Japanese parks allow cinema lovers to better see and understand filming sites and to discover stunts and other movie décor. – AFP, August 19, 2015.