Tag Archives: theme parks

Sony Pictures partners with Moscow’s Dream Island Theme Park to open Hotel Transylvania attraction

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Dream Island Theme Park, Europe’s largest indoor theme park located in Moscow, has officially opened its much-anticipated Hotel Transylvania attraction, established in partnership with Sony Pictures Animation.

The new attraction will launch in anticipation of the upcoming film release, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, the final chapter of the $1.3 billion movie franchise from Sony.

Dracula has opened up his lavish resort to the human world and will allow visitors to tour and meet its unusual guests.  Visitors will begin their  journey by walking across a bridge over a foggy moat to enter the hotel’s lobby. There, they will meet Dracula, who will guide them through more than 10 locations.

“The attraction will be a worthy addition to our park. The work on the Hotel Transylvania theme area took more than three years, as we wanted to build a unique space for Russia, combining the latest technical and creative solutions to create a comedic horror experience suitable for the whole family,” said Ivan Scholl, technical director of Dream Island Theme Park. “We partnered with Sony Pictures in order to achieve an authentic experience that will be the first attraction of this level in Russia, in one of the world’s leading theme parks.”

Jeffrey Godsick, EVP of global partnerships and brand management and head of location based entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment, said: “In line with our growing Location Based Entertainment strategy, Dream Island Theme Park has done a fantastic job bringing this beloved brand to life and giving audiences the unique opportunity to transport themselves into the thrilling world of Hotel Transylvania.”

In addition to the Hotel Transylvania ride, guests will also find a Tavern of Fear snack bar, a Vampire’s Bite burger cafe and Transylvania Treasures, a gift store filled with Hotel Transylvania themed souvenirs and memorabilia.

The new theme area is included in the price of the Dream Island Theme Park entrance ticket. Fast pass tickets are also available for the Hotel Transylvania attraction, specifically.

Acamar Films lands major multi-year deal with Italian theme park Leolandia for hit pre-school IP Bing

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Acamar Films has secured a major new partnership with Italy’s leading theme park destination, Leolandia, for its hit pre-school property Bing as the kids’ IP continues to go from strength to strength in the region. The new deal marks the first multi-year theme park agreement for Bing.

The new agreement will enable the theme park, which is located close to Milan, to become the first park in the world to host a dedicated Bing themed attraction. It grants exclusive rights in Italy to Leolandia for the development of a fully themed 9,500 sqm area, with the first phase due to open in 2023.

The attraction will feature interactive play areas, live show venue, restaurants and shops, and aims to create a fully immersive environment that brings the world of Bing to life.

The deal between Leolandia and Acamar Films was brokered in close collaboration with Maurizio Distefano Licensing, who represents the Bing brand in Italy and manages a highly successful licensing programme of over 40 licensees.

The plans for the theme park attraction follow the overwhelming success of a test Meet and Greet activity and an exclusive show with Bing and Flop at Leolandia in April 2019. Proving hugely popular thanks to Leolandia’s storytelling abilities, with a guest-rated experience of 9.5/10, the partnership was extended for a full year in 2020 as discussions began on a permanent area within the park.

Giuseppe Ira, president at Leolandia, said: “The partnership between Leolandia and Acamar Films, both well-renowned in the kids’ entertainment industry, has produced great feedback and results from the 2019 season. The park has set many precedents with the most beloved characters, exclusive areas and dedicated shows, attracting millions of visitors over recent years.

“Innovation and vision are our driving forces; therefore, we are very pleased to have signed this agreement extending our collaboration with Acamar Films and Bing and strengthening the popularity of Leolandia among our core pre-school audience. We look forward to enriching our offer with the exciting development of a dedicated Bing area at Leolandia.”

Kirsty Southgate, director of promotions and partnerships at Acamar Films, added: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Leolandia on such an exciting new development for Bing and their family focused and world-renowned theme park. It’s testimony to the growing success of Bing in Italy and a real step-change for Bing both there and globally, paving the way for the expansion of Bing’s international experiential entertainment footprint.”

Maurizio Distefano, president, MDL added: “The popularity of Bing in Italy has allowed us to secure deals in product categories that can only be activated with one-of-a-kind properties.

“Leolandia is proof of this and we strongly believe that this new theme park area will connect “Bingsters” with their favourite characters in an even deeper way, creating a world that existed only in their dreams.”

Since its launch on TV in February 2018, Bing has rapidly become a top pre-school property in Italy. A firm favourite on Rai Yoyo – and the number one show on its app – Bing is also available on pay TV channels DeA Junior (where it’s the number one show), TIMVision and soon Amazon Prime Video.

Bing’s Italian YouTube channel has amassed over 438 million channel views and more than 32.6 million watch time hours in just two years. A hit at retail, Bing was named Property of the Year 2019 at the Bologna Licensing Fair Awards.