Some of the best known and well-loved characters from the BBC could be making their way to London Paramount Resort.
In an announcement on their website and via social media channels, London Resort Company Holdings – the developer behind London Paramount – confirmed they have signed a development agreement with the commercial arm of the BBC meaning some of the most popular programmes from television and radio, potentially including Dr Who and Top Gear, could be brought to life within the resort. The new development agreement is the first step towards a formal partnership with BBC Worldwide, as London Paramount continue to develop their plans ready to be submitted to the Secretary of State next year. Initial hints by London Paramount on Facebook and Twitter suggest animated characters could be amongst the first to feature suggesting some of the attractions using the BBC IPs could be located in the ‘Cartoon Circus’ area of the park indicated on the recently released masterplan.
Speaking about the new agreement, David Testa, Director of London Resort Company Holdings said:
We are delighted to bring the world’s leading public service broadcaster on board this project. The BBC has played an instrumental role in shaping the British entertainment industry for nearly a century, creating some of the most iconic and cherished characters on TV and radio. It seems only right therefore that its programmes will be present at the new London Paramount Entertainment Resort, which will combine the glamour of Hollywood with the best of British culture.
Whilst Stephen Davies, Director of Live Events at BBC Worldwide added:
We’re always looking for opportunities to extend fans’ enjoyment of their favourite shows and the idea behind this resort is a really exciting way of celebrating the very special place the BBC has in British culture.
This latest agreement will add to the existing deal already in place with Paramount Pictures which allows the resort access to more than 3000 films including Star Trek, The Italian Job, and Mission Impossible, meaning some of the most iconic British brands and characters will sit side by side with some of the biggest brands from Hollywood.
The announcement of the new partnership follows on from the conclusion of the most recent round of consultations which gave local people a chance to see for themselves the latest plans for the new entertainment resort and have their say on key issues, from transport to employment opportunities. London Resort Company Holdings will be holding further consultations in the new year before submitting a planning application to the Secretary of State later in 2015 in order to aim for a resort opening in time for Easter 2020.
BBC Worldwide also currently have an agreement in place with Merlin Entertainments which earlier this year saw the opening of CBeebies Land at Alton Towers Resort featuring attractions based on Postman Pat, Justin’s House, and In the Night Garden. It has been widely rumoured that Merlin could utilise further BBC IPs as part of future developments and it is currently unclear how this latest agreement between the BBC and London Paramount could affect this.
What are your thoughts on the latest news from London Paramount? Which BBC brands would you like to see featured? Have your say on this and more over in the Attraction Source Forum.
