The London Resort, the theme park and leisure project set to open on the Swanscombe Peninsula in 2024, has announced today that it has agreed a new partnership with Paramount Studios.
Home to some of the world’s best-known film franchises, including The Godfather, Mission: Impossible, and The Italian Job, Paramount Studios offers a wide selection of Intellectual Property (IPs) for the Resort to choose from to create a “range of awe-inspiring experiences”. Whilst it is not known exactly which IPs will eventually be used within the resort, previous concept art has hinted at an attraction based on Mission: Impossible, and “Corleone’s restaurant” suggesting The Godfather will also feature. This latest deal will see Paramount studios join IPs from both BBC Studios and children’s IPs from ITV Studios to form a wide selection of rides and experiences at what is planned to be the UK’s biggest theme park.
London Resort have also confirmed that PY Gerbeau has joined the project as Chief Executive. PY Gerbeau brings a host of experience from across the tourism, retail, sport, entertainment and real estate industries. He is co-founder and CEO of X-Leisure, one of the largest leisure investment vehicles, and also successfully helped turn around the fortunes of Euro Disney (Disneyland Paris) and helped salvage the Millennium Dome from the PR disaster of its first month of opening.
Speaking about the newly agreed partnership with Paramount Studios, PY Gerbeau said:
“The new partnership with Paramount is fantastic news for everyone. Now the best of Hollywood will be joining the best of British from BBC Studios and ITV Studios, to create amazing and unique experiences for the whole family.
“I am delighted to join The London Resort and to play my part in helping to create a world-class destination to rival all others. Central to that strategy is to partner with the best brands from across TV, film, music and entertainment. Having Paramount on board is a major step towards realising that ambition.”
Kevin Suh, President of Theme Entertainment and Consumer Products for Paramount Pictures added:
“The London Resort represents a truly global resort opportunity and we’re delighted to be playing our part in bringing iconic movies to life in truly immersive experiences and rides. We’re also delighted, as the most iconic studio in Hollywood, to be sharing our unparalleled catalogue of instantly recognisable films and characters.”
This latest announcement is a huge boost for The London Resort project which has experienced several set-backs, including Paramount Studios themselves withdrawing from a previous agreement with the Resort back in June 2017 citing the inability of The London Resort and Paramount to agree on terms for the use of key IPs. The last 12 months have also seen the ending of a partnership with Aardman Animations back in May 2019, and the confirmation that the opening date for the project had been pushed back to 2024 in November last year (2018) – 5 years later than the opening date set when the project was first announced. As things stand, London Resort Company Holdings currently hope to submit the required planning application by the end of March 2020.
What are your thoughts on this latest announcement from The London Resort? Are you pleased to see the partnership with Paramount Studios re-instated? Make sure you have your say over on the Attraction Source Forum.
