Tag Archives: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Merlin Entertainments to bring Jumanji brand to life

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Merlin Entertainments, a global leader in location-based entertainment with brands including LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE, has entered into a formal multi-territory exclusivity agreement with Sony Pictures Entertainment to develop and operate attractions, rides, lands, retail outlets and themed hotel rooms based on the studio’s box office hit Jumanji film franchise across Merlin’s Resort Theme Parks and Waterparks in Europe (including the UK) and North America.

The first Jumanji experience to be launched as part of the agreement will be the world’s first Jumanji ride, which will open in April this year at Merlin’s Gardaland Resort in Italy, with a second activation already in development at a different theme park for a 2023 launch.

Merlin is teaming up with Oceaneering and Framestore for the development of the Jumanji ride at Gardaland. The attraction will be called “Jumanji – the Adventure” and will transport guests to the fantastic world of Jumanji, where an exhilarating adventure awaits them: a journey full of pitfalls, surprises and dangers through the wild jungle. The new “Jumanji – the Adventure” attraction will be a dark ride for adventure lovers of all ages, designed to appeal to a wide audience of families, teenagers and young adults. “Jumanji – the Adventure” will open in April 2022, and will be complemented by the simultaneous launch of fully themed Jumanji hotel bedrooms.

The deal supports Merlin’s broader global strategy to engage and work with leading IP and brands across its global estate, with existing successful partnerships including LEGO, Marvel, Peppa Pig and CBeebies. The agreement is also a pivotal step in Sony Pictures’ larger global strategy to grow and expand location-based entertainment by utilising its strong global film and TV brands to create opportunities for audiences around the world to immerse themselves deeper into the studio’s stories.

The collaboration further builds on Merlin’s successful relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which has already seen the previous roll out of two “in-attraction” themed experiences including the Ghostbusters 5D ride at Heide Park in Germany and the Ghostbusters experience at Madame Tussauds New York.

Chief Development Officer for Merlin Entertainments, Mark Fisher, says: “We are excited to be taking our relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment to the next level with this strategic partnership. Sony are one of the top movie companies on the planet and Jumanji is a multi-billion-dollar brand which has appealed to guests of all ages for over two decades. Our Merlin team are already hard at work developing brilliant creative concepts, which will bring to life the blockbuster-famous Jumanji film across our Theme Parks and Waterparks. We can’t wait to deliver thrilling rides and experiences for guests and film fans alike. The game is certainly on!”

Jeffrey Godsick, EVP of Global Partnerships and Brand Management and Head of Location Based Entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment, adds: “Merlin is the ideal company to bring the world of Jumanji to life.  Their commitment to strong storytelling, quality of craftsmanship and fantastic guest experiences ensure that fans of Jumanji will be fully immersed into the worlds of our films and have an unforgettable experience. I am very pleased to expand our relationship with the great team at Merlin.”

Ranked Europe’s top and the world’s second-largest tourist attraction operator, Merlin runs more than 135 tourist attractions in 24 countries across Europe, America, Asia and Oceania.

Following on from the original Robin Williams film in 1995, the adventure continues in the brand-new film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), starring Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan. The film franchise’s continued success has made it Sony’s biggest wholly owned film franchise of all time. Taking over $2.1bn at the global box office, the Jumanji film franchises are popular with both family and teenage audiences globally.

Sony Pictures Consumer Products adds PlayStation brand and gaming IP to North American licensing portfolio

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Sony Pictures Consumer Products (SPCP) has announced that the company will work with Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) to represent merchandise licensing in North America for the PlayStation brand and its PlayStation Studios games, including God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn and The Last of Us. As part of this collaboration SPCP will manage master toy deals and work closely with SIE to execute licensing programs in North America that tie into global PlayStation licensing strategies.

This collaboration is only related to licensing in North America and will enable SIE to leverage SPCP’s deep expertise in merchandise licensing. SIE will continue to have ownership and approval of the use of its intellectual property, including first-party games, and the PlayStation brand.

“SPCP is a natural fit to help lead merchandise licensing in North America for the PlayStation brand and our first-party games,” says Grace Chen, VP, Global Marketing, Sony Interactive Entertainment. “We are happy to be able to partner with other Sony companies, like SPCP, to leverage their strengths and best practices. This collaboration will help ensure great treatment of our IP in licensing deals as well as innovative merchandising ideas PlayStation fans are sure to love.”

The announcement comes during a dynamic year for the PlayStation brand, with the launch of PlayStation 5 in 2020 and upcoming entertainment content based on popular games, including a film based on Uncharted and a TV Series based on The Last of Us.

“We’re confident this strategic collaboration will provide fans with even more ways to interact with the PlayStation brand and their favourite PlayStation gaming IP through creative consumer products in North America,” says Jamie Stevens, EVP, Worldwide Consumer Products, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “By partnering across Sony divisions, we are able to leverage existing teams and infrastructures to maximise brand exposure and create great products for fans. We look forward to working closely with the PlayStation team to develop new strategies to grow the business.”

 

 

Men in Black, Ghostbusters, and Jumanji land their own thrill rides at world’s first Colombia Pictures theme park

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Men in Black, Ghostbusters, Jumanji, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs will each be getting their own thrill rides thanks to a new partnership between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Amazon Falls to open the world’s first Colombia Pictures theme and waterpark.

The 14-acre location will be set within the seaside town of Bangsaray, located 90 minutes from Bangkok and will be a ‘unique themes and water park and entertainment destination for Thailand,’ that will feature rides and newly themed attractions based on some of the biggest movies from Hollywood.

Called Colombia Pictures Aquaverse, the park will play home to rides based on the likes of Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Bad Boys, Men in Black, and Hotel Transylvania.

 Catering to visitors of all ages, the park will encompass eight highly themed and immersive zones with a range of both water and land-based attractions as well as a program of live shows, immersive entertainment, interactive props, unique sets, themed restaurants, as well as specialty merchandise and retail locations.

Opening this year, rides like the Ghostbusters Supernatural Experience and the Men in Black Thrill Rides will include hair-raising water coaster rides and water domes, while the Bad Boys Raceway will be a new outdoor go-kart track in a neon Miami theme. 

“We are delighted to be teaming up with Liakat Dhanji and Amazon Falls on launching Sony Pictures’ first theme and water park and are inspired by his vision of creating an immersive entertainment destination for Thailand. Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse is the next step in Sony Pictures’ larger global strategy to grow and expand location-based entertainment by utilizing its strong global film and TV brands,” said Jeffrey Godsick, EVP of global partnerships and brand management and head of location based entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

“We are creating opportunities for all audiences around the world to immerse themselves deeper into our stories through water parks, touring exhibitions, and theme park attractions.”

Liakat Dhanji, CEO and chairman of Amazon Falls Co. Ltd., owners and operators of Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse, added: “Sony Pictures Entertainment and Columbia Pictures’ breadth of global content, technology and talent leadership will be invaluable in creating a fully immersive experience that will bring curiosity and wonder to a global audience. The launch of Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse represents a first step in what we envision to be a broader collaboration that will pioneer the future of an integrated entertainment destination as part of the EEC’s smart city.

“Alongside our unique rides and attractions, we look forward to forging new partnerships with top accommodation, technology, retail and F&B partners as we curate an unmatched lifestyle experience that will resonate with all our visitors.”

Sony to purchase anime entertainment powerhouse Crunchyroll for $1.175bn

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Sony Pictures Entertainment has reached an agreement with AT&T to purchase its Crunchyroll anime business – a direct-to-consumer service within the WarnerMedia segment – for a proposed $1.175bn.

Under the deal, Crunchyroll anime will fall under Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc and Sony Music Entertainment Inc’s Funimation Global Group, a giant on the anime scene.

Crunchyroll is recognised as a premier anime direct-to-consumer service within AT&T’s WarnerMedia segment with more than 3 million SVOD subscribers and growing. It currently serves 90 million registered users across more than 200 countries and territories offering AVOD, mobile games, manga, events merchandise and distribution.

The combination of Crunchyroll and Funimation will provides the opportunity for Sony to broaden distribution for its content partners and expand its offerings for consumers, while cementing itself as one of the largest global players in the anime scene.

“The Crunchyroll team has done an extraordinary job of not only growing the Crunchyroll brand but also building a passionate community of anime fans. Crunchyroll’s success is a direct result of the company’s culture and commitment to their fans,” said Tony Goncalves, chief revenue officer, WarnerMedia.

“By combining with Funimation, they will continue to nurture a global community and bring more anime to more people. I’m incredibly proud of the Crunchyroll team and what they have been able to accomplish in the digital media space in such a short period of time. They’ve created an end-to-end global ecosystem for this incredible art form.”

Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, added: “We are proud to bring Crunchyroll into the Sony family. Through Funimation and our terrific partners at Aniplex and Sony Music Entertainment Japan, we have a deep understanding of this global artform and are well-positioned to deliver outstanding content to audiences around the world.

“Together with Crunchyroll, we will create the best possible experience for fans and greater opportunity for creators, producers and publishers in Japan and elsewhere.

“Funimation has been doing this for over 25 years and we look forward to continuing to leverage the power of creativity and technology to succeed in this rapidly growing segment of entertainment.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.