Intellectual Property in the UK

[Ketz]

You either love it or you hate it, but without question the future of theme park attractions are IP based experiences. Disney and Universal have been doing it for almost 60 years, it’s hard to think of any large theme park without one IP within their park, and this trend is only going to continue as parks are trying to cash in on already established brands. If you think Alton Towers already have 10 within their park, although most of them are of course Cbeebies related. With the success of Cbeebies land which was only really an effective repaint of an existing area, IPs seem very much part of Merlin’s future. With Shrek opening this year, a new IP based dark ride going to Thorpe, and recognisable international IPs already established at Alton, Chessington and of course Legoland.

Now this is where I discuss the future, what IPs are available, but most of all what are attainable. After all it is very costly to secure any IP. First of Merlin already have a good catalogue of IPs. With agreements with Dreamworks, Lionsgate, BlueSky Studios/ 20th Century Fox and the BBC.

Shows are obviously fairly simple way of using these animated characters, which are already being used in a rather poor fashion. Just compare the Madagascar show at Chessington to the one at Bucsh Gardens. I feel this show would fit perfectly to Katanga Canyon.


Busch Gardens Madagascar

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see a Shrek attraction open up within the theme parks, much like the Sharkbait reef, a smaller attraction based on the same principle of the Shrek’s Far Far away Adventure.

Shrek London Plans


Here are some Ip’s that as far as I can see are available.

eg Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to train your Dragon.

Dreamworks are working with multiple theme parks around the world; they don’t operate exclusivity so a deal would be available for any of their characters at a reasonable price. Plus they are already working with Merlin on a number attraction.

eg The Hunger Games, Twilight

One of the rumoured Ip’s for the Thorpe park dark ride

eg. Ice Age, Rio

Again already working with Merlin, but as they are building a they’re very own theme parks so maybe they will soon stop selling there IP’s

planned 20th Century Theme Park

Many possible IPs
Also working with Merlin but with a deal with Paramount may limit possible IP’s


Here are some of my personal favourites/Dreams.

Narnia – (20th Century Fox)

With Disney giving up the rights to Narnia after the films weren’t a Harry Potter style success, Narnia is now under the ownership of 20th Century Fox after Disney literally gave them away. A themed area based around Narnia was in the plans for Disney but they too were scrapped. But still it would have been an amazing experience one that I would fit perfectly with Alton it they could pull it off. But they wouldn’t be able to, and such an iconic brand still wouldn’t be cheap.

Dracula / Van Helsing – (Universal)

Dracula and Van Helsing Movies, Shows and attraction have been popular for nearly 100 years. This Ip too would be very attainable with Universal already penning a deal with Movie World Germany. Universal also had rather extravagant plans for the Van Helsing franchise with a themed land to the extent of Harry Potter planned. It was actually going to be placed were the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is, but again with the movie not doing as well as planned the development got cancelled.

Middle Earth

Really the only theme park that can build a theme park land based on middle earth is Universal. Disney and Universal have been negotiating a deal for the best part of a decade. Interestingly Tolkien on his death bed showed his disdain for Disney and requested that his works not sold off to them. If Merlin ever showed any real ambition then this would be truly amazing. Alas they don’t have it and this will never happen.

Having a good IP and ambition can be a very profitable way to go. The Wizzarding World of Harry Potter and Diagon Alley for example cost around £350 million. But both areas returned a profit within 4 month.

I fear nothing of this scale will ever get built in the UK, even with Paramount’s interest. So I guess I will have to go back to Florida!

 

[Tom]

Not necessarily, a company will always prefer to create its own brands whenever possible. Deals and contracts run out and things go out of fashion. The first points in particular have similarly been demonstrated with the kicking out of Burger King and KFC in recent years.

IPs can give a false impression of making things easier, but it will not always be the case - as will be demonstrated when Saw is forced to be re-themed one day.

 

[TheMan]

IPs irritate me when they're done for marketing.

When they're done to create total immersion, WWHP for example, in a story that people tend to get lost in anyway I think they're brilliant. They become an extension OF that story, and you can be part of the world for a little while.

It still contains the magic word. Escapism.

I imagine on the whole the little ones get that in CBeebies or Peppa Pig world. So I am ok with that.

But when they just start using a brand name, and putting some shoddy bits of "theme" over a ride, so the ride is still the focus, you lose that sense of escapism because ironically, the IP then reminds you of the real world outside the theme park!

Disney, immerses you in Disney. Universal, immerses you in their worlds, it's the idea of the place, but I feel without careful use of the IP they can have the opposite reaction.

 

[Ketz]

Surely the reason they removed the high street branded restaurants was to make more profit. Also you can't really argue that the current trend with merlin is to bring in well recognised brands.

2006- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2008- Mutiny Bay - bringing in a pirate theme obviously of the success of Pirates of the carribean.
2009- Sharkbait Reef by Sea Life - Bringing in the Sea Life Brand
2012- Ice Age 4D
2012- Nemesis Sub Terra- building on there own Brand
2014- Cbeebies land
2015 - Cbeebies land expansion.

Even at Thorpe with Saw and most recently Angry a Birds land as well as Chessington who have Madagascar and sea life aquarium all added in recent years,

 

[Tom]

Surely the reason they removed the high street branded restaurants was to make more profit. Also you can't really argue that the current trend with merlin is to bring in well recognised brands.

2006- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2008- Mutiny Bay - bringing in a pirate theme obviously of the success of Pirates of the carribean.
2009- Sharkbait Reef by Sea Life - Bringing in the Sea Life Brand
2012- Ice Age 4D
2012- Nemesis Sub Terra- building on there own Brand
2014- Cbeebies land
2015 - Cbeebies land expansion.

Even at Thorpe with Saw and most recently Angry a Birds land as well as Chessington who have Madagascar and sea life aquarium all added in recent years,

These things cost huge amounts of money to pay for rights. Where realistic, they will attempt to avoid IP involvement.

You missed out: Thirteen, The Swarm, Zufari, The Smiler, Wild Asia, Dark Forest.

 

[cookiee_munster]

IPs irritate me when they're done for marketing.

When they're done to create total immersion, WWHP for example, in a story that people tend to get lost in anyway I think they're brilliant. They become an extension OF that story, and you can be part of the world for a little while.

It still contains the magic word. Escapism.

I imagine on the whole the little ones get that in CBeebies or Peppa Pig world. So I am ok with that.

But when they just start using a brand name, and putting some shoddy bits of "theme" over a ride, so the ride is still the focus, you lose that sense of escapism because ironically, the IP then reminds you of the real world outside the theme park!

Disney, immerses you in Disney. Universal, immerses you in their worlds, it's the idea of the place, but I feel without careful use of the IP they can have the opposite reaction.

totally agree here.

i really dislike the use of IPs in any theme park. be it the big contenders like Disney or Universal to our UK parks. Universal can kind of get around it, due to it being primarily focusing on all things Film and Media. Disney of course have a huge catalogue of films and stuff they can base attractions on, but i always think that a lot of their stuff outside of Film, Dvd etc is always just as good, if not better!

The whole Animal Kingdom/Pandora project right now irks me. You'd have to be stupid not to think that it was a knee jerk reaction to Universal opening the Wizarding World down the road and it's a shame. The company reacted in a way where they decided to choose a film franchise that took in even more money than that of Potter and thought that people will come flocking once its opened. we'll see i guess. from the concept art i've seen and some of the stuff the creative team at imagineering have been working on it looks really impressive, i just kind of wish that they went their own creative route rather than having to use Avatar to base it all on.

As for Alton Towers ~
The CBeebies thing, it's cute, its a great new addition and really revitalised an area that really had been left out in terms of getting really great new attractions.

Would i want anything else like that? No.

I think the guys over at Merlin studio's are creative enough to come up with their own ideas, stories and themes to carry on something that doesn't need support from an IP. Something i've seen with cloud cuckoo land, i just wish it could spread over to the Charlie attraction too.

Another thing id love to see is not so much an IP based theme, but an actual collaboration. so rather than a studio like Aardman lend their own existing characters like Wallace&Gromit or Shaun the Sheep etc, i'd love for a studio like them to actually come up with a totally unique story, theme and characters fitting for a land, including attractions. That way at least, it's not primarily incorporating an existing franchise, but its created its own unique franchise and merchandise ideas for the park.