Will ‘AVATAR’ And DISNEY Make A Winning Combination?
A theme park based on James Cameron‘s movie ‘AVATAR‘ is to be constructed in Florida, U.S., as part of DISNEY‘s Animal Kingdom! But will it outshine Universal‘s Wizarding World of Harry Potter?
The Walt Disney Company has confirmed an entertainment ground will be created based on the Cameron-directed movie about an alien world invaded by humans to exploit for resources, and the helmer plans to create a replica of Pandora – the fictional planet in the film – allowing visitors to walk through rainforests and “experience the oceans”.
Speaking about the park’s creation, Canadian moviemaker Cameron said:
“I quickly realised that their vision for this thing was far beyond what I’d imagined – and I’ve got a pretty good imagination.
“‘Avatar’ celebrates our interaction with nature and nature’s wonder and diversity. Putting our ‘Avatar’ themed-land into Animal Kingdom is extremely exciting.”
In addition to a traditional theme park with rides, the area will also include shops and places to eat and drink.
The chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Tom Staggs, added:
“Our lands are going to be complete. They will include attractions, entertainment, shops, food and beverages. They’re going to be highly developed and fully-themed.”
Construction on the site is set to start in 2013, and is expected to take around five years to complete – with Cameron and business partner Jon Landau serving as creative consultants on the project. Disney said it planned eventually to develop ‘Avatar‘-themed lands at its other theme parks around the world.
It would be unreasonable to compare Harry Potter and AVATAR in the same breath, but Disney needs to bring more people into its parks. In recent years the attention has fallen on Universal‘s choice to include a theme park based on the famous fictional wizard, but will AVATAR prove to be a better incentive to visit Disney‘s Animal Kingdom? Too early to say at this stage!
The first sequel to the ‘AVATAR‘ movie is expected to be released in cinemas in 2014.
