Motiongate Dubai has announced that a 1.9 million-square-foot theme park based on all things Hollywood will be opening in Dubai in October 2016.
The theme park, dubbed “Hollywood in the desert” is located on Sheikh Zayed Road within Dubai Parks and Resorts (just before the Abu Dhabi- Dubai border) and is a collaboration between Motiongate Dubai and three big Hollywood studios – Sony Pictures, DreamWorks Animation and Lionsgate.
When completed, 3.1 million visitors are expected in the first year and they will be able to enjoy 27 immersive attractions – including five rollercoasters, a water ride containing more than 793,000 gallons of water, interactive play labs and multimedia theatre experiences – all inspired by 13 Hollywood films.
The magic will begin from the moment you step inside, says Motiongate’s general manager Guido Zucchi. “From the entrance, the main boulevard is themed like the executive offices of movie studios, with retail and food and beverage options. There will be a lot of street animation and shows, so you will never be alone in the park, you will always be next to a character in the streets.”
From there, guests will reach the central hub. On the right will be Sony Studios Zone, where rides are inspired by Sony’s Ghostbusters, The Green Hornet, Underworld, Zombieland, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Hotel Transylvania.
The seven-minute-long, 42-metre-high Hotel Transylvania ride, designed to appeal to children, will be housed inside a 2,800-square-metre castle. Passengers will ride on 27 trains on a journey that follows the story of a bon voyage surprise party organised for Mavis.
“It’s a trackless ride involving vehicles with four seats each, so you’ll always be surprised where the train is driving you,” Zucchi says. “There will be lots of vehicles crossing each other.”
The nearby Smurfs Village, set up with colourful giant toadstools, will contain five attractions designed for the youngest guests.
The DreamWorks Zone – “big enough to fit five A380 aeroplanes” – will feature 12 attractions inspired by top DreamWorks animated feature film franchises, including Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and Madagascar.
Lionsgate Zone will contain a theatre for 1,000 people, as well as themed attractions from the movies The Hunger Games, Step Up: All In, and Step Up: Revolution.
