LOS ANGELES | Mon Jun 25, 2007 6:35pm EDT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Film studio Paramount Pictures on Monday said it agreed to let Middle East real estate company Ruwaad Holdings build a theme park in the United Arab Emirates using its hit movies such as "Titanic."
Paramount stated that they would go ahead with this theme park in the UAE. After the dramatic collapse of the UAE finacial system I think all plans had been dropped. This was in 2007, is this now the park proposed for Murcia? If so plans may well be more advanced than we all think, on the other hand it should remind us all that we should not count our chickens.
The licensing deal follows a similar pact unveiled in May between Paramount, a unit of U.S. media giant Viacom Inc and South Korea's Daewoo Motor Sales Corp, which is building a $1 billion theme park south of Seoul using Paramount movies, characters and content to attract visitors.
Ruwaad said the Paramount park in the UAE would be the hub of a $2.5 billion, family-oriented development that is expected to include resorts, boutique hotels and shopping centers.
Financial details were not disclosed.
Ruwaad affiliate International Destination Brands Ltd. would be responsible for finding funds and locating a site for development, the companies said in a statement.
Paramount would not invest money, but would help in the theme park's planning and design, the companies said. Along with "Titanic," Paramount films include "Mission Impossible," "Braveheart," "Forrest Gump," "Grease" and "The Godfather."
In March, Marvel Entertainment Inc., maker of comic book movies such as "Spider-Man," said separately that it was working with UAE-based real estate company Al Ahli Group to build a $1 billion theme park in Dubai