Lionsgate Entertainment World will open on July 31 in Novotown Hengqin on Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, China. The Thinkwell Group-designed indoor, multi-story "vertical theme park" will include attractions, dining, and retail themed to Lionsgate franchises popular in China, including The Hunger Games, The Twilight Saga, The Divergent Series, Now You See Me, Gods of Egypt, and Escape Plan. Village Roadshow will operate the park.
Meanwhile, Parques Reunidos announced that it has cancelled plans for three Lionsgate Entertainment City projects, including ones in New York City and Madrid, Spain. Those developments had been announced to include experiences based on The Hunger Games, Divergent, John Wick, and Mad Men. Parques Reunidos pulled out after several indoor entertainment centers it opened in Spain under different themes failed to meet expectations.
The China project will give fans an opportunity to see a fully developed version of an entertainment concept once proposed by Walt Disney. Back when Disney was considering how to follow the successful opening of Disneyland, one of the concepts he and his team considered was an indoor, multi-story theme park in St. Louis — Riverfront Square. Whether due to August Busch Jr. mocking Walt for designing a "dry" theme park or the city not providing a requested subsidy, ultimately, Disney chose to buy property in Central Florida and proceed with what became the Walt Disney World Resort instead.
With limited space, the attractions in the new Lionsgate Entertainment World will lean on simulators and virtual reality.
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