Video games are becoming more reliable content for film, and that means that companies that run theme parks, which have long found their most successful attractions based on popular movies, are looking toward video games as well. Universal has struck gold with Super Nintendo World, currently located in Japan and California, with another land on the way to Universal Orlando’s new Epic Universe park, but it will soon find some competition in the form of attractions based on the Minecraft property.
This morning, as the annual expo for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions gets underway, The Guardian revealed that Merlin Entertainments, the theme park company that runs Legoland as well as Alton Towers in the UK and several other locations, has made a deal to produce attractions, hotel rooms, and retail outlets themed to the popular game in the U.S. and Europe. The first attractions are already scheduled to open in 2026 and 2027 in the U.K. and the U.S., though specifics of what they will be have not been revealed.
Minecraft Is One Of The Most Popular Video Games Ever
Considering many people have used Minecraft to recreate real-world locations, including, theme parks, it will certainly be fun for fans to experience Minecraft in the real world. Walking through a land that looks like it was built in Minecraft or staying in a hotel room that looks that way could be incredibly immersive.
Minecraft’s global popularity cannot the game has sold over 300 million copies in its life and the property was purchased by Microsoft in 2014 for an eye-watering $2.5 billion, showing just how big the property was. The announcement of Minecraft theme park attractions comes following a Minecraft live-action movie that will come out next year, clearly, there’s a strong desire to build this brand right now.
This is the second major licensing deal for Merlin Entertainments this year. In January Merlin made a deal with Hasbro to bring Peppa Pig to the LEGO theme parks.
Where Minecraft Attractions Could Be Built
The planned Minecraft attractions could be stand-alone creations or they could end up in existing theme parks. In the U.S. this would almost certainly mean Minecraft being added to one of the three Legoland locations, in Orlando, Southern California, or New York. It would be somehow both fitting and ironic to see Minecraft a game that is at its core a block-building experience, added to a LEGO theme park. The visual style would be quite different but the concept would be the same.
With yet another major video game franchise getting the theme park treatment it seems likely we can expect more in the coming years. Ubisoft signed a deal with Storyland Studios in 2021 to develop themed entertainment experiences, but little has come of that so far.
While theme park powerhouse Disney hasn’t shown any signs of partnering with any game developers, the company has invested considerably in Epic Games and Fortnite, so one has to wonder if there isn’t a Fortnite theme park experience being considered.
We’ll likely hear more about the new deal between Merlin and Minecraft this week as the IAAPA Expo gets underway.