‘Jumanji’-Themed Amusement Park Rides, Hotels in the Works

variety.com:

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterPrepare to enter the world of Jumanji.The 1995 adventure movie, starring Robin Williams — and the Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart-led sequels — will be the inspiration of new rides, lands, retail outlets and themed hotels.Sony Pictures, the studio behind the billion-dollar film franchise, and Merlin Entertainments, the company that operates Legoland and Madame Tussauds, have entered into a multi-territory exclusivity agreement to develop and operate attractions across Merlin’s Resort Theme Parks and Waterparks in Europe (including the United Kingdom) and North America.The first “Jumanji” experience to be brought to life will be a theme park ride, which will open in April this year at Merlin’s Gardaland Resort in Italy.

A second activation is already in development at a different, yet-to-be announced theme park for a 2023 launch. The attraction will be called “Jumanji — the Adventure” and will mine material from the latest films, which co-star Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas and center on teens who find themselves trapped in a video game.

According to the press release, the all-audience ride will “transport guests to the fantastic world of Jumanji, where an exhilarating adventure awaits them: a journey full of pitfalls, surprises and dangers through the wild jungle.” “Jumanji – the Adventure” will be complemented by the simultaneous launch of fully themed Jumanji hotel bedrooms.The collaboration further builds on Merlin’s relationship with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which have already worked together on “in-attraction” themed experiences including the Ghostbusters 5D ride at Heide Park in Germany and the Ghostbusters experience at Madame Tussauds New York.