MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS AND ROVIO ANNOUNCE WORLD PREMIERE OF ANGRY BIRDS 4D EXPERIENCE
8th January 2014 – Europe’s number 1 visitor attraction operator Merlin Entertainments plc (‘Merlin’) announced today an exciting new creative partnership with Finland based Rovio Entertainment Ltd, creator of the Angry Birds franchise, to premiere the world’s first Angry Birds 4D experience at their Surrey theme park resort, THORPE PARK Resort.
Scheduled to open in May 2014, the Angry Birds 4D experience will form the unique centrepiece of a totally new 4000 sq m fully-themed land at THORPE PARK Resort. This will feature the much loved Angry Birds characters, coming home to roost on Detonator – the Resort’s 100ft drop tower ride - while Red Bird and the Bad Piggies go bump to bump on a brand new dodgems attraction.
The Merlin Magic Making creative team will work closely with Rovio to ensure that all the new attractions capture the fun, delightful humour of one of the world’s most iconic games.
The 4D Experience is being jointly developed by Rovio and top 4D animators 3DBA, including an all-new 10 minute 4D animated film. Simworx will develop the infrastructure of the new THORPE PARK Resort 4D theatre making sure the environment highlights the high impact special effects. The result will be a fantastic, totally immersive experience bringing to life the unique and delightful world of the birds and pigs!
Commenting Mark Fisher, Chief Development Officer for Merlin Entertainments said: “We are very excited to be working with Rovio, and we see this as a long term strategic partnership with great benefits to both parties. THORPE PARK Resort is the UK’s Thrill Capital, and we believe the ideal environment for ‘Angry Birds’ 4D and theme park debut! Its young adult and family visitors are the core target audience of the Angry Birds franchise and no one is better placed than Merlin to capture the fun and humour of this fantastic IP – not least because most of my Magic Making colleagues are already great fans!”
Rovio’s Director of Location Based Entertainment Dan Mitchell said, “It’s great to be teaming up with Merlin Entertainments and THORPE PARK Resort, and we hope this will be just the first of many projects together. We are continuously looking to create amazing experiences for our fans by finding new ways to bring our characters from the digital world to the physical world. Having the game jump out of the screen and come alive around you is going to be incredible! We are confident that the partnership with Merlin, along with 3DBA, will bring this amazing experience to life.”
For further information please contact:
Merlin Entertainments plc
Sally Ann Wilkinson on T: 020 8899 6110/07774 415372
saw@thefirmcomms.com
Rovio
media@rovio.com
About Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
Rovio Entertainment Ltd is a global industry-changing entertainment media company headquartered in Finland, and the creator of the globally successful Angry Birds™ characters franchise. Angry Birds, a casual puzzle game, became an international phenomenon within a few months of its release. Angry Birds has expanded rapidly into multifaceted entertainment, publishing, and licensing to become a beloved international brand. Rovio's animated Angry Birds feature film is slated for July 1, 2016. www.rovio.com
Merlin Entertainments plc
MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is a leading name in location-based, family entertainment, and has seen the most dynamic growth in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates 99 attractions, nine hotels/three holiday villages in 22 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 54 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and more than 22,000 employees.
Among Merlin’s attractions are - SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The EDF Energy London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, THORPE PARK, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Blackpool Tower, Heide Park Resort, WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Sydney Tower Eye and SKYWALK, Siam Ocean World and Busan Aquarium. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great potential for growth in the future. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
As the UK’s “Thrill Capital”, THORPE PARK Resort is the ‘must do’ destination for adrenaline seekers with over 25 rides and attractions all within 20 miles of Central London. With a core audience of 16 to 34 year olds and ‘up-for-it’ families, THORPE PARK Resort is constantly pushing the boundaries with new rides. With rollercoasters such as THE SWARM (2012), the UK’s first winged rollercoaster, SAW – The Ride (2009), the world’s first horror movie themed rollercoaster, Stealth (2006), one of Europe’s fastest and tallest rollercoasters and Colossus (2002), the world’s first ten inversion rollercoaster, as well as attractions such as Rush (2005), the world’s largest Speed Swing and Slammer (2005), Europe’s first Sky Swat, the Park has been leading the way in the UK when it comes to extreme theme park thrills.