Regarding the newly planned theme park centered on manga in France, the French media outlet Le Monde reported that the project has not yet obtained approval from the rights holders of "Dragon Ball." This project is being undertaken by Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya Investment Company.
Status of Unsecured License
According to Le Monde, several anonymous sources familiar with the project confirmed that "this essential permit has not yet been secured," and formal approval from Bird Studio, Shueisha, and Toei Animation, the rights holders, is necessary.
This report came shortly after French President Emmanuel Macron announced the 6 billion euro (approximately 7 billion USD) theme park project. President Macron's office stated that one of the theme parks would focus on manga, but there seems to be no formal agreement on the detailed content yet.
Impact and Background of the Project
Furthermore, President Macron announced that this project is significant, akin to Disneyland Paris, and would create 22,000 new jobs. However, obtaining formal licensing is essential to proceed with such a large-scale project.
There is keen interest in how the French government and project stakeholders will negotiate with the rights holders. It is necessary to closely follow upcoming developments.
