On August 25, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a 6 billion euro (approximately 7 billion dollars) theme park project. According to local reports, this plan was said to include a Dragon Ball-themed park. However, Japan's major animation studio, Toei Animation, has officially stated that it has not authorized the Dragon Ball license for this project.
Statement from Toei Animation
According to a statement released by Toei Animation, no licenses have been approved from the studio or its associated rights holders regarding the theme park planned in France. Furthermore, they emphasized that the concept art and videos used for this project were created for a theme park plan announced by Saudi Arabia in March 2024 and are unrelated to the French plan.
Future Developments and Reactions from Stakeholders
The French daily newspaper Le Monde reported that the project has not received approval from the rights holders of Dragon Ball. "Multiple sources familiar with the project," speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated that, at least for now, the necessary approval has not been obtained. Further verification on this matter is awaited.
Future Plans
As of now, no similar statements have been released from Bird Studio, the original studio of Dragon Ball, or its publisher, Shueisha. Attention is focused on upcoming official announcements. The progress of this theme park plan, which is drawing significant attention both domestically and internationally in France, awaits further information.
