Sony Pictures Animation Films Feature Heavily In Revamped Theme And Water Park In Thailand

Two of Sony Pictures Animation’s biggest franchises, Hotel Transylvania and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, are making their theme park debuts in a newly announced partnership between Sony Pictures and Thailand-based attractions company Amazon Falls. Surf’s Up and the upcoming Vivo also join them.

Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse is an existing water park in the seaside town of Bangsaray owned by Amazon Falls. The company will revamp the park, retrofitting it with some of Columbia Pictures’ most recognizable properties. In addition to the animated films, Ghostbusters, Jumanji, Men in Black, and Bad Boys will also be featured prominently in Aquaverse.

With a phased reopening beginning in October, and an official soft opening in 2022, Aquaverse will aim to draw both Thai and international tourists with its rides, attractions, and experiences. There will be eight themed zones, with a range of both water- and land-based attractions, described as follows:

• Men in Black Thrill Rides — Aquaverse’s most thrilling rides and attractions can be found here, including hair-raising water coaster rides, one of which has a 12-meter free-fall ride that sends you careening down a MIB Wormhole.
• Ghostbusters Supernatural Experience — Step into the Ghostbusters portal and zip across ghost traps as you glide down a water coaster with your best friend or dare to enter the world’s first and only fully-enclosed water dome in a family raft ride.
• Bad Boys Raceway — Experience the thrill of the chase and put the pedal to the metal around new outdoor go-kart tracks in a neon Miami-themed racecourse.
• Jumanji Jungle Adventure — Brave the world of Jumanji through wild jungle-themed water slides, visiting Jaguar Mountain while being chased by Mandrills before plunging into Jumanji’s splash pool!
• Hotel Transylvania Kid-Friendly Zone — Aquaverse’s biggest water park attraction featuring over 100 water features, splash buckets, water rockets, and more!
• Surf’s Up in Surfer’s Paradise — Surf a mighty wave and show what you’ve got on the exhilarating water-park attraction with the dual Flowrider!
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Swallow Falls River Adventure — Take a break from the day’s thrills by touring the Aquaverse along the lazy river and meet the amazing Foodimals featured in the hit film.
• Vivo Wave Pool — Relax in a giant wave pool inspired by the upcoming animated musical. The wave-pool zone is the ideal venue when hosting music events and live shows, where celebrity artists and world-class international DJs will take to the stage.

Notably absent from the list is Sony Pictures Animation’s Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which likely won’t become a familiar face at Aquaverse. Due to Spider-Man’s complicated rights – with Disney/Marvel owning the comic and merchandising rights, Sony owning the film rights, and both sharing stipulated theme-park rights — Sony likely doesn’t see much of a benefit in promoting the character, compared to its other IP.

Jeffrey Godsick, evp of global partnerships and brand management and head of location based entertainment at Sony Pictures Entertainment, said in a statement:

We are delighted to be teaming up with Liakat Dhanji and Amazon Falls on launching Sony Pictures’ first theme and water park and are inspired by his vision of creating an immersive entertainment destination for Thailand. Columbia Pictures’ Aquaverse is the next step in Sony Pictures’ larger global strategy to grow and expand location-based entertainment by utilizing its strong global film and tv brands. We are creating opportunities for all audiences around the world to immerse themselves deeper into our stories through water parks, touring exhibitions, and theme-park attractions.

This partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment fits into Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor, which is an initiative to develop several of Thailand’s eastern provinces into economic hubs, with one major focus being tourism.