The studies say a signing ceremony for the three way partnership happened Sunday on the New York headquarters of Comcast NBCUniversal, which owns Common Studios Hollywood.
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Universal Studios Beijing will “pay ‘proper homage to Chinese culture, ‘ said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts”, whatever that means. The theme park’s holding company, USJ Co, originally planned a Tokyo listing in September, but delayed because of the sale talks, one of the people said.
The completion date for the Universal Studios theme park being built in Beijing’s Tongzhou district has been set for 2019. The first stage involves building the Universal CityWalk retail-entertainment complex and the Universal-themed resort hotel. Lao Beijingers will remember the Universal Studios Experience at Henderson Center in the late 1990s, which was designed to bring a bit of movie magic to central Beijing, but as a multimedia experience, not with theme park rides. The sequel projects after 2019 will include the second theme park, a water park and another five resort hotels.
Chinese elements will be added to the park, with Hollywood filmmaker Steven Spielberg helping out in the design.
Subway Line 7 will be extended to reach the park and put into use before the opening to meet the demand of the tourists.
Universal Beijing will be the sixth and largest Universal Studios theme park ever built.
As D.J. and European amusement parks see flattening or declining attendance, leisure corporations are betting on China to drive enlargement.
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The Beijing park will become the third for Universal in Asia after Osaka, Japan and Singapore.
