Key facts
- Toei Animation has denied reports of a Dragon Ball theme park being licensed for France.
- The denial comes after a French-Saudi investment announcement for a large entertainment development near Paris.
- Promotional images circulating for the French park are from an officially licensed Dragon Ball park planned for Saudi Arabia.
- The Saudi Dragon Ball park was jointly announced by Toei Animation and Qiddiya Investment Company in March 2024.
Toei Animation, the Japanese producer of the popular Dragon Ball anime, has officially denied reports that a theme park based on the franchise has been licensed for France. The denial follows an announcement by French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman regarding a significant new entertainment development near Paris, which was initially reported to include a Dragon Ball theme park.
While Macron and bin Salman announced a €6 billion investment project in Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris, that could create approximately 22,000 jobs and feature up to three major entertainment attractions, Toei Animation stated that neither it nor other rights holders have authorized any such attraction in France. The company clarified that promotional artwork and footage circulating online were taken from a separate, officially confirmed Dragon Ball theme park project in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia. This Saudi park, a collaboration between Toei Animation and Qiddiya Investment Company, was announced in March 2024 and is planned to be the world's only Dragon Ball theme park, covering over 500,000 square meters with more than 30 rides and attractions.
The French presidency's official statement and Macron's own public announcements did not specifically name Dragon Ball as a theme for the French parks, though the Île-de-France region's press release later mentioned a "Dragon Ball park." News outlets worldwide, including Japanese media, had widely reported the story, leading to some concern among Japanese commenters regarding licensing and representation.