January 19, 2021 – Beijing Enlight Media, China’s largest privately-owned media group, has selected Legacy Entertainment as the ‘Enlight Epicenter’ designer of its ambitious “Enlight Movie World” project in the eastern city of Yangzhou. The project, first announced in 2018, marks Enlight Media’s first foray into the location based entertainment sector, and will ultimately encompass a total area of 3954mu (651 acres) with an investment of 16.4 Billion Yuan ($2.5 Billion US Dollars).
The cultural and tourism section of “Enlight Movie World” starts with the ‘Enlight Epicenter,’ which will feature experiences and attractions inspired by Enlight’s popular animated film properties. Offerings will include elaborately themed retail and dining experiences, anchored by a family entertainment center, and connected by a series of ‘Art Gardens.’ . To aid in the design of this unique destination, Enlight has selected Legacy Entertainment, based on its extensive experience in both theme park design and film production.
“It is an honor to collaborate with the Enlight team on such a great project,.” says Eric Carnagey, Legacy’s Managing Director, and one of the company’s owners. He adds, “Unlike studio-themed parks in America and Europe which tend to look towards the past, the relative youth of China’s homegrown IP-based LBE industry is all about looking forward. We get a unique chance to imagine and create the ‘film studio and movie theme park of tomorrow’ by utilizing Enlight’s prominent position as a China-based film production and distribution company alongside their widely recognized properties. This poses an incredibly exciting creative angle for our team to run with.”
Subsequent phases will include a wide variety of uses, including a world-class theme park, along with expansive film and television production facilities. Fueled by a string of hits that include “Ne Zha” and “Looking Up,” this new complex has been designed to meet the needs of the fast-growing entertainment company. “Ne Zha” holds the record as the biggest animated film in China’s history, having grossed over $580 Million US Dollars, more than doubling that of the previous record holder, Disney’s “Zootopia.”
Legacy Entertainment was uniquely qualified for the task, having previously worked with China’s Hengdian World Studios, the world’s largest film studio, on their recent expansions. The first of these projects, the Hengdian Shanghai Bund, debuted in 2019 with a mix of theme park-style rides and shows, along with ample production facilities.
“Just as in our extensive collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, we love working with brands which are expanding into location-based entertainment projects for the first time,.” adds Carnagey. “With groups like Enlight, we have the chance to create something completely new because there are no rules in place. What is the studio-themed destination of the future? Working closely with a great collaborator like Enlight, we are looking forward to answering that question in new and exciting ways.”
