Beijing, China (May 8, 2015) /GLOBE NEWSWIRE/ — Melco Crown Entertainment Limited (SEHK:6883) (Nasdaq:MPEL) (“Melco Crown Entertainment” or the “Company”), a developer, owner and operator of casino gaming and entertainment resort facilities in Asia, today officially launched a three-day Studio City Experience China Roadshow at Parkview Green FangCaoDi in Beijing.
Envisioned by Mr. Lawrence Ho, the US$3.2 billion Studio City is a new cinematically-themed entertainment and leisure destination in Macau that is set to become Asia’s Entertainment Capital, and to take Macau’s entertainment destination proposition to unprecedented new levels.
Hollywood icon and Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese was featured in a special personal video message to Beijing today to reveal further details of his short-movie “The Audition” – starring a stellar A-list line-up of Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brad Pitt – as part of the launch of a China-wide showcase of Melco Crown Entertainment’s new cinematically-themed leisure destination resort in Macau: Studio City.
Mr. Scorsese provided insights on a ‘making of’ sequence from his new special short movie, set around a Studio City storyline, which, in a world first, brings Hollywood stars DiCaprio, De Niro and Pitt together in a film. “The Audition” will premiere at the grand opening of Studio City.
“I am very happy to be talking to our media friends in Beijing and to tell them a little more about the plot of ‘The Audition’,” said Mr. Scorsese. “To put it simply, it is a short film that is all about competition between these masters of movie-acting, each of them going out for the same part in a theoretical movie, supposedly to be directed by me, set around Studio City.
“I cannot tell how much fun I have had working in collaboration with Brett Ratner, with Lawrence Ho and James Packer, and, it goes without saying, with Leo, Bob and Brad. I am looking forward to our picture’s world premiere at Studio City’s grand opening. And I hope that our audience in China will enjoy watching ‘The Audition’ as much as we enjoyed making it.”
The three-day Beijing showcase premiere provides a first opportunity for media and consumers in China to discover the thrilling new leisure entertainment attractions to be experienced at Studio City, the new Asia’s Entertainment Capital.
Mr. Lawrence Ho, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Melco Crown Entertainment said: “Studio City, along with our highly successful City of Dreams Macau, is strategically developed to fulfill the leisure and entertainment needs of enthusiastic leisure destination travelers across China, regionally and internationally.
“As a pioneer in bringing innovative entertainment into Macau, Melco Crown Entertainment’s highly diverse portfolio of leading entertainment partnerships enables us to deliver, within Studio City, more world-class entertainment amenities than any integrated resort in the market.
“We are dedicated to creating a new era of entertainment-driven leisure experiences in Macau, supporting the Central and Macau governments’ stated aim, to further broaden the economic diversification and continued evolution of Macau and its leisure and tourism industries.”
Visitors were introduced to the entertainment and leisure destination lifestyle experiences of Studio City. Key highlights include:
- –Asia’s highest Ferris wheel, which is set to become an iconic landmark in Macau. This world’s first ‘Figure Eight’ gondola ride, raises some 130 meters high, between Studio City’s stunning, art deco-inspired twin hotel towers.
- –Batman Dark Flight, the world’s first flight simulation ride based on the “Batman” intellectual property franchise.This immersive motion ride provides thrill-seekers with a dynamic flying experience based on an action packed, digitally animated Batman storyline.
- –Warner Bros. Fun Zone, a 40,000 sq. ft. fun-filled indoor play center is packed with rides and interactive fun zones themed around popular Warner Bros. and DC Comics characters.
- –Studio City Event Centre, a 5,000-seat entertainment arena, is designed to host exciting live concerts, spectacular theatrical productions, top sporting events, award shows and other prestigious events.
- –The House of Magic, is a one-of-a-kind, multi-theatre attraction housing magic acts performed by leading magicians from around the world. This attraction is designed, curated and hosted by internationally acclaimed illusionist, Franz Harary.
- –Studio 8, is a working TV studio to support TV productions of all genres, including reality, cooking and game show productions, with the capability to broadcast across the Asia region.
- –Pacha Macau, brings Ibiza-style nightlife to Macau and Greater China for the very first time, electrifying Macau’s burgeoning club scene.
As Asia’s New Entertainment Capital, Studio City will also offer the ultimate in sophisticated hotel, retail and dining experiences, designed to appeal to the wide spectrum of leisure-destination seekers from across China, Asia and around the world.
- –Studio City Hotel delivers the finest in luxury accommodation with 1,600 rooms and suites in two adjoining towers, both with unique hospitality service ensuring visitors ‘Live like a star’ during their stay.
- –The Boulevard, a unique, 350,000 sq. ft. ‘immersive’ retail entertainment environment, will bring the world’s best shopping to life in Macau by transporting guests to high-energy street-scapes, entertaining them at every turn with featured streets and squares inspired by iconic shopping and entertainment locations, including New York’s Times Square and Hollywood’s Beverly Hills. The Boulevard will delight visitors with an exciting yet refined retail experience during their visit.
- –Entertainment-inspired dining experiences, with over 30 world-class restaurants and eateries comprise the very best Asian and international fine dining, offering a taste sensation at every turn. In particular, the Cosmos Food Station is a unique space station-themed dining experience, using holographic technology to recreate space travel with gigantic windows looking out on to deep space.
The special launch roadshow event also saw the official launch of the Studio City Weibo site with a unique photo ‘selfie’ opportunity. Visitors can picture themselves with the Hollywood stars and create their own special, personalized, Studio City “The Audition” movie poster to post to the Studio City Weibo site – with the chance to win fabulous prizes.
“Beijing is among the top markets in terms of the number of Chinese visitors to Macau in 2014. These are visitors with discerning tastes and a growing demand for world-class leisure experience, which Melco Crown Entertainment’s extensive portfolio of innovative entertainment offerings will satisfy. The city is thus a key market to us,” explained Mr. Ted Chan, Chief Operating Officer of Melco Crown Entertainment. “I hope our China showcase and our exciting Hollywood-inspired entertainment proposition demonstrates the importance we place on meeting the needs and demands of the Chinese leisure destination-seeker.
“We are highly confident that Studio City, with its wide range of entertainment-inspired leisure and lifestyle experiences, is ideally positioned to further enhance the leisure destination appeal of Macau amongst ever-growing demand, not only from China, but also the regional and international leisure-seekers as we work to bring new and unique non-gaming attractions to the region.”
Studio City is ideally located on Cotai, Macau, close to the Lotus Bridge immigration point which connects with Hengqin Island, and a future station-point for the Macau Light Rapid Transit. This Hollywood-themed studio-concept resort is set to become the new Asia’s Entertainment Capital.