London Resort Company Holdings (LRCH) – the company behind the £2bn (US$3bn, €2.8bn) Paramount London theme park and resort development – has officially enlisted the British Film Institute (BFI) to provide strategic cultural counsel for the project.
The BFI, a charitable organisation established by the Royal Charter in 1933, cares for and develops collections reflecting the moving image history and heritage of the UK. In addition, the organisation aims to encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout Britain and looks to promote access to the widest possible range of British and world cinema. The BFI also maintains the world’s largest film archive, with more than 775,000 titles on record.
As part of the agreement, the BFI will act as a “cultural adviser” to the project, providing strategic input on how British IPs and talents can be best incorporated in to the planned entertainment resort. LRCH already has an agreement in place with Paramount to gain access to its bank of more than 3,000 films, including iconic franchises such as
Mission Impossible,
Star Trek and
The Italian Job, which have all already been confirmed for the park.
“Our vision for the London Paramount Entertainment Resort is to create a world-class entertainment destination that combines the glamour of Hollywood with the best of British culture,” said London Paramount director, David Testa. “Having the BFI onboard with their unrivalled knowledge of the UK film industry will help us identify the right mix of British film and talent to entertain our visitors, who will have travelled from all corners of the world to enjoy the resort.”
Amanda Nevill, CEO of the BFI, added: “Plans for the London Paramount Entertainment Resort project come as British movies and film talent are attracting audiences and acclaim from all over the world. UK production is at an all-time high and the UK is fast becoming the filmmaking hub of the world.
“A new destination that showcases film in such an ambitious and entertaining way has the potential to have a positive impact towards job creation, tourism and business growth so is a very compelling economic as well as cultural proposition.”
