Hasbro, DMG Sign Deal to Create Huge 'Transformers' Attraction in China "Transformers: Age of Extinction" READ MOREChinese Superdad Builds Life-Size Transformer for Son The producers' decision to debut the Transformers-branded show in China comes as little surprise. The Transformers film franchise has a huge following in the country, which is set to surpass North America as the world's largest film market sometime next year. Transformers: Age of Extinctiongrossed $320 million in China, the third most ever in the country and substantially more than its $245 million U.S. haul (Chinese villagers have even been known to build their own life-size Transformers replicas from scrap metal). Meanwhile, the Chinese market has seen a gold rush of location-based entertainment (LBE) construction. After investments of $5.5 billion and nearly a decade of planning and construction, Walt Disney Co.'s debut Chinese theme park, Shanghai Disney Resort, will finally open its doors this June. Dreamworks Animation's $2.4 billion entertainment fortress, meanwhile, will unveil in Shanghai in 2018, while Universal Studios is set to launch a $3.3 billion park in Beijing in 2019. Last week, Six Flags Entertainment began construction of a $4.6 billion attraction in Haiyan, south of Shanghai, the first of multiple parks it plans to build across the country over the coming decade. "Asia and China, in particular, are seeing the highest growth rates and offer the best opportunities for expansion into the LBE business for companies looking to further monetize and leverage premium content," DMG said by statement. The growth in the sector, much like the rapid expansion of China's movie box office, has been fueled by the rise of China's young, urban middle-class consumers, who are hungry for modern entertainment options to match their new consumerist lifestyles. Hollywood IP holders have been hurrying to establish their brands in the massive Chinese market, despite the country's gradual economic slowdown, while the Chinese government has been promoting entertainment as a bright spot in the economy and a crucial tool of soft power. DMG, for its part, is pitching showbiz magic, first and foremost: “When watching a blockbuster that transports you to another world like Transformers, it’s natural to wonder what it would be like if this were real. How cool would it be to see a live Optimus Prime in full glory?” said Dan Mintz, DMG's CEO. “The Transformers Live show will appeal to the wide-eyed child in all of us who love big robots, insane action and incredible special effects.”
