Much Anticipated Theme Park Expected To Open in Genting In Jan 2019 Despite Troubles

For a long time, we’ve looked forward to it:

Genting’s highly-anticipated Fox World Theme Park.

Originally slated to open in 2016, the release date was later postponed to 2018, and thereafter 2019. Granted the wait’s killing us, but hey you know what they say;

Good things are worth the wait.

But then lightning struck in our faces:

21st Century Fox Inc, now under Walt Disney Co, has backed out of a sponsorship agreement at the last minute, and Genting’s owner is now suing them for more than USD1 billion.

Image: Know Your Meme

Yes, for a time, we thought everything was over. After all, there’s a reason why the theme park’s called Fox World Theme Park, no?

But it seems that the heavens have watched our tears, for good news are in the works:

Genting will apparently open its Theme park in January 2019, albeit without a third party.

Image: Giphy

YASSSSSSS!

Part of their plan

According to The Edge Markets, Genting’s chairman and CEO Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay has stepped out with a statement, expressing that the theme park’s still part of their plan and that everything is “all in place”.

Additionally, Lim has said that the theme park’s just a small portion of the Resorts World Genting complex expansion plans.

Big news for Genting fans, I’m sure.

And to wrap things up, rumour has it that several big names, including Universal and Six Flags, might be keen to pick up the pieces. This, however, has yet to be confirmed by Genting.

Image: Tenor

Genting in 2019?

Hell yeah.

Why did the deal fall through in the first place, though?

For those wondering, it’s actually because Disney doesn’t want to be associated with Genting’s gambling business.

Back in 2013, when the agreement was announced, 21st Century Fox had been its own company; and saw no problems with ties to the gambling association.

Fast forward five years, however, and Walt Disney Co is now the big boss. And because it’s a child-friendly brand and all, it saw the dangers of being linked to Genting and thus swung the axe.

“Unlike Fox, which was perfectly happy to have the park situated a stone’s throw from the casinos of Resorts World Genting so long as it could continue to extract financial concession, Disney wanted no ties to a gambling company because of its ‘family-friendly’ brand strategy,” Genting said in November 2018.

The move, however, comes after Genting has already invested USD750 million in the Fox theme park, which was supposed to be opened in 2019.

Small wonder why Genting’s so eager to go to court.

The Fox theme park was initially scheduled to feature over 25 rides and attractions of a cinematic nature in three sections. Some of the movies that were expected to make an appearance in the 20th Century Fox World include AlienPredatorIce AgeLife of PiRio and Night at the Museum.

So what now?

With Fox out of the picture, it’s highly improbable that the aforementioned movies would be making an appearance. And with Genting themselves stating that the theme park will go ahead without a third party, it truly makes you wonder:

What’s gonna happen now?

But hey, if you really dig Fox and all, you can always head up to the second Floor of Sky Avenue, Resorts World Sentosa, where the 20th Century Fox World’s first ever specialty store (that takes up 3,000 sq ft. of retail space) is located.

You might not be able to sit on an AvP ride, but hey; movie memorabilia is pretty darn interesting too.

Don’t say bojio ah. 😉

And with that said, I’ll end this article off on a positive note…

And sincerely hope that no more Genting theme park drama occurs.

Because damn I want my theme park already.