Toei Animation has released an official corporate statement firmly denying widespread reports that a licensed Dragon Ball theme park is slated for construction in France. The studio clarified that neither Toei nor any associated rights holders have authorized licensing agreements for such an attraction in Europe, emphasizing that they possess no knowledge of any factual basis behind the claims.
Misattributed Concept Footage
The studio also moved swiftly to address promotional imagery and video reels circulating across social media alongside the French reports. According to Toei, all materials featured in these rumors were taken directly from the official joint announcement made with Saudi Arabia's Qiddiya Investment Company in March 2024, which detailed the world's first official Dragon Ball theme park currently planned for Qiddiya City.
Recently, some media outlets have reported that 'a Dragon Ball theme park is planned to be built in France.' However, Toei Animation Co., Ltd. and the relevant rights holders have not granted any licenses regarding this matter, and we are not aware of any such fact. Furthermore, all concept images and videos of the theme park used in these reports were originally used in the joint announcement made by our company and Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Investment Company on March 22, 2024, and relate to the theme park planned for construction in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia.
Toei Animation Official Statement
The Source of the Confusion
Speculation surged after French President Emmanuel Macron announced preliminary plans for three major pop-culture and manga-inspired theme parks in Cergy-Pontoise, backed by an estimated €6 billion investment in partnership with Saudi entities. While the French initiative highlighted broader creative ventures, Macron never explicitly cited Akira Toriyama's legendary franchise, leading media outlets to improperly conflate the French initiative with the active Qiddiya development.
