Our sister site tolkienbrasil.com has posted and sent word of some very interesting verification that there is at least a possibility of a J.R.R. Tolkien inspired Middle-earth theme park. In records obtained by the website from the U.S. Patent office, the Saul Zaents Company, has registered in a goods and services document, several uses for Middle-earth properties that includes theme parks. When rumors of this first surfaced there was no credible source, or even really any source, that this was being explored. It didn’t even rise to the level of a rumor but now, those floating ideas are officially documented.
The Zaents Company owns Middle-earth Enterprises and that company gives Warner Bros. and other studios the right to produce Hobbit films and all that springs from them. The author, Tolkien sold his movie rights before his death to pay for medical expenses.
The found document is below, click it for a larger version:
The document, dated January 22, 2013, could be the company simply protecting its rights to develop a theme park in response to the message board rumors late last year or it could be actively considering such a development as a real possibility. It isn’t clear if this park would be in New Zealand or in one of the established theme-park regions of the U.S., such as Flordia or California, or perhaps both. Warners recently had a successful port of its Harry Potter movie franchise to a well-received theme park experience. The possibilities of what to do with such a park, is a nearly limitless source of message board content.
Thanks again to Tolkienbrasil.com for the heads up. You can read the story right here or below is a rough translation:
FROM TOLKIENBRASIL.COM:
Warner Bross and Univeral are already thinking of a theme park ride on Middle Earth and it looks like the rumors are true.
The first news about occurred in early January in a post on micro site Micechat.com. In saying only: “Great news in the world of theme parks. Universal is negotiating the possibility of bringing the sights and scenery of The Lord of the Rings at a theme park near you. Heated with the success of the magical world of Harry Potter, Universal is unwilling to let Disney take the reins of the market with parks Avatar or Star Wars. We will have an exciting time for fans of theme parks. ”
Many took no credibility with the post, why not present any kind of source on this information. And there is no announcement from Universal about. Thus, the information was taken as mere rumor.
Given the recent process of merchandising products on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, Tolkien Estate promoted by the companies face in administering the films (Warner Bros, New Line and Saulz Company), started to think that a theme park would still be far from becoming reality.
However, recently the site parkrumors.com presented what appears to be a piece of a document relating to the transaction that is like a theme park. This is the trademark registration of the name “Middle Earth”, which is the company Saulz Company. But that was extended with the possibility of doing a theme park.
The document presented by Parkrumors site is authentic?
Well, the document that the site has not parkrumors has its source, ie, we do not know its origin, since it is not told what department this document originou.O that could still form the opinion that it is only a rumor from fact.
Lawyer Site Tolkien Brazil came into contact with the industry patent records from the U.S. government on this information and the veracity of the document. And it was confirmed as true in an email received this morning. In that email it was confirmed that no such document exists and can be found on-site records of U.S. patents (see HERE).
parquetemáricodoc
Click on image to enlarge
In this document we see that is dated on January 22, 2013, with the word mark “Middle Earth”. Taking as the record owner of the company The Saul Zaentz COMPANY (which is the company that holds the rights to produce adaptations of the hobbit, lord of the rings and that makes the licenses of any products derived from these stories). Below is the translation of the terms of the document:
IC 028. U.S. 022023038050. G & S: Amusement
IC 035. U.S. 100101102. G & S: Management facilities for camping; Providing consumer information services and making referrals in the field of entertainment services for products, services, events, activities, facilities and locations
IC 039. U.S. 100 105. G & S: Organization of excursions; Organization of sightseeing trips, providing information, news and commentary in the field of travel, providing links to websites of other guidebooks, transportation of passengers and / or goods by car, boat and rail, transportation services, namely, providing transport services by bus services travel information
IC 041. U.S. 100101107. G & S: Salas games, entertainment centers for children, interactive play areas; entertainment as amusement, entertainment services in the form of an amusement park to show, entertainment services, namely, arranging and conducting special events at an amusement park, entertainment services, namely, arranging for ticket reservations amusement park attractions; Organizing and organizing exhibitions for entertainment purposes; Providing amusement parks; Provide recreation facilities; Provision of park thematic
IC 043. U.S. 100 101. G & S: Reservation of accommodation for camping, camping facilities provide services Resort Hotel
The document is official. And we see clearly that this is a trademark registration document for the purpose of producing a theme park. It remains now await negotiations to be made quickly and it becomes reality theme park on the middle ground.
A pity that the park “Middle Earth” will have no character of Silmarillon stories …