Major US motion picture group Universal Studios has unveiled big plans to build a film studio and possibly even a theme park in Istanbul similar to Hollywood’s film studios and theme parks.
The announcement came during a press conference in Los Angeles, in which Economy Minister Zafer Cağlayan announced that Universal Studios “would like to install a facility similar to Hollywood’s film studios and theme parks in Turkey.”
Just how serious the studio might be about such a plan was far from certain on Friday, as Universal Studios has not publically declared its intention to open facilities in Turkey. Nonetheless, the minister said he was optimistic about a possible Hollywood presence in Turkey, telling the Anatolia news agency that he had meetings with “representatives of the Hollywood film sector” about such a move.
Çağlayan said that they were preparing a proposal together with Entertainment Development Partners (EDP) that was a trio consortium. “EDP made a presentation with regards to what kind of structuring could take place in Turkey. They have even chosen the European side of Istanbul to build the facility and named it ‘Hollywood on the Bosphorus’.”
The feasibility study of the project is to be completed in three months and will be submitted to the Ministry of Economy. If the project becomes a reality, Universal Studios plans to make an investment of $3 billion in Turkey.
The film studio currently maintains theme parks in Hollywood, Orlando, Japan and Singapore. It is also constructing theme parks in South Korea and Dubai, and has been rumored to be planning theme parks in Beijing and Moscow.
