Shaun the Sheep will soon be coming to Australia, and possibly to a theme park/attraction near you, thanks to the announcement of a new themed land and a dark ride concept from Aardman.
Pictured above: Shaun the Sheep demonstrates his new dark ride concept with Sally Corporation
The animated TV/film franchise will form the basis of a themed family area at Paradise Country on Australia’s Gold Coast. The partnership with operator Village Roadshow was secured on behalf of Aardman by Merchantwise Licensing (sic).
Opening this coming December, Shaun the Sheep fans of all ages will be able to enjoy specially created sculptures and interactive attractions such as Shaun’s Tractor Ride, Shaun’s Adventure Camp, The Pig’s Playground and Shaun’s Scraps & Taps. There will also be a live show, Shaun’s Aussie Adventures, and a themed retail outlet, Mossy Bottom Memories. In addition, there will be an opportunity to meet, greet and have a photo taken with Shaun the Sheep.
“As Australia’s number one farm based attraction, Paradise Country is the perfect home for Shaun the Sheep’s next attraction adventure,” says Ngaio Harding-Hill, senior manager of Attractions & Live Experiences at Aardman. “The new experience captures all the fun and frolics of the show in a real life adventure fans will adore.”
Meanwhile Aardman has teamed up with Sally Corporation to market a Shaun the Sheep dark ride. Both companies will be on hand to discuss concepts to prospective buyers at the upcoming European Attractions Show (EAS) in Amsterdam from September 25 to 27.
They are promising a 4-minute experience in which riders will step aboard a custom themed ride vehicle that will transport them through Shaun’s rural, rustic and colourful world, with plenty of comedy touches along the way.
“This attraction is perfect for any park or FEC looking to satisfy their family demographic,” says Sally’s director of marketing and business development, Lauren Weaver. “From farm-themed attractions and play parks, to cafes and stage shows, people are noticing the universal appeal of this popular IP. With Sally’s ability to scale dark rides to any budget or footprint, the possibilities are endless.”
Created by UK animation studio Aardman, Shaun the Sheep is an internationally celebrated family brand. Loved across 170 territories, he boasts almost 6 million fans on Facebook and 2.3 billion views on YouTube as well as being an incredibly popular brand in China and other leading Asian markets. Next year will see the release of the much anticipated sequel Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon.
