Ahead of this year’s Asian Attractions Expo (AAE) in Shanghai, Hollywood-based Goddard Group has unveiled details of numerous upcoming projects across Asia, Mexico and around the globe, including four attractions currently under construction.

“Following the phenomenally successful launch of the $3.2bn Studio City Macau this past October, we’re very excited to shift our focus to the next wave of game-changing destinations and attractions,” said Goddard Group founder and chairman, Gary Goddard.

“We are now focusing on a host of major new projects in locations around the world, each of them unique and original, and each of them iconic and immersive.”

In Mexico, the world’s first Cirque du Soleil resort is quickly rising near Puerto Vallarta. Goddard Group is creating the new attraction in partnership with Mexican resort developer Vidanta.

The project’s first phase is anchored by what Goddard describes as “the world’s greatest and most-innovative water park – a new kind of experience that could only be done with partners like the Cirque du Soleil”. The project is on-track for a late 2018 premiere.

In China, meanwhile, three Goddard Group-designed projects are in the midst of major construction. The first, Hengdian Studio’s recreation of the Shanghai Bund as a new motion picture standing set, together with the first Hengdian Movie World theme park, is nearing completion in Hengdian, China.

The combined Studio/Movie World Theme park is racing towards a mid-2017 premiere. Designed to double as both a theme park and working studio facility, Goddard Group designed the project so that nearly 30 film and television productions could be underway at any given time, all while seamlessly operating with the setting of a world-class theme park.

Just a few hours’ drive from Hengdian, Haichang Group’s Shanghai Polar Ocean World is eyeing an early 2019 premiere. According to the Goddard Group’s Director of Design, Taylor Jeffs, the $600m sea life park will be a unique experience in the market, and will offer a strong compliment to the new Shanghai Disney park.

Further north, in Harbin, KW Zone’s Kingdom of Poseidon resort recently resumed construction after pausing for the winter. The highly-populated city, famous for its frigid temperatures and sprawling ice festival, is currently devoid of year-round tourist attractions – making the Kingdom of Poseidon resort particularly competitive.

More than half of this park will be enclosed, to create an all-weather, year ’round family destination. The integrated resort hotel, also designed by Goddard Group, will feature a family hotel connected to a variety of indoor entertainment attractions, including a water park, aquarium and retail promenade.

Additionally, Goddard Group recently signed on with respected Chinese developer Chimelong, and is working closely with that company’s key design and management team on a new generation of exciting parks, resorts and attractions.

“The projects we’re developing now will literally revolutionise their respective markets, as they roll out and open to the public over the next five years,” Goddard said.

“This is truly the most exciting period in the history of the themed entertainment industry since the late 1970s, when I began my career with Walt Disney Imagineering.”