PARIS - Toei Animation Co. has denied media reports that a theme park inspired by the Japanese manga and anime series "Dragon Ball" will be built in France, saying it has not granted any licenses.
France and Saudi Arabia agreed in August to build three theme parks near Paris and media outlets reported that one of them would be linked to Dragon Ball.
The agreement came as French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, both said to be Dragon Ball fans, held talks in France.
Regarding news reports that a Dragon Ball theme park will be built in France, the company said in a statement dated Monday that it and the other rights holders "have not granted any licenses and we are not aware of any such facts."
The project, involving a Saudi investment of 6 billion euros ($7 billion), to build the three theme parks in Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris, is said to stem from a meeting between Macron and the Saudi crown prince in Riyadh in December 2024, during which they shared their passion for Dragon Ball.
Neither the French presidential office nor the Saudi company that would invest in the project have officially mentioned Dragon Ball.
Dragon Ball started as a manga comic series, serialized from 1984 to 1995, that follows the adventures of protagonist Goku and his allies as they battle progressively stronger enemies. Its success in Japan and abroad has spawned multiple anime series, films and extensive merchandise.
Toei Animation announced in 2024 the construction in Saudi Arabia of the world's first theme park devoted to Dragon Ball.
