France’s Massive Dragon Ball Project Already Hits Major Roadblock
French President Emmanuel Macron announced an ambitious €6 billion ($7 billion) Dragon Ball-themed amusement park project developed in collaboration with Saudi Arabia, positioned to rival Disneyland. The park will be constructed approximately 45 minutes northwest of Paris under the leadership of the Qiddiya Investment Company.
The project has immediately encountered a critical legal obstacle. According to French newspaper Le Monde, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the initiative, the proposal lacks approval from the Japanese rights holders of the Dragon Ball franchise—a fundamental requirement for such a branded entertainment venture. This rights approval gap threatens to derail what was framed as a prestige project for both the French government and Saudi investors.
The situation underscores the complex intersection of international licensing requirements, geopolitical investment, and intellectual property governance in major entertainment development projects.