Wonderla is exploring movie based attractions for its parks as it looks to tap entertainment IP for new guest experiences. But the company says the rapidly shrinking durability of films is a key barrier to making such investments viable.
“We are talking to a few movie productions. If the movie makes sense for us, we would like to do movie based attractions,” said Wonderla MD and Executive Chairman Arun Chittilappilly.
Shorter movie longevity is the core concern. “Back in the day, Marvel for example. Everybody used to go to Marvel theme parks. I think the shelf life of a movie itself has come down,” he said.
The hesitation comes even as global theme park models are increasingly built around media and entertainment IP. Disney anchors multi billion dollar expansions with Star Wars, Marvel, Frozen and Pixar. Universal has created Harry Potter, Jurassic World, Minions and Transformers themed lands that drive attendance and merchandise sales.
Parks in Japan, Singapore and Abu Dhabi also license global IP ranging from anime to Hollywood blockbusters, using established characters to build immersive environments and justify high capex. These models rely on long running franchises that sustain audience engagement over decades, something Indian studios have yet to scale.
Wonderla’s approach is shaped by this context, but experts say Indian film properties often fade too quickly to support large format, long gestation attractions.
The company also believes global pricing cannot be applied in India. “Disney prices globally are about $200 per person, which is Rs 16,000. That is not going to work in India. Even Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 is a super premium from an Indian point of view.”
Wonderla is adding more AR and VR based rides, including Mission Interstellar, its first large scale VR attraction, similar to Velocity which has a giant LED setup. “These rides are expensive, costing up to 20 euros, so we cannot have too many, but we include them because customers enjoy them,” he added.
The company will open its most ambitious park in Chennai on December 1, marking a Rs 600 crore investment and its entry into Tamil Nadu, one of South India’s biggest leisure markets.
“We just wanted it to be a little different because Chennai is one of our largest South Indian cities and we wanted to do something unique,” Chittilappilly said. The park’s design blends Tamil Nadu inspired architecture with modern and sci-fi elements. It will feature the country’s biggest inverted coaster and what the company says will be India’s tallest ride.
Wonderla has already spent close to Rs 500 crore on the project. “Around Rs 250 crore from our QIP will be used and the rest is internal accruals,” he said. The company expects the park to break even in year one or year two, with full payback between year six and year eight.
Pricing will follow the model used at its existing parks. “We have roughly Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 ARPU in our park. So we will follow that same trend.”
Chennai is a very important catchment area for Wonderla. “We depend on the rest of Tamil Nadu,” he said. The state was home to some of India’s earliest amusement parks in the 70s and 80s but has not seen major new investments in recent decades.
Wonderla expects around 1.3 million visitors annually, similar to its Bengaluru park. With four parks in Kochi, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad, Wonderla has attracted 45 million visitors since inception, according to its FY25 annual report.
The Chennai park will be the first to run entirely on Wonderla’s upgraded systems. “Ticketing system, our entire customer CRM system, everything is new. Chennai will be the first park designed with our own operating system in mind.”
F&B and merchandise now account for about 35% of revenue, up from less than 20% before the pandemic. Online sales have increased from 10% to 40%.
The company plans to integrate resorts into more parks, including Hyderabad, Kottayam and Chennai, and is developing a water themed resort concept. Expansion plans include Mumbai, NCR, Goa and Ahmedabad.
“We are talking to a few movie productions. If the movie makes sense for us, we would like to do movie based attractions,” said Wonderla MD and Executive Chairman Arun Chittilappilly.
Shorter movie longevity is the core concern. “Back in the day, Marvel for example. Everybody used to go to Marvel theme parks. I think the shelf life of a movie itself has come down,” he said.
The hesitation comes even as global theme park models are increasingly built around media and entertainment IP. Disney anchors multi billion dollar expansions with Star Wars, Marvel, Frozen and Pixar. Universal has created Harry Potter, Jurassic World, Minions and Transformers themed lands that drive attendance and merchandise sales.
Parks in Japan, Singapore and Abu Dhabi also license global IP ranging from anime to Hollywood blockbusters, using established characters to build immersive environments and justify high capex. These models rely on long running franchises that sustain audience engagement over decades, something Indian studios have yet to scale.
Wonderla’s approach is shaped by this context, but experts say Indian film properties often fade too quickly to support large format, long gestation attractions.
The company also believes global pricing cannot be applied in India. “Disney prices globally are about $200 per person, which is Rs 16,000. That is not going to work in India. Even Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 is a super premium from an Indian point of view.”
Wonderla is adding more AR and VR based rides, including Mission Interstellar, its first large scale VR attraction, similar to Velocity which has a giant LED setup. “These rides are expensive, costing up to 20 euros, so we cannot have too many, but we include them because customers enjoy them,” he added.
The company will open its most ambitious park in Chennai on December 1, marking a Rs 600 crore investment and its entry into Tamil Nadu, one of South India’s biggest leisure markets.
“We just wanted it to be a little different because Chennai is one of our largest South Indian cities and we wanted to do something unique,” Chittilappilly said. The park’s design blends Tamil Nadu inspired architecture with modern and sci-fi elements. It will feature the country’s biggest inverted coaster and what the company says will be India’s tallest ride.
Wonderla has already spent close to Rs 500 crore on the project. “Around Rs 250 crore from our QIP will be used and the rest is internal accruals,” he said. The company expects the park to break even in year one or year two, with full payback between year six and year eight.
Pricing will follow the model used at its existing parks. “We have roughly Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 ARPU in our park. So we will follow that same trend.”
Chennai is a very important catchment area for Wonderla. “We depend on the rest of Tamil Nadu,” he said. The state was home to some of India’s earliest amusement parks in the 70s and 80s but has not seen major new investments in recent decades.
Wonderla expects around 1.3 million visitors annually, similar to its Bengaluru park. With four parks in Kochi, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad, Wonderla has attracted 45 million visitors since inception, according to its FY25 annual report.
The Chennai park will be the first to run entirely on Wonderla’s upgraded systems. “Ticketing system, our entire customer CRM system, everything is new. Chennai will be the first park designed with our own operating system in mind.”
F&B and merchandise now account for about 35% of revenue, up from less than 20% before the pandemic. Online sales have increased from 10% to 40%.
The company plans to integrate resorts into more parks, including Hyderabad, Kottayam and Chennai, and is developing a water themed resort concept. Expansion plans include Mumbai, NCR, Goa and Ahmedabad.
