The top grossing film of all time "Avatar", raking in 2.8 billion in global box office, will soon jump off the silver screen and into the gloved hands of Mickey Mouse at Orlando's Walt Disney World.
Thanks to the recent acquisition of global theme park rights, Disney has chosen lush Animal Kingdom to be the first of its parks to create Avatar-themed lands with rides, entertainment and dining based on the blockbuster action-adventure-fantasy film.
"We're going to start with the creation of the world, a world that will be very believable, immersive, you'll be able to immerse yourself into a physical space. I'm sure there's going to be a good deal of special effects associated as well," said Disney President and CEO Bob Iger.
Construction is set to begin by 2013, with a timeline for completion that will allow Disney to incorporate storylines from Cameron's planned "Avatar" sequels, bringing Pandora to life at a rumored cost of a half billion dollars.
With the huge success of Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter phenomenon practically next door, one can't help but think this might be a "can you top this" move. "No, this isn't designed to compete with them, we compete with them already and fairly well," Iger said. Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom is expected to take three years to build, with an opening set for 2016.