Blackpool Pleasure Beach in talks over Wallace & Gromit ride for 2012

Could Wallace & Gromit star in the first theme park ride in 2012? Image © Aardman Animations

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is in talks with the creator of the popular Wallace & Gromit animated films, with a ride based on the characters claimed to be due to open in 2012.

Nick Park, the Oscar-winning animator behind the series, told the Express that discussions are focused on a "family-friendly ride". No further details of the ride itself have been revealed, although the newspaper does report that is expected to open just one year after the Nickelodeon Land area opens in 2011.

Park lives in nearby Preston, and says that Blackpool Pleasure Beach would be a perfect fit for a Wallace & Gromit ride: "It’s nice because Blackpool Pleasure Beach is a family-run business. Blackpool is just down the road and I used to go there as a kid for the switching on of the lights. It feels right."

If a deal can be concluded, it could indicate a significant shift from Blackpool Pleasure Beach away from major thrill rides and rollercoasters towards family experiences based on licensed properties. However, it is not yet clear whether the Wallce & Gromit attraction would be an all-new ride, or a less costly retheming of an existing attraction.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is spending £10 million on Nickelodeon Land, which is scheduled to open in April 2011. It will replace the existing Beaver Creek area of the seafront amusement park, and will feature more than 14 rides and shows spread across 6 acres.

You can keep up to date with the latest confirmed and rumored opening dates for new attractions through Theme Park Tourist's "New Attraction Watch" section, and by signing up for our weekly newsletter.

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