France’s proposed Dragon Ball theme park has run into a very real-world problem: it doesn’t yet have permission to use Dragon Ball. The ambitious project near Cergy-Pontoise, northwest of Paris, was announced as part of a €6 billion Saudi-backed entertainment development, immediately sparking excitement among fans.
But just days after the announcement, reports revealed that the Japanese rights holders have not yet approved the use of Goku, Vegeta and the wider Dragon Ball brand. The project has not been canceled, but its biggest attraction now faces the question that could determine everything: can Qiddiya actually secure the license?
France’s Dragon Ball Theme Park Hits a Major Licensing Roadblock
According to Le Monde, the proposed Dragon Ball attraction does not yet have authorization from the Japanese rights holders to use the franchise’s characters and branding. The announcement on August 24 was technically for a much broader project. The French and Saudi governments welcomed Qiddiya Investment Company’s ambition to develop a mixed-use destination in Cergy-Pontoise featuring up to three major entertainment attractions, hotels and additional leisure experiences. The Élysée puts the projected investment at around €6 billion across the entire development lifecycle, rather than €6 billion being spent solely on a Dragon Ball park.
The French government has publicly described the first attraction as being linked to the manga world, while Île-de-France president Valérie Pécresse explicitly promoted it as a Dragon Ball park. However, the Japanese companies whose approval is required have not publicly announced a French licensing deal.
Dragon Ball is not a single piece of intellectual property controlled by one simple international office. Toei Animation’s official copyright information lists Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Z Kai and Dragon Ball Super under Bird Studio/Shueisha and Toei Animation. Shueisha likewise identifies the original Dragon Ball manga as © Bird Studio/Shueisha.
A physical theme park would require far more than simply putting Goku’s image on a sign. Characters, logos, story elements, animation-derived material, merchandise and other franchise components can all involve licensing considerations. That’s why securing the rights is not a minor administrative step but a fundamental part of building a genuine Dragon Ball destination.
And France has plenty of reason to want the franchise. Dragon Ball first arrived on French television through TF1’s Club Dorothée in 1988, while Dragon Ball Z subsequently became a major phenomenon. Toei currently reports 94% awareness among 25-to-45-year-olds in France, alongside more than 100 licensees across the EMEA region.
There is also a precedent for Qiddiya itself. Its Saudi Arabian Dragon Ball theme park, announced in 2024, is being developed through a long-term partnership with Toei Animation and is planned to cover more than 500,000 square meters with seven themed zones and more than 30 attractions. That agreement, however, does not extend to the French development.
Why the €6 Billion Project Still Isn’t Guaranteed to Bring Goku to Paris
The scale of the French proposal makes the licensing problem even more striking. The €6 billion figure covers the planned multi-park destination and associated development over its full lifecycle, with French officials also citing the creation of 22,000 jobs. No official opening date has been published, and the precise development timetable remains unclear. The project still has multiple stages ahead, and the Dragon Ball component has an especially important one: obtaining the necessary intellectual-property rights.
If negotiations succeed, the French park could eventually become an enormous European extension of the Dragon Ball entertainment empire. If the license ultimately cannot be secured, the broader three-park development could theoretically continue while its proposed Dragon Ball component changes. For now, none of those outcomes has been confirmed.
Qiddiya’s Saudi park is designed around the franchise’s worlds and characters, showing that the concept is no longer merely hypothetical. But France’s announcement has reached the public before its licensing puzzle appears to have been completely solved. So fans should watch for one thing above everything else: an official licensing announcement from the relevant Dragon Ball rights holders.
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