Warner Bros eyes India's retail entertainment space

New Delhi: Warner Bros is vying for a piece of India's growing retail entertainment industry. Warner Bros is scouting for around 20,000-30,000 sq ft space in malls in top cities as the US giant is planning to bring its family entertainment centres with kids playing areas festooned with popular DC characters including Batman, Superman, Joker and miniature sets of Harry Porter castles to lure Indian children, multiple people aware of the development said. “It has been a while they have been in talks with malls,” said one top mall executive asking not to be named.

Warner Bros did not respond to an email seeking comments. Market watchers say Warner Bros, famed for movies including the Harry Potter series, Matrix, Hangover, Conjuring, Final Destination, the Oceans series as well as DC Comics characters’ films such as Batman vs Superman, and Wonder Woman, must be testing the waters in India with the plans for the entertainment centres.

In Abu Dhabi the entertainment titan operates a gigantic Warner Bros World indoor theme park. The park, spread over about 1.65 million sq ft, has with two-dozen rides and showcase of the company’s iconic characters including Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, Bugs Bunny, Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry and the stone-age family, The Flintstones. Over the years, the family entertainment centres business in India has attracted global companies including Kidzania and Chuck E Cheese.


Mexico-headquartered KidZania operates two indoor theme parks one each in Mumbai and Noida. US-based Chuck E Cheese last month opened its first centre in Mumbai that has rides, restaurants and birthday zones.