The future of Dragon Ball looks brighter than ever thanks to several exciting projects on the horizon. Unfortunately, one of them is now in serious trouble and could be canceled, as Toei Animation has revealed that there are major licensing issues surrounding the project.

Fans already know that Dragon Ball has new anime projects, video games, and even more collaborations with fast-food chains in the works. Akira Toriyama’s legendary franchise is also expanding into the real world with theme parks, while new clues have emerged about the future of the manga.

Sadly for fans of the iconic Japanese franchise, one of these ambitious projects is now hanging by a thread after drawing criticism from Toei Animation.

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Toei Animation Calls Out an Ambitious New Dragon Ball Project

France and Saudi Arabia recently announced plans for a Dragon Ball Z theme park in Paris. According to reports, the project has an estimated budget of $7 billion USD and is intended to become a major attraction for fans of the franchise as well as “a magnet for foreign investment.”

Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, celebrated the announcement as a fan of Dragon Ball and anime in general. He considers Akira Toriyama’s work an important part of cultural heritage that should remain alive, while also expecting the theme park to create a significant number of jobs in the region.

There is, however, a major problem that could bring the French project to a halt: Toei Animation says it was not aware that the theme park was being planned.

In an official statement, the company explained that those behind the project do not have an official license for the franchise, meaning they have no authorization to use its characters or the world created by Toriyama.

“Recently, some media outlets have reported that a Dragon Ball theme park is planned to be built in France. However, Toei Animation Co., Ltd. and the rights holders have not granted any license for this matter, and we have no knowledge of such information,” the company explained.

Toei Animation also pointed out that the images and concept videos being used in reports about the French theme park actually depict the attraction planned for Saudi Arabia. For now, the company stressed that there are no official plans to build Dragon Ball theme parks in other countries, leaving the future of the French project uncertain.

“All images and concept videos of the theme park used in these reports were included in a joint announcement issued by Saudi Arabia’s Qiddiya Investment Company and our company on March 22, 2024, and refer to the theme park planned for construction in Qiddiya City, Saudi Arabia,” Toei added.

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Will the Dragon Ball Theme Park in France Be Canceled?

The French and Saudi Arabian project dates back to 2025, when Macron met with Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and another Dragon Ball fan who is involved in the development of the franchise’s theme park in his country.

It appears that the leaders did not take Toei Animation or the other companies holding rights to Dragon Ball into account. Given the current situation, there are two obvious possibilities: the Paris project could be canceled, or France and Saudi Arabia could sit down with Toei Animation and negotiate an official license for the IP.

For now, none of the parties involved has provided further details. We’ll have to wait and see whether Dragon Ball eventually gets multiple theme parks around the world or whether the franchise’s only major attraction remains the one planned for Saudi Arabia.

That park is expected to cover approximately 50,000 square meters and feature seven areas dedicated to the Dragon Ball universe, making it a massive destination for fans of Goku and the rest of the franchise’s legendary cast.