The Tussauds Group, operating the world-renowned Madam Tussauds wax museums in London, plans to open shop in Mumbai, Dubai, Hollywood and Washington DC at a cost of 75 million US dollars. The group, owned by the Middle Eastern investment firm Dubai International Capital, sees overseas expansion as a key source of growth, The Sunday Times stated in London. "Last year it opened in Shanghai and is planning other attractions around the world, including in Mumbai and Dubai," the report said. Its attraction in the US capital is scheduled to open this autumn on the site of Woody's, an old department store. The Hollywood's branch of Madame Tussauds will follow next year. It is being built on a brownfield site next to Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a Los Angeles landmark, and is the first overseas Tussauds to be built from scratch. While the Hollywood attraction will mainly feature waxworks of film stars such as Cary Grant and Brad Pitt, Washington will have a more political flavour. One feature will be a replica of the Oval Office in the White House. Tussauds has already made it across the Atlantic, with attractions in New York and Las Vegas, and it is active in Asia, having opened in Hong Kong and Shanghai. It is estimated that 4 million people visit Madame Tussauds wax works every year.
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