Falcon’s Beyond Global, a fully integrated development enterprise for IP-driven parks, resorts, media and merchandise, and Falcon’s Creative Group, a division of the company, are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year.
As Falcon’s Beyond marks its one-year anniversary as a Nasdaq-listed company (FBYD) and Falcon’s Creative Group nears its 25th anniversary, the design firm has reflected on its journey and growth and shared details of its current slate of projects.
Holistic approach
Falcon’s Creative Group is a global leader in master planning, theme park design, attraction design, content creation, interactive experiences, and others. Its innovative approach to narrative, technology, and content development has set new benchmarks in the industry and resulted in over $120bn in immersive entertainment experiences.
Its portfolio showcases a passion for diversity, spectacular yet practical solutions, and a strong commitment to being one of the most innovative design studios in themed entertainment. The firm has amassed over 40 industry awards, including a Visual Effects Society Award, four wins in the THEA Awards for Outstanding Achievement, and three wins in the IAAPA Brass Ring Awards.
Falcon’s Creative Group was founded by Cecil D. Magpuri, now CEO of Falcon’s Beyond Global.
When he established the company, Magpuri was well-known in the themed entertainment design industry, but he understood the dangers of going it alone. He also knew that his distinctive offering of a comprehensive single turnkey package including design, build, and execution was unmatched by any other firm in the industry. Magpuri trusted his vision and his track record of successfully completing challenging projects, and he was committed to making it work.
One of Falcon’s earliest projects was a turnkey installation at EPCOT, which was enthusiastically received. When leaders from an Atlanta-based dot-com company saw it, they requested a similar design from Disney. Disney does not design for outside companies, and so instead recommended they call Falcon’s. The resulting project gave the firm momentum, and Falcon’s secured numerous prestigious projects during the next decade.
A standout project was Dragon’s Treasure, a trailblazing 360 degree dome theatre experience at the City of Dreams Casino in Macau which earned the firm its VES award.
David Schaefer, Falcon’s chief development officer, says: “To say Dragon’s Treasure was a demanding technical job is an understatement. We set out to do something that had never been done before. Looking back, it was pretty insane to be that ambitious, but the result was spectacular, and it really set the tone for the company moving forward.”
Over the next decade, successful collaborations were formed with major players in the development and entertainment sectors, such as IMG Group, Lionsgate, Herschend Live and 343 Industries, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Kerzner International, Fosun International, Chimelong Group, Sun Group, and Netflix.
Creative guardianship
Falcon’s talented creative directors, writers, designers, illustrators, producers, and programmers have brought some of the most well-known intellectual properties in the world to life. The firm’s creative guardianship service acts as a liaison between IP owners and project developers, ensuring the plan is carried out safely, effectively, and efficiently while respecting the concept, narrative, and intellectual property.
For example, at IMG Worlds of Adventure, the largest indoor theme park at the time of its opening, visitors can join superheroes like The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and others in battles against villains across several attractions. Falcon’s created the master plan for the 1.5 million-square-foot entertainment destination, complete with Cartoon Network and dinosaur-themed zones, as well as themed restaurants and retail outlets.
IMG Worlds of Adventure demonstrates the diverse range of services that Falcon’s provides. In this project, the firm’s responsibilities included art direction, media creation, onsite implementation, attraction design, project management, and creative oversight, in addition to developing the master plan.
Falcon’s expertise extends far beyond theme parks. It has built numerous exhibitions for the National Geographic Museum, including the award-winning Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall. This exhibit includes multimedia experiences that bring Jane’s incredible journey to life.
At Kennedy Space Center, visitors can enjoy Heroes and Legends, an immersive storytelling experience that focuses on the pioneers of space exploration. Falcon’s delivered a range of services to enhance the attraction and museum experience, including design, media creation, art direction, project management, and technical integration.
Groundbreaking projects
Falcon’s Creative Group is currently serving as master planner, attraction designer, and creative guardian, for the first-ever Dragon Ball theme park in Qiddiya City.
Qiddiya City is also home to Aquarabia, Saudi Arabia’s first water theme park. Falcon’s was the master planner and attraction designer for this bespoke, narrative-driven destination. It is now providing creative guardianship and art direction during the building stage. In addition, the design studio is delivering experience design and technology development for Qiddiya’s groundbreaking Gaming and Esports zone.
Falcon’s is continuing to develop media, technology, and design services for Vquarium, the brand-new, virtual ocean adventure-themed location-based entertainment (LBE) experience.
Falcon’s Beyond collaborated with Raging Power Limited, a subsidiary of K11 Group, a major cultural commerce company based in Hong Kong, to create the project. The first Vquarium LBE will open at 11 Skies, a renowned retail and entertainment destination next to Hong Kong International Airport. The partnership is projected to increase the number of LBEs, both inside and outside of Asia.
The firm also recently signed a licensing agreement with The Hershey Company to create Hershey-branded LBE experiences. This allows Falcon’s Creative Group to create unique experiences for families and snack enthusiasts, featuring iconic brands such as Twizzlers, Jolly Rancher, and Reese’s.
Continuing expansion
To support its groundbreaking projects Falcon’s needed to hire an unprecedented number of new employees. Before IAAPA Expo 2023, it announced plans to double its workforce by recruiting design, media, and technology experts. This initiative was successful, and the firm recently announced the appointment of its 200th employee.
Magpuri says: “Back in the very early days when it was only three of us, I had faith we’d land meaningful projects that would allow us to add a couple dozen people to the payroll and move into a slightly bigger office space. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine we would one day be in the position we are now, working with all these fantastic, forward-thinking companies, employing a couple hundred talented, dedicated people, and having a hand in some of the most ambitious projects the themed entertainment industry has ever seen.”
The opening of Falcon’s Creative Philippines, in the vibrant capital city of Manila, was one aspect of Falcon’s most recent growth. The experts in the new office are a seamless continuation of the firm’s Orlando-based team.
“As someone of Filipino decent, it has been a lifelong dream of mine, as well as my father,
to open a Falcon’s office in the Philippines,” Magpuri said at the opening. “We’re excited to expand our company’s footprint globally and build a team of passionate storytellers and creatives to support our portfolio of high-profile, international, entertainment projects.”
Magpuri added that even though Falcon’s continues to be busy, it regularly responds to requests for proposals for projects of all sizes and locations:
“We’ve always been diversified. It’s what got us through some of the world’s most challenging events, and it’s the key to our success. We will always consider right-fit projects because the opportunity to continue elevating experiential entertainment will always be there.”
For this team of ambitious creatives, the possibilities are endless. Falcon’s Creative Group, one of Falcon’s Beyond’s main commercial divisions, is positioned to be a leader in the design, digital, and delivery spaces for many years to come.
Falcon’s Beyond Global recently announced that Falcon’s Creative Group has appointed Matthew M. Martin as VP of design.
