Disney bills its beloved theme parks as magical kingdoms “where dreams come true.” “Dismaland,” on the other hand, looks like the stuff of nightmares.
That’s the intent behind Banksy’s secret theme park that’s been mysteriously under construction in in the small British town of Weston-super-Mare over the past few weeks. Described as “a sinister twist on Disneyland” by the Bristol Post, the handful of photos circulating on the Internet depict a post-apocalyptic vision of the beloved theme parks: a crumbling, faded pink facsimile of Cinderella’s Castle from the original Magic Kingdom, a S-shaped aluminum gas depot, a skeletal wooden horse looming over the park’s concrete walls, and tattered, faded tents flapping in the wind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqZ5QjkZ2do
The park is currently under construction at the Tropicana, a 10,000-acre sprawling concrete lot that’s been abandoned since 2000, according to the Daily Beast . The construction site is ringed with fences featuring signs reading “Crew Notice Grey Fox Productions.”
Is #bansky in the Home Town of #wormwoodrocks ? Strange goings on in #westonsupermare.#streetart #banksyexhibition pic.twitter.com/JIJ6nQMZbk
— WormWood Rocks (@WormWoodRocks) August 17, 2015
“The area was reportedly closed off because Hollywood film producers Atlas Entertainment were filming a crime thriller called Grey Fox there,” reports the Bristol Post. “Information about the blockbuster states that it will be directed by Declan Whitebloom and is due to be released in September next year.”
But according to the Post, nobody’s spotted cameramen or other traditional film crew on the site in recent weeks. Additionally, financial records show Holly Cushing, the executive producer of Banksy film Exit Through the Gift Shop and rumored manager of the mysterious artist, “established limited company called Dismaland Ltd with Simon Durban, who is thought to be Banksy’s accountant, on May 1,” the Postadds.
But why “Dismaland?” The name likely comes from a piece of Banksy’s signature graffiti from way back in 2013, which suggests this project has been in the works for quite some time.
Oops, here's the pic I meant to include on that last Tweet. #Rain #Dismaland pic.twitter.com/URFYFbw9mo
— Francis Clarke, Mastodon francisclarke@union.place (@francisclarke) August 5, 2013
So, do you want to vacation at Dismaland? Pack your bags now — the twisted theme park is “heavily rumored” to open its door on Friday, August 21.