This summer, PortAventura World in Tarragona, Spain, unleashes the unknown in the form of an indoor, multi-dimensional roller coaster with five LSM launches, and unexpected twists and turns. Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence is the first theme park attraction inspired by the Uncharted action-adventure film from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The new ride is a state-of-the-art attraction combining the intellectual property (IP) from the movie, cutting edge engineering from Intamin Amusement Rides, and dynamic creative elements from Sally Dark Rides. Intamin provided the roller coaster ride system, while Sally led the creative storytelling.
“It’s a huge compliment to have a client like PortAventura call us again for a project like this,” says Lauren Wood Weaver, vice president of marketing and business development for Sally. The park on the Balearic Sea first partnered with Sally in 2019 for the opening of the family-friendly Sesame Street: Street Mission dark ride. She calls the partnership with PortAventura and Intamin a great experience. “We hope there will be more opportunities in the future to work together again,” Wood Weaver says.
To immerse guests in Uncharted’s story, Sally produced a storyline that takes place in the fictional town of Penitence, located in PortAventura’s Far West themed land. Artists at the Jacksonville, Florida-based company spent the past two years designing and crafting elements of the ride. From audio-visual systems and special effects, to projections, media, and advanced animatronics, all the elements come together seamlessly while maximizing Intamin’s unique coaster layout.
Ignasi Guasch, executive director of Intamin Amusement Rides says, “this project gave us the opportunity to combine more innovative technologies in the market to deliver the experience the creative team was looking for.”
IAAPA News won't give away the storyline or share detailed spoilers here. Rather, IAAPA News can report Uncharted is a thrilling roller coaster experience featuring several elements, including several coaster elements new to Spain, including quintuple (five) launches, one that takes place sideways, another that sends riders backwards, and yet another that includes a spike.
The park realizes not all guests will be able to experience Uncharted. Therefore, with accessibility in mind, the attraction also offers a standalone virtual reality experience that recreates the coaster ride for visitors with disabilities. After all, providing a cinema-like experience is the foundation of the Uncharted franchise. Jeffrey Godsick, executive vice president, brand strategy and partnership and head of location-based entertainment of Sony Pictures Entertainment, explains that PortAventura World impressed the movie studio with the attraction’s approach to bringing the IP to life by creating an immersive experience.
“The opening of Uncharted, the ride, is a testament to PortAventura’s expertise in attraction development. A display of safety and care with the IP was evident from fabrication through completion,” Godsick says.
David Garcia, managing director of PortAventura World shares Uncharted: The Enigma of Penitence took two years of collaboration and a substantial investment of €25 million. He says using an IP can broaden the appeal of a new attraction and marketing outside of Spain.
“This attraction is the outcome of a pivotal agreement with an industry giant in entertainment, Sony Pictures. The alliance permits us to extend our global footprint, by means of a product that is truly state-of-the-art on an international scale and stands equal to the finest attractions globally,” Garcia concludes.
