Iconic Hollywood Venue “The Magic Castle” Breaks New Ground in China
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOVAEX GROUP.
Magic Castles Incorporated (MCI) (www.magiccastle.com) has partnered with NOVAEX Group (NOVAEX) (www.novaex.com.cn) to create a technically forward magic experience for Chinese audiences, blending the iconic Hollywood institution, The Magic Castle with the rich tradition of magic in China.
MCI founder Milt Larsen and NOVAEX CEO Jeson Zheng celebrated the partnership in an official signing ceremony held in Beijing on May 25th.
MCI has granted NOVAEX the exclusive license to use the intellectual property of The Magic Castle in themed entertainment projects, including indoor and outdoor entertainment centers, hotels, and restaurants in the territory of Greater China, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOVAEX GROUP.
The deal marks the first time ever MCI has licensed its brand internationally, with the first Magic Castle themed project being developed for NOVAEX’s offline Internet community brand “The Circle” that integrates a five star hotel resort, recreation, catering, natural scenery, luxury shopping and immersive entertainment that features smart technology (VR, AR, MR, 3D , hologram projection).
“The Magic Castle is an historical venue in Hollywood, and for the first time ever, we will allow the use of our name outside of the United States. We are looking forward to the creation of this first project together with NOVAEX that will showcase the over 55 year legacy of The Magic Castle and the long history of magic in China,” said Larsen.
Zheng commented, “The core values of NOVAEX are to help people discover and recover the bonds of the emotional connection by connecting and blending the virtual and the reality worlds. We created The Circle to blend together technology and experience, and our partnership with Magic Castles Incorporated will allow us to build for our guests a “reality version” of the world of magic.”
Zheng and his team, together with international magical consulting team led by the world famous magician Andrew Goldenhersh, will create a new style of magic experience, with state of the art technology playing a major part in the development.
NOVAEX also plans to build “The Magic School” under the MCI brand banner, to provide a stimulating creative educational experiences for children and teens.
Larsen explained, “With this partnership, we are celebrating a historic event in the world of magic by melding together the centuries old culture of magic in China with the modern global fascination with the art of magic. I am honored to continue my father’s dream to bring The Magic Castle experience to audiences around the world.”
“This long-term collaboration with Magic Castles Incorporated will ensure a memorable magical experience for the Chinese citizens and visitors for many years to come,” added Zheng.
The Academy of Magical Arts was first created by William Larsen and announced in the April 1952 issue of his independent magazine of magic titled Genii. In 1962, William Larsen's son Milt undertook the job of leasing and restoring an ornately styled 1909 mansion that he named “The Magic Castle” in Hollywood, California, turning it into a meeting place for magicians. In 1962, Milt Larsen founded “The Magic Castle" and the legendary mansion opened its doors on January 2, 1963 as the home of the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc.
Article by Nicole Goesseringer Muj
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOVAEX GROUP.
MCI(www.magiccastle.com) 与NOVAEX集团（NOVAEX Group）合作，将标志性的好莱坞机构The Magic Castle与中国丰富的魔术传统结合在一起，为中国观众带来了一种先进的魔术体验。
MCI创始人Milt Larsen和NOVAEX首席执行官Jeson Zheng于5月25日在北京举行的正式签约仪式上庆祝了这一合作关系。
MCI已授予NOVAEX在包括中国大陆、香港、澳门和台湾在内的大中华地区的室内和室外娱乐中心、酒店和餐厅等主题娱乐项目中使用The Magic Castle in的独家使用的知识产权。
这笔交易标志着MCI首次在国际上授权其品牌， Magic Castle第一个主题项目是为NOVAEX离线互联网社区品牌“The Circle”，该项目集五星级度假酒店、娱乐、餐饮、自然景色参观、奢侈品购物以及智能技术（VR，AR，MR，3D，全息投影）打造的身临其境的娱乐功能为一体。
PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOVAEX GROUP.
“The Magic Castle是好莱坞的历史场所，我们将首次允许在美国以外使用我们的名字。我们期待与NOVAEX共同创建这第一个项目，展示The Magic Castle 55年的传奇以及中国悠久的魔术历史，” Larsen表示。
郑评论说：“NOVAEX的核心价值是通过将虚拟世界和现实世界连接融合起来，帮助人们发现和恢复情感关系的纽带。我们创建了The Circle，将技术和经验结合在一起，而与魔术城堡公司的合作将使我们能为我们的客人建立一个“现实版”的魔术世界。
Zheng和他的团队，以及世界著名魔术师Andrew Goldenhersh领导的的国际魔术咨询团队将创造一种新的魔术体验风格，而在这发展中，艺术技术扮演者重要角色。
NOVAEX还计划在MCI品牌旗帜下打造“魔法学校”，为儿童和青少年提供仿真的创造性教育体验。
Larsen解释：“通过这次合作，我们将把中国几百年的魔术文化与现代世界的魔术艺术结合在一起，来庆祝魔术世界的历史性事件。我很荣幸能继续我父亲的梦想，为世界各地的观众带来魔术城堡体验”
Zheng补充说：“与魔术城堡公司的长期合作将在未来的许多年里为中国公民和游客带来难忘的神奇体验。”
The Academy of Magical Arts最初由William Larsen创建，并于1952年4月出版了他独立魔术杂志Genii。 1962年，William Larsen的儿子Milt负责租赁和修复一座华丽风格的1909豪宅的工作，其位于加利福尼亚的好莱坞，他将这座宅邸命名为The Magic Castle，将其变成了魔术师的聚会场所。 1962年，Milt Larsen创立了The Magic Castle，1963年1月2日，作为魔术学院的所在地，传说中的宅邸开放。
文章由 Nicole Goesseringer Muj 所著