{{Short description|American design and production agency}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}} {{Infobox company | name = Thinkwell Group | logo = Thinkwell Logo.jpg | type = Private company | industry = Experience design | founded = 2001 | location_city = Los Angeles, California | location_country = U.S. | key_people = {{Unbulleted list|Joe Zenas, Partner (Chief Executive Officer)|Craig Hanna (Co-Founder and Partner, Chief Creative Officer)|François Bergeron (Co-Founder and Partner, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer)}} | num_employees = Approx. 201 (2019) | website = {{URL|https://thinkwellgroup.com/}} }}
'''Thinkwell Group''' is an American experience design and production agency that was founded in 2001 with headquarters in Los Angeles, California.<ref name="Entrepreneur">{{cite web | url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/184514 | title=How do you create the unforgettable? Being able to direct an army of experts sure helps | publisher=Entrepreneur | date=1 October 2007}}</ref> In 2022, TAIT acquired Thinkwell Group.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-08 |title=TAIT to Acquire Thinkwell |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220308005957/en/TAIT-to-Acquire-Thinkwell |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=businesswire.com |language=en}}</ref>
Since 2006, the firm has gone from approximately 35 employees to approximately 180.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-12-fi-thinkwell12-story.html | title=Playing With New Themes | work=Los Angeles Times | date=12 April 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://entertainmentdesigner.com/featured/an-interview-with-the-industrys-shape-shifters-thinkwell-group/ | title=An Interview with the Industry's Shapeshifters | publisher=Entertainment Designer | date=29 April 2013}}</ref>
== Work ==
Some of the firm's projects include Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter,<ref name="Los Angeles Times">{{cite web|last=MacDonald|first=Brady|title='Harry Potter' movie studio tour opens outside London|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-xpm-2012-mar-31-la-trb-harry-potter-studio-tour-warner-bros-london-03201231-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times |date=21 March 2012}}</ref> Leavesden; Ski Dubai, an indoor ski resort in the Mall of the Emirates; NatureQuest, at Atlanta's Fernbank Museum of Natural History; the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Grand Opening Event for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Parks and Resorts' Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, Florida;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.themeparkinsider.com/wizarding-world-of-harry-potter/ | title=Universal Orlando's celebrity opening ceremony for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter | publisher=Theme Park Insider | date=16 June 2010}}</ref> and Jurassic Park Institute Tour, a 50,000-square-foot traveling educational attraction based on the movie ''Jurassic Park''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cnnfn.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2007/05/01/100003825// | title=Designing theme park rides: An $8M business | work=Fortune | date=18 May 2007}}</ref>
In China, the firm has produced inEontime World, a massive indoor theme park, and SongSong Town, an "activity park" inside LeSong Plaza, both in Harbin,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parkworld-online.com/songsong-town-the-fec-that-made-a-shopping-mall-sing/|title=SongSong Town – the FEC that made a shopping mall sing: Park World Online – Theme Park, Amusement Park and Attractions Industry News|last=admin|website=parkworld-online.com|access-date=2016-04-27}}</ref> and Warner Bros. Fun Zone in Macau, opened in October 2015 a hotel and casino mega-resort, Studio Cit. The firm has designed Monkey Kingdom (Beijing), based on the 16th century Journey to the West Chinese folk tale,<ref>{{cite web|last=MacDonald|first=Brady|url=https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-xpm-2011-jul-07-la-trb-monkey-kingdom-china-theme-park-07201106-story.html | title=Monkey Kingdom theme park set to open in China in 2014 | work=Los Angeles Times | date=7 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Pierson|first=David|url=https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2011-jun-19-la-fi-asia-theme-parks-20110619-story.html | title=Theme park designers draw steady work in Asia | work=Los Angeles Times | date=19 June 2011}}</ref> and Jurassic Dream, an indoor theme park in the Heilongjiang Province.<ref name="Los Angeles Times 2">{{Cite web|last=MacDonald|first=Brady |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-jun-02-la-trb-jurassic-dream-theme-park-china-06201203-story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130731200718/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/02/news/la-trb-jurassic-dream-theme-park-china-06201203 |url-status=live |archive-date=31 July 2013 |title=Dinosaur-centric indoor theme park set to debut in China |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2 June 2012}}</ref><ref name="Fast Company">{{Cite web|last=Ungerleider|first=Neal |url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1842605/flames-fury-animatronic-raptors-and-brachiosaurus-half-pipe-inside-chinas-massive-jurassic-d |title=Flames of Fury, Animatronic Raptors, and a Brachiosaurus Half-Pipe: Inside China's Massive Jurassic Dream Theme Park |work=Fast Company |date=12 July 2012}}</ref>
In 2015 the firm opened the first major expansion to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, which includes a recreation of Platform 9 3/4 and the original Hogwarts Express train. Also for Warner Bros., the firm designed and produced the interactive attraction, Stage 48: Script to Screen at the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. The firm also opened two museum projects, Aquanaut Adventure: A Discovery Zone at the Georgia Aquarium and the Worlds of Puppetry Museum at the Center for Puppetry Arts, the Fast & Furious: Supercharged attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood, and ''The Hunger Games: The Exhibition'', a traveling exhibition created in partnership with Lionsgate based on The Hunger Games movie and book franchise.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vlessing|first1=Etan|title=Lionsgate Moving Ahead on 'Hunger Games' Theme Park Plans|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lionsgate-moving-hunger-games-theme-708150|accessdate=22 August 2014|agency=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2014-05-30}}</ref>
The firm was contracted by Expo 2020 Dubai as content master planners and designers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gulfbusiness.com/articles/country/united-arab-emirates/dubai-awards-72-contracts-for-expo-2020/|title=Dubai awards 72 contracts for Expo 2020 | magazine=Gulf Business |access-date=2016-04-27}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website|https://thinkwellgroup.com/}} * [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/theme-parks-tentpoles-disney-cars-land-337086 Why Theme Parks Need Movie Tentpoles Too – The Hollywood Reporter, Thinkwell CCO Craig Hanna quoted]
Category:2001 establishments in California Category:American companies established in 2001 Category:Design companies established in 2001 Category:Companies based in Los Angeles Category:Design companies of the United States Category:Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden