When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.<\/i><\/p>\n Credit: Netflix<\/p>\n Opening a brand-new theme park is serious business. Just ask Universal Orlando Resort, which opened Epic Universe this year <\/a>and reportedly spent billions of dollars to do it. Most attempts at brand new theme parks from companies that aren\u2019t already successful in the industry end up like the America’s Heartland theme park project<\/a>, which promised a lot and is now mired in lawsuits.<\/p>\n Which is why it blows me away that we might really see a brand new theme park project from, of all people, stand-up comedian Nate Bargatze. Earlier this year, he told Esquire<\/a> about his desire to build a park in his home city of Nashville, and now Felix Verdigets, the CEO of Nateland, Bargatze\u2019s company, told THR<\/a> that there have been real conversations with both investors and potential sites for not simply one, but potentially multiple Nateland theme parks in addition to the flagship park in Nashville that\u2019s already in development. Verdigets said\u2026<\/p>\n We\u2019ve been in early discussions with some wealthy families and some governors of a couple of other states to do a Nateland-themed something, almost like a mini park.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nate Bargatze has become one of the most successful stand-ups<\/a> working today, but he clearly has his eyes on bigger things beyond hosting the Emmys this weekend<\/a>. 2026 will see a Nateland Cruise take place, which will be the first of the Nateland Experiences. The theme parks will follow that.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be honest, I\u2019m not that up on the career of Nate Bargatze, so I didn\u2019t give this that much attention when he first floated the idea, in part because I assumed it was just that, an idea. Lots of celebrities talk about ideas that never happen, and lots of theme park concepts that are planned never happen<\/a>. I assumed this would just get added to the pile.<\/p>\n But it seems he\u2019s quite serious about the whole thing. He wants to build a theme park, with a size on par with Disneyland, in Nashville. Bargatze even has thoughts on where it will go: the former site of the Opryland USA theme park, though doing that would require knocking down the shopping mall that replaced the park.<\/p>\n Bargatze also has his eye on Hollywood with his own studio and production company. It seems that, at least initially, the Nateland theme park(s) may have just general rides, but if the movies the studio produces are successful, they could become the IP for future attractions<\/p>\n<\/span><\/div>\n
Hang On, Nateland Is Real?<\/h2>\n
Bargatze’s Theme Park Idea Is So Crazy It Just Might Work<\/h2>\n