The Lego Movie brings in big bucks for Merlin Entertainment

Shares have soared 21% since the tourist attraction firm went public

Film still from The Lego Movie, 2014 (Rex Features)

The firm behind Madame Tussauds and Legoland has revealed the huge success of The Lego Movie had buoyed profits but it is struggling in Thailand due to the latest round of civil unrest to hit the country.

Merlin Entertainment, which is the second largest tourist attraction firm in the world behind Disney, explained its Siam Ocean World aquarium and Madame Tussauds attractions in Thailand “showed little sign of improvement and continued to drag on growth”.

However, this was more than helped by one of the warmest autumns on record in the UK, which saw extra visitors flock to its theme parks, including Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures, especially over the Halloween weekend.

London’s Madame Tussauds last month inducted Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch into hits halls of fame.

The company, which has six Legoland parks in five countries, is now turning its attentions to growing in Asia and the Far East, with a new site opening in Dubai in 2016 and in Japan by 2017.

Merlin will reveal its first set of full-year results as a listed company early next year with profits expected to be between £407 million and £411 million. Since listing, shares have soared 21 per cent.

Today they rose 2.6 per cent to 380.7p.