THE North-East could become home to a Hollywood-style movie theme park to rival EuroDisney, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Officials from regional development agency One NorthEast and the Northern Screen Commission are examining proposals that would attract millions of visitors a year.

Although the plans are still in the early stages, The Northern Echo understands they centre on the film industry. The North-East has become a favourite location for Hollywood in the last few years. Only last month Warner Brothers filmed part of the hotly-awaited sequel to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in Durham and Northumberland.

If the plan gets the go-ahead, officials envisage a theme park based around a redundant film set with added movie-based attractions on land between Sedgefield, County Durham, and Wynyard, Teesside.

The formula has already proved a massive success for Universal and MGM in America, where millions flock to studio exhibits every year.

Universal is believed to be keen on extending the idea to Europe - following the success of EuroDisney, near Paris.

However, it is thought the Hollywood giant is not currently involved in the North-East project.

Utility firms are believed to have been asked to give quotes on how much it would cost to install the relevant services.

George Cowcher, head of business at One NorthEast, said: "We have a number of scenarios going at the moment, which we are making inquiries in to, but there is no hard project at this time."

A spokesman for the Northern Screen Commission said it had been involved in meetings with One NorthEast.

"We would be looking at what kind of resources are available that would fit in with such a project and what impact it would have on people working here," he said.