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Potential New Universal UK Park
- Thread starter Craig
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Ryan
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Hex
That's a production services van, Universal has been operating in the UK for years, and are based just outside the M25. It isn't related to the park.
That does sound promising but it doesn't show any sign that the board has approved it yet. But it's not like we'll have to wait long if the June decision date is true. I wish they could hurry up and approve it and then drop the concept art so we can spend months poring over every little detail.
Obviously nothing confirmed, but I was thinking that maybe they realised during the public consultation that demand for this park, could be more than they originally thought. If it is going to now be 800 rooms, wise choice I think.
We have Universal branded hard-hat wearing guys running around the site on Kawasaki's.
Credit to yeptheguy on insideuniversal - https://forums.insideuniversal.net/threads/universal-great-britain.16149/post-1046467
Credit to yeptheguy on insideuniversal - https://forums.insideuniversal.net/threads/universal-great-britain.16149/post-1046467
This is kind of my issue with HP. In some ways it makes alot of sense and in others it doesn't. I'm struggling to think what they could still do with the IP that hasn't been done at one of the other parks baring in mind there will be no cloned attractions.
I think the park will have one IP area which will unique to the UK
cloudburster
TS Member
Harry Potter as an IP is most definitely a Legacy IP at this stage - it doesn't need new films or releases, it just exists on all that sweet, sweet lore. It's not the cultural juggernaut it once was, but the books still sell in their multimillions and even if the internet wants us to believe the author has destroyed the franchise, that's just not true. I would honestly be flabbergasted if they decide against adding a HP land or attraction in their first British park. It'll be a license to print money from international visitors alone.
I think if JKR promised to slink into the shadows, quit social media and keep quiet - this might be the case.
There’s at least 6 more years until the park launches and the lead times for the IPs will be significant. The park might be worried that JKR could do anything in that time. She’s clearly not going to change her stance on trans debates, and continues to double down.
Who knows what incendiary things she’ll come out with in the next 6 or so years? Universal probably don’t want to invest in a multi multi million pound IP, and have to monitor the figurehead’s Twitter account hourly for the next 6 years.
Ultimately it comes down to money. And they’ll surely factor this into their IP choice modelling.
IP Popularity / [IP Cost + IP Owner’s Potential Backlash + (other stuff and research)]
tayspru
TS Member
People are so reticent to understand this because they don’t see her actions as a big deal, but it’s a very real going concern combined with a franchise that simply isn’t the juggernaut it was and doesn’t have reach with young families on the same way that Minions / HTTYD and other new franchises do
Many point to Hogwarts Legacy as evidence the franchise is still thriving. That peaked at around 900,000 players at launch, many of which were motivated by the contrarian “JK hasn’t done anything wrong” …. The average playership is already down to 7000 active players worldwide
Finally, there’s not really anywhere new they can take the world building with Potter, they don’t want to clone anything and even the new land in Epic is a push (streets of Paris but then the ride is in the Ministry? Ok …)
Matt N
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I think Harry Potter has become a bit like the likes of Star Wars in that while the franchise may not be at its peak anymore, it is a pretty timeless IP that has endured over a long time period, and there is still a large-scale interest in it. People point to the likes of Hogwarts Legacy, but I’d also point to the fact that a whole Harry Potter TV series is in the making for HBO Max. If Potter was a dying IP, why on Earth would HBO be commissioning a whole TV series based on it?
I can’t predict whether this will change going into the 2030s (which it will likely be by the time this park opens), but having been to Orlando last year, I think the Potter lands are still a massive golden goose of the Universal resort in Orlando. The lands are not exactly new anymore (Hogsmeade is 14 years old, and even Diagon Alley is 10 years old), yet hordes upon hordes of excited people still visit those parks with their Harry Potter robes and wands specifically to visit those lands, and as far as I can see, it is still an IP that excites people at that resort.
While I admit that Potter may not be at its peak popularity like it once was, I firmly believe that it still holds very strong appeal and is, to an extent, a timeless, enduring IP. I feel that the impact of JK Rowling’s internet comments on the franchise’s popularity may be somewhat oversold; I’m not saying that I agree with Rowling’s comments, but I do feel that Potter as a franchise is now a lot bigger than just her, and I also feel that people who care strongly about Rowling’s comments and want the Potter IP to be shunned as a result are more of a vocal internet minority than a representation of the broader populace.
I can’t predict whether this will change going into the 2030s (which it will likely be by the time this park opens), but having been to Orlando last year, I think the Potter lands are still a massive golden goose of the Universal resort in Orlando. The lands are not exactly new anymore (Hogsmeade is 14 years old, and even Diagon Alley is 10 years old), yet hordes upon hordes of excited people still visit those parks with their Harry Potter robes and wands specifically to visit those lands, and as far as I can see, it is still an IP that excites people at that resort.
While I admit that Potter may not be at its peak popularity like it once was, I firmly believe that it still holds very strong appeal and is, to an extent, a timeless, enduring IP. I feel that the impact of JK Rowling’s internet comments on the franchise’s popularity may be somewhat oversold; I’m not saying that I agree with Rowling’s comments, but I do feel that Potter as a franchise is now a lot bigger than just her, and I also feel that people who care strongly about Rowling’s comments and want the Potter IP to be shunned as a result are more of a vocal internet minority than a representation of the broader populace.
cloudburster
TS Member
The general park going public doesn't care about Twitter hysteria that has been ongoing for 4 or 5 years. The small number of IRL potential punters who dislike JK Rowling or the franchise based on her tweets don't pose a threat to the bottom line, ultimately.
The HP lands remain extremely popular and the WW in Epic Universe will no doubt continue that trend. Digital HP book sales topped $61.4m in 2023 with physical book sales increasing by 15%. The HBO show is in the works with JKs direct involvement and a stonking great wad of cash behind it. Hogwarts Legacy was a runaway success and a sequel will no doubt do the same. There's so much life within the franchise and so, so many options for them to visually explore the stories and expand the lore within their parks. The last proper HP film was 13 years ago and people still want more. I'll happily chew down on my hat if they skip it for the UK park though!
Plastic Person
TS Member
I feel like this might become a BPB paid entry model debate for this thread over the years, but I personally think that the presence of a Harry Potter attraction in a UK Universal park would be internationally popular enough as to transcend JKR's social media lunacy. The brand is still unbelievably strong by any measure, and the HBO reboot will probably also be a juggernaut in the coming years. Hogwart's Legacy has sold 24 million copies as of a few months ago, so regardless of how many people are playing it online, I don't know in what capitalism-driven context this could be seen as an ailing franchise? I dislike Rowling and disagree with her increasingly fascistic stance, but even as a casual Potter fan, am afraid to say that I'm happy to clumsily "separate the art from the artist" put aside her politics for that sweet, sweet IRL Butterbeer. I don't think I'd have trouble recruiting friends in London, queer or otherwise, to hop on the train and spend a daft afternoon in a recreation of Hogsmeade.
Of course, this is all just anecdotal on my part, and I suspect it's more likely that we won't see Potter here initially so not to cannibalise the appeal of the US parks, or due to licensing issues with the Studio Tour. Hopefully Universal can instead focus on less problematic franchises that do not yet have theme park representation. Like er, James Bond?
Of course, this is all just anecdotal on my part, and I suspect it's more likely that we won't see Potter here initially so not to cannibalise the appeal of the US parks, or due to licensing issues with the Studio Tour. Hopefully Universal can instead focus on less problematic franchises that do not yet have theme park representation. Like er, James Bond?
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cloudburster
TS Member
Firmly in dreamland as it's not really a renowned name these days, but a Hammer Horror land would be so fitting for the UK. They've got vampires, werewolves, hellhounds, witches. The younguns don't know what they're missing!
The game that came out last year was the highest selling game of the year and it’s generated 1+ billion dollars in revenue if not 2.
It’s a product that transcends audiences, I know plenty of non gamers who got it just because it’s Potter.
That’s hardly small fry.
And aren’t HBO sinking game of thrones money into a new series?
It hardly sounds like an IP that’s dying, it’s now an IP that’ll arguably be around in the public consciousness for decades to come. Like others have said it’s now bigger than JK herself.
I guess the only argument is what would they do with it, but the IP itself is as solid as can be and anyone saying anything different is quite frankly
Fooling themselves.
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tayspru
TS Member
The HBO series, a lot of it is coming from JKR’s funds directly as she no longer wants the original trio to be the faces of the brand, due to their ongoing support for Trans people
As for the UK, it’s a brand new park, a brand new market, and we could get something never seen before. No HP keeps the Orlando parks aspirational by offering something different
As for the UK, it’s a brand new park, a brand new market, and we could get something never seen before. No HP keeps the Orlando parks aspirational by offering something different