Potential New Universal UK Park

[Sazzle]

Oh @DiogoJ42 your boundless pessimism never changes.

Bedford is home to Cardington Studios, a well known studios where some parts of the Star Wars and Harry Potter franchises have been filmed. Air travel geeks may also recognise the air hangars as formerly housing the Airlander 10 project.

Cardington Studios is around 15 minutes away from the proposed Universal Site, straight down the A421.

It’s not implausible that Universal might build their own stages here.

I really hope this successfully develops into a large scale theme park project (let’s not forget this could focus far more on experiences or attractions rather than a “theme park” as we know it!) as the U.K. industry really needs fresh challenge.

Alternatively, I look forward to Universal Studios: Laser Tag Extravaganza some time in the 2030s.

 

[Quantum]

The park would directly compete with Chessington and Thorpe. Watch out for Merlin Magic making vans realising rare spiders into the area....

 

[Jb85]

The proposed site, if that's what it is does seem to have expansion potential

 

[Bowser]

As others have said, i don't think there's much to be read from the supposed concept art. It's more likely "random Universal style park" than any preordained specifics.

If it is happening i still think something like Universal Singapore/Beijing is the most likely outcome, a smaller but still proper theme park with a focus on indoor attractions to maintain proper 365 opening rather than a park full of hyper coasters.

 

[Matt N]

The park would directly compete with Chessington and Thorpe. Watch out for Merlin Magic making vans realising rare spiders into the area....

Not that directly, though. The alleged site is 1 hour from Thorpe and 1h 15m from Chessington. Also, both parks arguably have a USP that would differentiate them from Universal; Thorpe has its big coasters and flats (I know that Universal might build coasters, but I don’t think they’d build the same quantity of coasters as Thorpe has, nor quite as big as, say, Hyperia), and Chessington has the zoo.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

I know you have more experience in this industry than me, but that's the opposite from what I've been hearing, and I'd be curious to know more.

I thought the American strikes were pushing more work here as the UK is seen as a safer option? Also the massive Shinfield studios is just about to open near Reading. Relative to this project it's about the same distance away from London and also on a major road corridor.

I can belive the TV and Film industry is moving out of London, but the studios around London seem to be rapidly growing (from an outsiders perspective at least).

Shinfield and Pinewood are studios with sound stages. They're essentially very large sheds, with the infrastructure to allow film/movie/high end drama projects to do whatever they want in. We're talking your traditional single camera type massive production work here. We are building more of these, because drama production was gearing up here, but these projects have been running in the background for about 10 years before the present, and the market is feeling a bit of a downturn.

TV Studios are a different beast. They're used to video, or broadcast, multicamera live shows (or shows filmed as live). Think panel game shows, Loose Women, Blue Peter, Countdown, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? They require complex buildings. Tech galleries, audience spaces, loading and staging requirements. They're spaces that can adapt to make a live show happen, but have a rigidish skeleton. These spaces are closing down at a high rate. The BBC closed Television Centre a decade ago, to turn it into luxury apartments (although there are three smaller studios now on the space). ITV closed down their London Studios on the Southbank relatively recently, this was the home to HIGNFY (for example) for many years. This is now being filmed at Riverside Studios, essentially an arts centre.

Rather than studio complexes for TV, we're now seeing more modern spaces with one, three studio spaces max, on the same site. They also tend to be multi use.

TLDR. We've got lots of film studio space, and that industry is being bent over a barrell now in the UK. TV studio space has moved away from complexes and isn't in demand either.

All that being said, Universal could use part of the site for live UK productions. Similar to Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, but we don't really watch content created in this way anymore.

 

[Benzin]

Well, it's something to have hope for during these bleak years.

Hopefully it happens.

 

[Dave]

Not that directly, though. The alleged site is 1 hour from Thorpe and 1h 15m from Chessington. Also, both parks arguably have a USP that would differentiate them from Universal; Thorpe has its big coasters and flats (I know that Universal might build coasters, but I don’t think they’d build the same quantity of coasters as Thorpe has, nor quite as big as, say, Hyperia), and Chessington has the zoo.

I think it’s a complex beast really IF Universal build a theme park in the UK at that location.

I don’t think it would put all three London parks into an existential crisis, after all Parc Asterix survived being within spitting distance of Disney. The only potential issue is Merlin have three theme parks within the geographical area. Lego will be fine but it’s possible (though I don’t think likely), a Universal park in the patch could make keeping all three running a little bit of a stretch, in which case Chessington would probably the most vulnerable. My gut feeling however is that all three would survive.

What it will do is force Merlin’s hand to invest, now that could go one of two ways, heavy investment in the South parks and potential neglect of Towers, or realise Towers and Lego have the best chance of competing and therefore invest heavily in those parks at the expense of Thorpe and Chessie. Third option is heavy investment in all four but I’m not certain Merlin have changed that much

 

[Bowser]

Not that directly, though. The alleged site is 1 hour from Thorpe and 1h 15m from Chessington. Also, both parks arguably have a USP that would differentiate them from Universal; Thorpe has its big coasters and flats (I know that Universal might build coasters, but I don’t think they’d build the same quantity of coasters as Thorpe has, nor quite as big as, say, Hyperia), and Chessington has the zoo.

Thorpe Park, Chessington and Legoland are all within 30 minutes of one another (or less) and they all seem to successfully co-exist. I supposed shared ownership is beneficial in this case as they can promote one another and offer the communal annual pass scheme. Generally i think they have enough of a mix of demographics as well to not impose on one another.

Like you say, Universal would also have its own USP in terms of the IP, brand recognition and higher production values. Plus it would presumably be aiming for a higher portion of tourist visitors than the Merlin parks.

 

[Cryptocoaster]

I think if this goes ahead the biggest loser will be AT. At the moment people travel from all over the UK to go to AT as it’s considered the best park in the country. If Universal GB opens with a good selection of rides well themed to great IPs such as LOTR & Bond then those trips to AT will stop for most people.

The other London parks could actually benefit from the increase in tourism. Americans & Europeans may make a longer break out of it & visit all the London parks. Just like we do in Orlando.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Shinfield and Pinewood are studios with sound stages. They're essentially very large sheds, with the infrastructure to allow film/movie/high end drama projects to do whatever they want in. We're talking your traditional single camera type massive production work here. We are building more of these, because drama production was gearing up here, but these projects have been running in the background for about 10 years before the present, and the market is feeling a bit of a downturn.

TV Studios are a different beast. They're used to video, or broadcast, multicamera live shows (or shows filmed as live). Think panel game shows, Loose Women, Blue Peter, Countdown, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? They require complex buildings. Tech galleries, audience spaces, loading and staging requirements. They're spaces that can adapt to make a live show happen, but have a rigidish skeleton. These spaces are closing down at a high rate. The BBC closed Television Centre a decade ago, to turn it into luxury apartments (although there are three smaller studios now on the space). ITV closed down their London Studios on the Southbank relatively recently, this was the home to HIGNFY (for example) for many years. This is now being filmed at Riverside Studios, essentially an arts centre.

Rather than studio complexes for TV, we're now seeing more modern spaces with one, three studio spaces max, on the same site. They also tend to be multi use.

TLDR. We've got lots of film studio space, and that industry is being bent over a barrell now in the UK. TV studio space has moved away from complexes and isn't in demand either.

All that being said, Universal could use part of the site for live UK productions. Similar to Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, but we don't really watch content created in this way anymore.

You beat me to it, not really a lot I can add. Multicamera TV is dying out. Everyone I know is struggling to scrape by at the moment.
Even sport isn’t what it used to be: BT Sport was bought out by Warner Bros. Discovery, who promptly closed their huge studio (biggest in the UK) in Stratford, and now opperate out of a tiny greenscreen box, in an office block near Hayes.

A lot of TV productions are indeed using places like Cardington, but only because there are no proper studios left. You end up with a tiny set built in a massive airship hanger, and they have to park an OB truck outside to do anything. No one likes it.

The film industry isn’t quite as dire... yet. But a lot of productions film in eastern Europe these days. Netflix seem to be the only major company shooting stuff in the UK right now, from what I’ve heard.

Of course, I would be happy to see this change if new studios get built! I just can’t see it happening in the current climate. Talk in the industry is that as kids only watch tik tok on their phones, TV will be extinct as a medium within ten years.

 

[Matt N]

I have a question for those more in the know about this.

If the UK film/scripted TV industry is declining, why are they building a massive film studio in Reading? Why have they recently opened a big expansion to Shepperton Studios in Surrey? Why have Sky recently opened a big new studio in Borehamwood in Hertfordshire? Why are they building another film studio in Bedfordshire (mentioned in one of the articles surrounding these rumours)?

 

[benpicko]

The film industry isn’t quite as dire... yet. But a lot of productions film in eastern Europe these days. Netflix seem to be the only major company shooting stuff in the UK right now, from what I’ve heard.

Well not sure where you've heard that? Disney and Paramount shoot a lot here, Universal shoot a lot at Elstree, and Warner Bros still shoot a lot here too. All the major studios...

 

[benpicko]

I have a question for those more in the know about this.

If the UK film/scripted TV industry is declining, why are they building a massive film studio in Reading? Why have they recently opened a big expansion to Shepperton Studios in Surrey? Why have Sky recently opened a big new studio in Borehamwood in Hertfordshire? Why are they building another film studio in Bedfordshire (mentioned in one of the articles surrounding these rumours)?

Because it's not declining -- it was in a bad time due to the strikes, but everybody I know who was previously working on productions here are back at it currently and of course a lot of films were in preproduction that are still due to start again post-strikes.

 

[Craig]

Could we try and stick to the possible theme park in this topic please as we're wandering into general discussion about the TV and film industry instead now.

Feel free to create a new thread in the off topic forums if you'd like to discuss the TV/film industry further

 

[Dave]

I think if this goes ahead the biggest loser will be AT. At the moment people travel from all over the UK to go to AT as it’s considered the best park in the country. If Universal GB opens with a good selection of rides well themed to great IPs such as LOTR & Bond then those trips to AT will stop for most people.

The other London parks could actually benefit from the increase in tourism. Americans & Europeans may make a longer break out of it & visit all the London parks. Just like we do in Orlando.

Not convinced on that, London already has the tourism draw, all this would do is add a couple of days to an existing trip and unless you are a geek are you going to think “ohh we will go to Universal after seeing London, may as well add a couple of other theme parks with poor transport links into the holiday as well”….

The other UK parks will remain simply domestic audience venues for the most part. Just as happened with Asterix.

 

[Matt N]

One thing that leads me to believe that the London parks may not necessarily benefit from a Universal park in Bedford is that to my knowledge, Merlin do not actively market any of the London parks towards the foreign pound.

They are all reasonably close to Central London and reasonably reachable from Central London. Thorpe Park is within the M25 and close to Heathrow, with buses running from a train station that connects directly to a key Central London rail terminus, Legoland is close to Heathrow, and Chessington in particular is actually in Greater London and located a 15-20 minute walk from a station with a direct rail link to a key Central London rail terminus. If anything, they’re just as conveniently reachable from London (if not more so in some cases) as the alleged Universal site in Bedford.

However, Merlin does not actively market the parks towards foreign visitors or London tourists at all, to my knowledge. Thorpe, Chessington and Legoland all have a very regional crowd.

 

[Cryptocoaster]

Not convinced on that, London already has the tourism draw, all this would do is add a couple of days to an existing trip and unless you are a geek are you going to think “ohh we will go to Universal after seeing London, may as well add a couple of other theme parks with poor transport links into the holiday as well”….

The other UK parks will remain simply domestic audience venues for the most part. Just as happened with Asterix.

I get that but that’s where Merlin would have to up their game. Not just in terms of rides but resort infrastructure & advertising to tempt those tourists booking their trip to Universal GB to make the trip to them too.

That’s the way I’d want to play it anyway if I were in charge at Merlin. If only…..

 

[Bowser]

However, Merlin does not actively market the parks towards foreign visitors or London tourists at all, to my knowledge. Thorpe, Chessington and Legoland all have a very regional crowd.

They don't currently but if there's a big new tourist attraction that's enticing people/competing with them then they'd perhaps have cause to.

I don't recall many (any outside Disney tbh) European theme parks marketing in the UK but they've increasingly started to in the last few years.

 

[Fuct]

Not convinced on that, London already has the tourism draw, all this would do is add a couple of days to an existing trip and unless you are a geek are you going to think “ohh we will go to Universal after seeing London, may as well add a couple of other theme parks with poor transport links into the holiday as well”….

The other UK parks will remain simply domestic audience venues for the most part. Just as happened with Asterix.

The only park I see this happening with is Legoland, purely because it's likely a household name for overseas visitors already. If they come over and look at a 'list of things to do', Universal and Legoland will likely stand out as the Theme Park offerings to the average punter.