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Potential New Universal UK Park

I live locally to the Studio Tour, went once with my school and once with my family when it was new. Feel free to prove me wrong, but I don’t think many UK visitors return very often if at all.

Hypothetical-
Although the infrastructure isn’t really there yet, Watford Junction is on the same line as Milton Keynes, (LNWR also operate the Bedford route).

They’d be different products. One is the real sets, authentic as it gets. If they include HP at Universal, it would just be an area of the theme park.

But if people come from across the world to see the studio tour, I can not see why they wouldn’t be willing to do an extra half hour on the train to go to HP world / Universal UK.

I don’t even like HP, but I could see it being a killer partnership / combi-ticket deal (if they want to co-operate).
 
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Joel said:
I also don’t see that Lord of the Rings would feature - yes it was a popular film franchise, but it’s one that’s over 20 years old now, and the appeal (or even knowledge of!) for the younger market doesn’t exist these days. It may work, but it wouldn’t be an obvious choice, and with a lack of further films to keep it in the publics interest, I just don’t think it’s a serious option.

I would however hedge a bet on seeing something Minions related, and likely something Dreamworks related too.

But I guess time will really tell on those themes too 😂
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Lord of the rings had a strong following prior to the films and continues to do so. If anything it’s more timeless than Potter and the author can’t do anything controversial being dead so the PR department wouldn’t have to be constantly watching Twitter with mild apprehension 😂
 
Danny said:
LOTR will probably end up in Saudi before/if it ends up at Universal in the UK.
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Not a prayer I don't think given how particular the Tolkien estate are. I'm still not entirely convinced they will allow it to be built in the land where the great man himself spent a lot of his life either.
 
Think people need to remember that Universal Studios Beijing has opened up with about 4/5 undeniably world class attractions in total and a few very good supporting rides . It's not a massive offering at all but the quality can't be denied.

What I'd describe as world class:

HP Forbidden Journey
Transformers coaster (Hulk Clone)
Jurassic World Adventure
Transformers Dark Ride
Jurassic Flyers

Very good but not quite world class:

Minions ride
Kung Fu Panda dark ride

Their website says there are 17 attractions in total and that includes an interactive meet n greet and a few kiddie rides.
Obviously there's more to the park that that. You've got the scenery, shows and general atmosphere that makes a huge difference too.

Gives us an idea though if this Great Britain park gets approval. Doubt we'd see much more than what Beijing got to start with and then more rides and lands added later on.
 
What was popular IP with us older generation won’t necessarily be popular with younger ones so I can see LOTR etc consigned to the scrapheap. My 9 and 7 year old don’t even know what a Hobbit is for example and they would be prime teenage visiting age if this comes to fruition. Maybe we should ask our children what film themes they would expect to see in a theme park..

Might be some new IP in the next few years depending on what films they make but I reckon they would lean heavily towards more modern stuff - Despicable Me/Minions as others have stated, possibly another Marioland, Trolls if it’s still going in 7 years time..
 
Relife said:
There is a new LOTR relates film due in 2024 and Warner want to do more films. It's very much still a relevant franchise. It's the greatest fantasy IP of all time, I don't think the trilogy being 20 years old is relevant as Shrek and Jurassic Park are not exactly recent franchises
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That film has now been cancelled on the decision of a court case won by the Tolkien family.

Rings of Power on Amazon will surely continue though.
 
With a new James Bond and new film released around or just before this parks potential opening it seems very likely Universal would want to push this British theme.
Then I would expect the usual suspects, Minions, superhero’s etc. and maybe Jurassic World to fill the rest of the line up.
 
Joel said:
Just had a thought too… this is Universal, right?

So are we all prepared for the £89 day ticket and £25 parking fee? 😂

I do wonder in all seriousness if they will become the most expensive park in the UK to visit though. And I bet Alton Towers won’t be far behind following them 😅
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I did mention previously that the price point of Universal parks outside of the US is the equivalent of Merlin parks in the UK.
 
Benjsh said:
LOTR is definitely my number one most desired IP for this park as I have already mentioned.

However something else I would love to see them try to do is a Tim Burton inspired land. We all know Universal have worked with the Beetlejuice IP before and there's finally a sequel film in production as we speak. Tim Burton has also recently worked on the Adam's Family reboot with the brilliant Wednesday TV series and obviously has worked on incredible movies such as Nightmare before Christmas (producer), Edward Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd to name but a few. His body of work is incredible and most of the stuff he's done lends itself so well to Theme Park rides.

Even though he was born in California, Burton is one of the most famous Anglophiles in the world. He absolutely adores this country.

Anyone else think that something like that would be pretty cool?
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I for one absolutely love this idea.

In terms of a themed land it could be sensational as his style is perfectly suited to it. Have any of the Disney parks incorporated his works? I haven't actually seen any of his remakes but i'm assuming they still retain at least some of his signature style?

My only reservation in a theme park setting would be i'm not sure how well they'd translate into actual rides. A series of Dark Rides the equivalent of Fantasyland's offering would probably make the most sense but i don't think that's very realistic.... but then neither is the idea of Tim Burton land so let's not let that stop us.

A lot of his non Disney films are also 20+ years old and one off movies whereas Universal IP's tend to lean towards more recent or ongoing franchises.

Let's hope Beetlejuice 2 is a big success nonetheless as even a Dark Ride and themed area of that alone would be incredible.
 
benpicko said:
In what world could it be for worse? It's an incredibly charming, incredibly British IP and the recent films are some of the most acclaimed family films of the last decade...
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I'm not a fan of the Paddington books or films, but I know that they are extremely popular. I wouldn't say that Paddington is 'charming', but once again, the vast majority would disagree with me.
 
Jb85 said:
How on earth would a Cornetto trilogy land work? A street of Wetherspoon style pubs? Basically Blackpool strip?
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An explosive escape from the aliens with a sloshed Gary King in 'The World's End' themed dark ride and a 'Sean Of The Dead' year round scare attraction.

How on earth would a Cornetto trilogy land work? A street of Wetherspoon style pubs? Basically Blackpool strip?
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That'd be the F&B option!

An area themed to the village of Sandford from Hot Fuzz would be awesome😂
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The Miniland in Sandford?

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