Universal Great Britain - Speculation & Rumors

[Altonsky]

Who’s to say the castle in the TV show will still look like the castle in the movies. I can’t imagine it being too different but maybe holding off a couple of years and seeing how the TV show progresses would enable them to bring something different to the table.

The TV show at least is going to bring us loads of new locations that were in the books but never featured in the films.

 

[Dinosaurus]

The park is adding Jurassic and BttF without cloning anything, so what's stopping them from adding Harry Potter rides that are new? A Chamber of Secrets ride, a Quidditch coaster, a hippogriff flying theatre... there are so many different things you can do while still keeping Hogwarts castle as the weenie.

I'd be very surprised, in the event we get Potter, to see yet another clone of Forbidden Journey.

 

[Alicia]

…so what's stopping them from adding Harry Potter rides that are new?

Design time

 

[Jake S]

Design time

 

[GAcoaster]

Design time

Especially with approvals from JKR and WB-- everything probably akes a while for sign off. I remember how long and complicated it was to get WB to sign off on stuff for Six Flags, even if it was just a ride name.

 

[xtpower]

A thought about Mark Woodbury's comments, he specifically said 'attractions' and not 'IP' or 'Lands' when he was talking about cannibalising. So perhaps internally they feel that Brits will still flock to UOR for the rides at HP, if UGB has very different attractions/rides in it's HP Land.

We already know Tommy will pick UOR over UGB .

 

[MangoDance]

Without knowing what the "Plan B" would have been if they didn't get the Harry Potter IP, I don't know how to feel about the potential news the rights issue has been sorted, was Lord of the Rings on cards? we may never find out!

I'm also nervous about not cloning or cannibalising the US parks, as it feels like the existing lands are so successful partly because they grabbed the low-hanging fruit, and are based on the most interesting locations and sequences from the film. Ministry of Magic would have been so perfect for the UK, what's left on the HP fan wish-list? Azkaban perhaps, but a prison in the middle of the ocean is no Diagon Alley!

My gut feeling is given the timeframes, we may end up with the first D-ticket HP attraction (Hippogriff doesn't count!) - possibly even a simulator based ride, our parks Simpsons / Star Tours.

Jeez I hope I'm wrong and their designers have a ton of better ideas.

 

[xtpower]

Over on Log into Facebook one of the commenters has been down Manor road and spotted a few things.





Looks like they are gearing up the slab for more activity, the security guard post and inner-gates are great signs.

 

[rob@rar]

My gut feeling is given the timeframes, we may end up with the first D-ticket HP attraction (Hippogriff doesn't count!) - possibly even a simulator based ride, our parks Simpsons / Star Tours.

I think there's pretty much zero chance of that happening. I don't believe for one moment that JK Rowling would allow a Wizarding World land in her home country to be anything less than amazing. It will have to be first class land with world class level theming, or nothing at all, because we know how Rowling protects her Harry Potter IP.

This is the initial agreement between Warner Bros/JK Rowling and Universal Studios, forming the basis of the first Wizarding World of Harry Potter land in Islands of Adventure. As you'd expect, it has fully detailed clauses which precisely state what Universal is allowed to do with the IP, and what they must do with the IP to maintain the agreement. It specifies, for example, how big the themed land must be:

Such new land is to be named “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” or such other name as may be proposed by Licensee and approved by Licensor in the sole and absolute but good faith discretion of Licensor. The Themed Area shall be an extensively themed environment no less than 20 acres in size.

The agreement requires Universal to maintain the themed land to world class standards during the lifetime of the agreement:

Licensee shall at all times in all respects maintain the general appearance, maintenance, staffing and overall quality of the Theme Park, including without limitation, the rides, attractions, themed areas and all other aspects of the Theme Park at a first class, world class level for destination theme parks unsurpassed in quality by any other destination theme park worldwide.

The agreement says that Warner Bros and JK Rowling must approve every aspect of the themed land:

It is understood and agreed that all aspects and elements of the Themed Area, whether specifically utilizing the Licensed Property or otherwise (and, in any event, all attractions and facilities, all atmospheric and scenic elements, all facades and props, all signage, flags and banners, and all other content, readily observable to guests within the Themed Area), that are observable by patrons at the Themed Area, shall be subject to the prior written approval of Licensor in its sole and absolute, but good faith, discretion.

The agreement requires Universal to spend a certain amount of money on the themed area, and requires the Wizarding World land in every respect to be of such a high quality that is it unsurpassed by any other themed land worldwide:

Licensee shall spend on the initial capital expenditure to build out the Themed Area such sums as may be necessary to create a first class, world class level themed area unsurpassed by any other themed area in any destination theme park worldwide (at a minimum, equivalent to the quality of the Theme Park as of the date of this Agreement). Such capital expenditure shall in no event be less than ****. After the opening of the Themed Area, Licensee shall continue to expend on the Themed Area such sums as are necessary to maintain the Themed Area as a first class, world class level themed area unsurpassed by any other themed area in any destination theme park worldwide

I don't know if the subsequent agreements for the Wizarding World developments in the other Universal Studios parks and most recently at Epic are available to see, but I'm sure they will have similar expectations about the scale and quality of of the themed lands. Does anyone really think that JK Rowling is going to lower her expectations and requirements for Harry Potter in the UK? Will she really say to Universal "sure, we can agree that you build another Potter land and I don't mind if you half-ass this one, because all the other lands are so good"? I can't see it happening. I don't think that Universal would want to lower their standards, especially as there are immediate comparisons around the world that will be made with whatever they develop at Bedford. But even if they decided to work within very tight financial and timing constraints, I don't think that they would get agreement from Rowling to do anything at a lower standard than they have already met at their other theme parks.

 

[EllieB]

Over on Log into Facebook one of the commenters has been down Manor road and spotted a few things.





Looks like they are gearing up the slab for more activity, the security guard post and inner-gates are great signs.

I drove down Manor Road a few weeks ago and was encouraged by the amount of boarding on the houses then, so it's good to see things are continuing to move forward.

They've obviously got full confidence they'll hear good news from the planning application.

When did people think we were likely to hear a definitive response from the government? Did someone say October?