Universal Great Britain - Speculation & Rumors

[EllieB]

I know we've been over and over this ground time and again, so I'm not going to wade into the topic of how likely or otherwise Potter will be at GB Universal, but personally I'd rather see something fresh and new. I want this park to have exclusives that pull people from all over the world to see, things that no-one can see anywhere else.

Although having said that, if they wanted to build another Isle of Berk I wouldn't say no to some dragons...

Maybe they could replace the Waterworld stunt show with a Triwizard Tournament, complete with grand school entrance performances, broomstick flying, and dragon drones.

 

[rob@rar]

... I'd rather see something fresh and new. I want this park to have exclusives that pull people from all over the world to see, things that no-one can see anywhere else.

100% agree with you. As I said, given a choice of a unique Wizarding World land or a unique Middle Earth land, I'd prefer to see Middle Earth. But I also recognise that Universal Creative can undoubtedly conjure up something wonderful from the multitude of stories in the Wizarding World which don't feature in any of their theme parks currently, so if their commercial judgement was that Harry Potter was essential in their UK park I don't believe that we will end up with duplicates of their existing work. They clearly won't do that for fear of eating in to their UK attendance in Orlando, a point made as recently as a couple of days ago by Mark Woodbury the Comcast President.

 

[xtpower]

Harry Potter at UGB would be the biggest possible reason for UGB to cannibalise UOR visitors from our shores. Which is why I'm not buying it, that and surely having something like LOTR is much cheaper fee's wise and would be almost as popular (potentially more so).

So unless internally they believe that HP is a must to hit the 8.5/12.5m projections, I don't know why they would go for it. The fee's alone for HP in the UK must dwarf everything that came before, it's befuddling.

 

[Clouday]

Agree with the scepticism of the veracity of a report in The Sun, but I’d note two things:
1. It comes from the TV and Showbiz editor, which makes me think the source is from the Warner Bros Studios side.
2. It states work has begun on ‘an attraction’ - no mention of a land or multiple attractions. Maybe there’s an acknowledgement that an opening day HP attraction is a draw (and for some casuals expected - “home of Potter” etc.), but something bigger up their sleeve.

Anyhow I still thought the original report worthy of a post on this rumours and speculation thread

 

[rob@rar]

So unless internally they believe that HP is a must to hit the 8.5/12.5m projections, I don't know why they would go for it. The fee's alone for HP in the UK must dwarf everything that came before, it's befuddling.

I think having a HP land in Bedford would be a bigger draw than just about any other IP that they might get their hands on, helping reach their very ambitious attendance targets. It's still a massive IP for a huge mainstream audience, and the profile will be boosted beyond what we currently see with the books, the audiobooks, the original movies, the Studio Tour and the endless merch by the upcoming TV series which is probably going to run well beyond the opening date of USGB.

 

[Della]

The Sun reports that Universal has negotiated a deal to include Harry Potter in the park, and states that work has begun in earnest on an attraction.

I would dearly love this to be true. IF it is true, the article points out the TV series debuts 2027, and the theme park four years later. This gives time for them to see if the HP TV show is a success, and base attractions around it if it is, with the cast able to film parts for the attractions while they are still young. This will help avoid the problem of replicating attractions from Orlando as they will be different if they have the new cast and will have a lot of material from the show to use for inspiration.

 

[xtpower]

I would dearly love this to be true. IF it is true, the article points out the TV series debuts 2027, and the theme park four years later. This gives time for them to see if the HP TV show is a success, and base attractions around it if it is, with the cast able to film parts for the attractions while they are still young. This will help avoid the problem of replicating attractions from Orlando as they will be different if they have the new cast and will have a lot of material from the show to use for inspiration.

They'd have finalised design and begun procurement before season 1 even airs. Especially if they go with a brand new e-ticket, they'd have to basically gamble on whether the TV show is a hit if they go that route.

 

[rob@rar]

Agree with the scepticism of the veracity of a report in The Sun, but I’d note two things:
1. It comes from the TV and Showbiz editor, which makes me think the source is from the Warner Bros Studios side.

I think The Sun has two very obvious biases which affect whether you can believe it or not. The first bias is towards the right of the political spectrum, the second bias is very firmly towards sensationalism rather than sober reporting. This story about Universal Studios is neither political nor a big sensationalist story, so I can't see what's in it for The Sun to simply make it up and it's entirely untrue. It might well be that the source isn't accurate, discussions between US and WB are still ongoing, or the journalist simply got the wrong end of the stick. But I can easily believe there's at least a kernel of truth in that article.

 

[Della]

They'd have finalised design and begun procurement before season 1 even airs. Especially if they go with a brand new e-ticket, they'd have to basically gamble on whether the TV show is a hit if they go that route.

Tricky then. Perhaps they could do an attraction like Avatar Flight of Passage on broomsticks, where the actual video can be made nearer the time once they know how successful the TV series is, but the infrastructure and all the mechanics can be planned now. Broomstick flying theatre ride would be a safe bet for an opening attraction with a more unique e-ticket to follow.

 

[Alicia]

…they'd have to basically gamble on whether the TV show is a hit if they go that route.

Like basing a new land in Orlando on Fantastic Beasts 2 before the film hits theaters

 

[rageofthegods]

On the bright side, if the show flops, they could always say it's based on the original movies, given the fact that the show looks completely identical so far.