Universal Epic Universe (South Expansion Complex) - Opens 2025

build_it

build_it

Well-Known Member
I think the big expansion pad is for the long game for epic. I don’t think they’ll need to dip into it for the next decade or two. If they are playing the long game here, the central hub coaster will be ready for a major update by then - i.e. a re-track or removal. Look at the expansion pad if you also included the coaster space. Would definitely add enough space when combine with the large expansion space for two big lands and would give more breathing room to their portals in the middle.
Along those lines, they could do one portal sooner and use half of it during the next 10 to 15 years, and then use the other half when the coaster needs a major overhaul or replacement.
Lots of options here and they have lots of flexibility moving forward.
They’ll also be needing to spend some capital on the other parks and other opportunities, so I also think they will slow their roll at Epic with land/portal additions being down the line and focusing on single additions - ie Luigi’s Mansion, the HP Dining Hall, etc.
 
trr1

trr1

Well-Known Member
build_it said:
I think the big expansion pad is for the long game for epic. I don’t think they’ll need to dip into it for the next decade or two. If they are playing the long game here, the central hub coaster will be ready for a major update by then - i.e. a re-track or removal. Look at the expansion pad if you also included the coaster space. Would definitely add enough space when combine with the large expansion space for two big lands and would give more breathing room to their portals in the middle.
Along those lines, they could do one portal sooner and use half of it during the next 10 to 15 years, and then use the other half when the coaster needs a major overhaul or replacement.
Lots of options here and they have lots of flexibility moving forward.
They’ll also be needing to spend some capital on the other parks and other opportunities, so I also think they will slow their roll at Epic with land/portal additions being down the line and focusing on single additions - ie Luigi’s Mansion, the HP Dining Hall, etc.
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I believe the plan in time is they build another Park and a "city walk like area on the ground parking lot and build 2 parking structures also
 
Andrew25

Andrew25

Well-Known Member
trr1 said:
I believe the plan in time is they build another Park and a "city walk like area on the ground parking lot and build 2 parking structures also
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Yup - if you look at recent Google Map aerials, there's a site dedicated to a future parking garage between Epic and the Courtney apartments. Basic same layout as current UOR campus.

However, with the current state of USF and portions IOA, I don't expect another park for another 2 decades or so.

Honestly, I think 3 parks is the "perfect" number. Disney struggles to maintain 4 parks properly and Universal, while multiple projects are in the works, has difficulty filling the holes in IOA/USF currently.
 
ToTBellHop

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
UNCgolf said:
It wouldn't be surprising if that land is still unused 15-20 years from now -- Disney has unused expansion plots that are much older than that, and Universal still has unused expansion plots at Islands of Adventure (not sure if they have any at USF).
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Considering there are expansions to the existing lands along with Nintendo lands for USF and IoA, I’d be shocked to see work start on a new land for EU for at least a decade.
 
UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
JT3000 said:
They can only hope? I've never seen either of those movies, but they've both scored over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes...
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Probably meant in terms of box office results rather than critical success. Neither fared well; West Side Story actually made less money in the US than the original version did in 1961 -- and that's not even factoring in inflation.
 
BrianLo

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
Animaniac93-98 said:
Universal is releasing the first Wicked movie this Thanksgiving.

I'd say Oz, as a concept, could make use of similar acerage.
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Good point, Oz would definitely work fairly well as a property. The rights are a bit messy and all over the place, with depictions also entering public domain.

I assume they'd just also pay off WB, whose rights are expiring in 2035 for the MGM movie.

James Bond, Star Trek might work vaguely for the UK audiences, the first as a stunt show.


Does Universal have the worst back catalogue of all the majors now? They really don't have that robust of a franchise mix that they actually own. Sometimes I forget that they don't even own Men in Black or Transformers. Or Ghostbusters for that matter.

I'd make an argument Nintendo as a company has a better stable of IP than the entirety of NBC-Universal, that really was their power move since they don't really seem to want to jump on the MCU bandwagon anymore than they have.

Other than that being fully explored as they plan to do, Lord of the Rings is still maybe the last golden goose. The Hobbit Movie set tour (Shire) remains as delightful as ever and practically is a perfect model for Epic's Portal/walled-garden concept.
 
Gusey

Gusey

Well-Known Member
Universal Studios Japan had a Land of Oz section at one point:
1708680046810.png
 
ToTBellHop

ToTBellHop

Well-Known Member
MisterPenguin said:
Not if it's as poorly received as In the Heights and West Side Story.
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Ariana Grande could be for Uni what Olivia Rodrigo is for Disney. Give ‘em both a coaster! Although I suspect if they offer Ariana just a coaster; she will be like, “yes…and?”

All you need is green paint, and you can have Oz: Rip, Ride, Rock it!
 
PizzaSpringRoll2017

PizzaSpringRoll2017

Member
Diehard Wicked fan here. Seen it 9 times on Broadway, sometimes cite it as my favorite work of art in any medium ever (sometimes). This movie will be a disaster, Ariana and Cynthia are both way WAY too old to play the characters and just don’t have the right personalities at all. Elphaba and Glinda are supposed to be like, 19, and with consistent close up shots on the actors throughout the movie the casting just is not going to work at all. Ariana doesn’t have Glindas face or personality at all, they literally only cast her because she made that “Popular” cover. The CGI also looks gross, it doesn’t have the handmade feel and glam-steampunk aesthetic the show needs. Cynthia also butchered the iconic Defying Gravity riff at the end of the trailer. From the first moment set images and casting came out, it’s been clear that the people making this don’t understand Wicked.

Notably, the trailer made a huge point to show the events of the original Wizard of Oz. Which anyone who’s seen Wicked will know, they intentionally never show Wizard characters on stage, only in shadows and alluded to once they reach the part of the show that takes places at the same time as Wizard.

That’s not even getting into the beyond baffling choice to split this into two movies. The absolute confidence they had to make a 3 hour musical into two movies with ridiculous budgets is scary. I’m really really concerned they’re going to stretch out the runtime with original characters and weird additional scenes, I don’t trust the team making this to write new scenes. And we already know they’re adding original characters.

I don’t think this is going to be more popular with general audiences either. All of this is just going to come off as cringe and weird to someone unfamiliar with the source material.
 

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