EpcoTim
Well-Known Member
But don't you get the feeling that they are going to cheap out on the rides and show and hope that the area will be able to stand on its own based on the name of the franchise after which it was (will be) built?
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Doubting Avatar
- Thread starter walt-sent-me
- Start date
But don't you get the feeling that they are going to cheap out on the rides and show and hope that the area will be able to stand on its own based on the name of the franchise after which it was (will be) built?
I have a hunch, yes.
If and when it gets built, and to what extent of the original design.
EpcoTim
Well-Known Member
Thats the thing, it seems likes its going to show up as a half baked concept thats only real draw will be Disney screaming 'We have Avatar" from the top of Everest. And what that park needs is not another half-done tacky area. Everything else in that could-be-wonderful-place is already tacky and/or half-baked.
bubbles1812
Well-Known Member
Hahahaha... No. Sorry. Universal doesn't need Avatar at all. They have a much more lucrative franchise that will likely have much much better staying power than Avatar. And if Universal wants another good franchise to work with they would probably go after something again with much more staying power. For example, I think it's been speculated they might eventually want to tackle Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit if they could get the rights...which I think is actually feasible as New Line Cinema is a subsidiary of Warner Bros...and since as far as I can see, they are pleased as punch with the results of HP (if didn't know, they made the movies), I could see them trusting LOTR to Universal as well.
I don't mind that Disney acquired Avatar and think it even has potential, provided the budget for the project is not totally slashed to pieces. That being said, Disney grabbing Avatar was simply a panic reaction by Bob Iger to the success of Potter. Nothing more. Universal didn't want the rights. Disney just grabbed the biggest franchise they could find.
tl77
Well-Known Member
haha! "panic reaction" yeah that sounds about right, the Avatar thing seemed to come completely out of left field
I was wondering more because I know Disney had preliminary/preemptive stuff on the drawing board in the past for the "Dick Tracy" movie and "The Rocketeer", but when those movies didn't do so good at the box office those plans got scrapped. If these Avatar sequels tank there probably won't be an Avatarland, but if they're huge hits like the first one Disney's gotten in on the ground floor so to speak
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
Yes, but that it not how the project was viewed. The culture inside the company does not view the parks this way. Nobody inside the Company was looking at the potential for AVATAR attractions regardless of film performance or legacy. Same was the case with the powers that be in the 1980s who gave the go ahead to Splash Mountain, they expected to continue released Song of the South every few years. This was all built on box office numbers in the hopes that they result in a viable long-term franchise.
bubbles1812
Well-Known Member
I will agree with you there. It'll be interesting to see how they do honestly. The first one made so much money because it was a bit of a novelty with the new technology (which was impressive) and that the world created had so much depth (that is where I see Avatar's potential. Pandora was a very impressive world). But the story was just ok. I think the next two will certainly make money but I'll be surprised if they pass Avatar's gross
As long as it's on the scale / level of detail of something like Journey to the Center of the Earth, I'm okay with it.
I'm sure Avatar was announced simply to calm the stockholders, but I think it has some potential.
And if we're judging the merit rides by their related movies, we need to tear out Haunted Mansion and the Country Bears. (I know those were attractions first, but you can get an idea of how an attraction might not necessarily represent/embody what's seen on the silver screen...)
I'm sure Avatar was announced simply to calm the stockholders, but I think it has some potential.
And if we're judging the merit rides by their related movies, we need to tear out Haunted Mansion and the Country Bears. (I know those were attractions first, but you can get an idea of how an attraction might not necessarily represent/embody what's seen on the silver screen...)
bubbles1812
Well-Known Member
Yup... and I'm not sure they will get that long term viable franchise. Certainly people will remember them for another 5 to 10 years but if they don't have the memorable story, people are going to forget Avatar fairly fast. It can't just rely on being famous because it pushed 3D/CGI technology forward...tech is always evolving. Sooner or later another movie will come along and do something similar to what Avatar did and Avatar will be relatively forgotten. They better hope the story for the next Avatar movie is a lot stronger.
tl77
Well-Known Member
I just think it's really strange that it took 20+ years to build a Little Mermaid ride, buy they're buying the rights to Avatar sequels that have yet to be made. Maybe they should have a little more faith in their own brand, instead of gambling on the "potential" of someone else's
bubbles1812
Well-Known Member
They are banking on a lot but I guess from there perspective, Little Mermaid is old even though everyone knows it and has seen it. And most of their new movies (non Pixar) have done ok to fairly poorly. I think sometime they should capitalize on the popularity of Tangled and at least build a good dark ride. I guess maybe at least from an Imagineer's perspective, the world of Avatar has a lot more potential for rides that are "E-tickets" and its a big movie franchise popular "right now." Something Disney really doesn't have except maybe Pirates of the Caribbean.
tl77
Well-Known Member
I don't necessarily mean rides based on Disney movies, because most of their best attractions are original concepts... Jungle Cruise, Tiki birds, Country Bears, Big Thunder, Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Space Mountain, Spaceship Earth, Mission Space, Test Track, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Dinosaur, Everest (Disco Yeti not withstanding) ect...
But if your spending money buying other peoples stuff, that's money you're not spend on developing you own stuff, and I just can't get on board with this whole "Disney needs James Cameron to combat Universal and Harry Potter" thing, like you said that's just "panic reaction" nonsense to me ...like? when's Bob Iger stepping down again
PirateFrank
Well-Known Member
The problem here is that the sequel will *not* do what the first one did in the box office. Part of the reason for Avatar's success was that Digital 3D was hitting it's stride right around the same time Avatar hit the theaters. Cameron timed the release such....There was a novelty factor in Avatar's success that James Cameron (and now Disney) will never admit to....
When this second movie gets released -- and comparatively tanks....watch Disney do a massive about-face on this project (if they don't pull the plug prior).
I'm still betting AvatarLand gets the rug pulled out from under-neath. There's too many negatives surrounding this project for me to think it's going to work. No art for a whole year....Iger looking like his roids were flaring up when someone asked about it....something's not kosher in the project.
There may be a desperate effort to button up the leaks of negativity and that's why some of the folks here feel it's a sure bet....but I'm not drinking the cool red stuff.
When this second movie gets released -- and comparatively tanks....watch Disney do a massive about-face on this project (if they don't pull the plug prior).
I'm still betting AvatarLand gets the rug pulled out from under-neath. There's too many negatives surrounding this project for me to think it's going to work. No art for a whole year....Iger looking like his roids were flaring up when someone asked about it....something's not kosher in the project.
There may be a desperate effort to button up the leaks of negativity and that's why some of the folks here feel it's a sure bet....but I'm not drinking the cool red stuff.
Captain Chaos
Well-Known Member
There is a problem with this thought...The sequel won't be out til what, 2014, 2015??? The construction (if it happens) will already be well on its way with the land opening 2016... So, if the sequels bomb (they won't but they also won't do 2.7 billion), do you think they will stop construction in the middle of the theme park??? I doubt that...
the negativity on this project astounds me... without a shred of art work of whats going on people are predicting gloom and doom on this project and the next two movies will be terrible of course which again we dont know.....
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
They left Pop Century just sitting...
Disney loves to show art. It is odd that there is nothing. Changes between art and reality don't bother Disney.
from the carsland thread
"I know there have been many reports over the past week, but in case you needed one more...here it is. I spent 3 days going to DCA experiencing everything and taking in the detail. It it amazing, and I don't even care for the Cars movies."
i hope this is what people can say about avatar/pandora that they may not even like avatar but man what a great experience
"I know there have been many reports over the past week, but in case you needed one more...here it is. I spent 3 days going to DCA experiencing everything and taking in the detail. It it amazing, and I don't even care for the Cars movies."
i hope this is what people can say about avatar/pandora that they may not even like avatar but man what a great experience
misterID
Well-Known Member
I think the negativity stems from people not liking the movie, and even further, for political reasons. Don't pay attention to most of it. People were declaring that The Avengers was going to bomb on this very board, that it wouldn't make as much as Iron Man, and that the superhero "thing" was already over. Yeah.
There were people also saying Potterland was going to bomb at UNI, HP was not a strong franchise, and Disney would be laughing all the way to the bank. Again, yeah...
It's more about personal (hopes) opinions that the film will bomb. I think Disney could knock an Avatarland out of the park. Lets see if they're able/willing/courageous enough to do that and it doesn't just end up a coffee table book.
thanks...good points..i lean to the right ,somewhat, politically and realize the liberal message in it but man i think pandora could be incredible...maybe im just jonse ing for expansion lol
PirateFrank
Well-Known Member
As already stated, they are not above pulling an ALL STOP on construction....
...but let me add, if you think that this is going to start on time, I have a bridge to sell you. Moreover, if you think the construction schedule, once started, isn't going to get negatively revised, I have a fleet of fairly seaworthy paddleboats to sell you (just in case your new bridge doesn't hold up)