Marvel's Next Step

flavious27

flavious27

Well-Known Member
lebeau said:
From Entertainment Weekly:

Universal Parks announces new 'Despicable Me' ride, and a major face-lift for 'Spider-Man'​

We all loved the yellow, pill-shaped minions populating last summer’s Despicable Me, but what would it be like to be one?

That’s the premise of Universal Studios Orlando’s new ride based on the animated hit, which the theme park announced this morning. Due in 2012, the 3-D experience, which will replace the Jimmy Neutron ride, will plop riders into the world of professed arch villain Gru and his horde of Minions in a story that takes place after the events of the film. “First you’ll be taken into Gru’s house,” says Thierry Coup, the head of Universal Creative Studio, the team developing the ride. “And then you’ll get to see his lab, and then it will get deeper and deeper into some of the areas in that world that are just fantastic.”
“I just thought it was awesome,” says Despicable Me producer Chris Meledandri. “You are creating an immersive, visceral experience. When we make a film, yes we want our films to be immersive, but when you’re in the world of the ride… your audience is going to be in your story.”

Both Coup and Meledandri say it’s too early to confirm whether any of the film’s voice cast — Steve Carell as Gru, Miranda Cosgrove as one of his adopted daughters Margo, Russell Brand as his elderly gadget guru Dr. Nefario — will participate in the ride itself, but Meledandri does note one of the film’s directors, Pierre Coffin, has been “taking a point position” in developing the story and the ride itself.

Meanwhile, one of Universal Orlando’s most popular rides, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, is getting a big-time makeover due to debut in 2012: All the CG animation is being redone and updated to cutting-edge 4K high definition. “It’s going to feel like an entirely new experience,” says Coup, “[even] if you’ve been to this attraction 100 times before.” The story itself will remain separate from any of the Sony Pictures Spidey feature films, or the infamous Broadway musical. Aw. So no singing, then? “Who knows!” chuckles Coup. We’re pretty sure he’s kidding.
Click to expand...

Well this should be interesting. DM is universal IP, so they atleast won't have to pay any royalties with it. Updating spiderman is bigger news, and atleast uni is spending money to update ioa outside of hp.
 
flavious27

flavious27

Well-Known Member
Choodles said:
Just for fun I wonder how much Disney would have to pay to get them to close MI? I'm guessing an even billion would do it.
Click to expand...

a billion? the revenue last year for uni orl was that much. if uni's buyout of Spielberg is in the mid 200 millions, I doubt disney's buyout clause would be more than that.

Disney doesn't have a reason to push to end the contract when they get royalties.
 
K

Krack

Active Member
flavious27 said:
a billion? the revenue last year for uni orl was that much. if uni's buyout of Spielberg is in the mid 200 millions, I doubt disney's buyout clause would be more than that.

Disney doesn't have a reason to push to end the contract when they get royalties.
Click to expand...

There is no buyout clause. Any exit from the contract will be at Universal's desire (likely because Disney negotiated the termination in return for major league money). And, just my own personal assessment, I think that billion dollar number is probably a little low. Any $ amount would need to be enough to purchase the licensing to an equally popular property (DC Comics, Transformers, Avatar, Lord of the Rings, etc) and rebuild/retheme the entire land; looking at the expenses of projects like the DCA rehab, it'll probably take a billion dollars. Otherwise, Universal has no reason to let Disney off the hook - every film Marvel puts out makes the Marvel Super Hero island license more valuable. And, as you said, Disney probably believes it makes no sense to buyout the contract at that kind of price because it's (a) receiving royalties and (b) unwilling to pay to build their own Marvel Land/Park right now.
 
J

JT3000

Well-Known Member
flavious27 said:
a billion? the revenue last year for uni orl was that much. if uni's buyout of Spielberg is in the mid 200 millions, I doubt disney's buyout clause would be more than that.

Disney doesn't have a reason to push to end the contract when they get royalties.
Click to expand...

200 million? That would barely replace Spider-Man. That's not getting it done.
 
flavious27

flavious27

Well-Known Member
Krack said:
There is no buyout clause. Any exit from the contract will be at Universal's desire (likely because Disney negotiated the termination in return for major league money). And, just my own personal assessment, I think that billion dollar number is probably a little low. Any $ amount would need to be enough to purchase the licensing to an equally popular property (DC Comics, Transformers, Avatar, Lord of the Rings, etc) and rebuild/retheme the entire land; looking at the expenses of projects like the DCA rehab, it'll probably take a billion dollars. Otherwise, Universal has no reason to let Disney off the hook - every film Marvel puts out makes the Marvel Super Hero island license more valuable. And, as you said, Disney probably believes it makes no sense to buyout the contract at that kind of price because it's (a) receiving royalties and (b) unwilling to pay to build their own Marvel Land/Park right now.
Click to expand...

Disney did not sign the contract with uni, marvel did.

Also, the DCA refurb is a whole gate getting refurbed with a new land being added. If you want to look at how much it would be to refurb a land and get a license at IOA, then look at the cost of wwhp.
 
flavious27

flavious27

Well-Known Member
JT3000 said:
200 million? That would barely replace Spider-Man. That's not getting it done.
Click to expand...

Do you really think that uni is going to demo that attraction and build a new one? They are going to just skin it with terminator or another franchise, the cost would be just a bit more than the refurb they are going to start now.
 
K

Krack

Active Member
flavious27 said:
Disney did not sign the contract with uni, marvel did.
Click to expand...

You misunderstood what I wrote (probably because I worded it poorly) ... the only way the contract will end is if Universal wants it to end. And the most likely reason for Universal to want the contract to end would be because Disney offered them a large sum of money to terminate it.

Also, the DCA refurb is a whole gate getting refurbed with a new land being added. If you want to look at how much it would be to refurb a land and get a license at IOA, then look at the cost of wwhp.
Click to expand...

I know that's the company line, but the truth is, it's an additional 1/2 land and cosmetic changes. It's not like they refaced the entire park. Also, regarding the cost of a buyout, you also have to factor in that the instant Universal ends the contract, Disney is going to use Marvel in Orlando and then Universal will have to compete against that Marvel product (that's going to cost Disney a little extra too).

In order to be worth it for Universal to accept a buyout, the $ has to account for ...

1. The licensing cost of an equal or better intellectual property,
2. The cost of building the land,
3. The cost of lost revenue while the land is built,
4. The cost of having to now compete against a Marvel product in the area,
5. The expense of all the free advertising of Marvel you supplied for the last decade (that will now benefit Disney),
6. The lost of all the free advertising Marvel/Disney is about to provide you through the Marvel Studios films (and accompanying media).
 
flavious27

flavious27

Well-Known Member
Krack said:
You misunderstood what I wrote (probably because I worded it poorly) ... the only way the contract will end is if Universal wants it to end. And the most likely reason for Universal to want the contract to end would be because Disney offered them a large sum of money to terminate it.
Click to expand...

We all do it, not all of my comments are good enough to be part of a phd application.

Krack said:
I know that's the company line, but the truth is, it's an additional 1/2 land and cosmetic changes. It's not like they refaced the entire park. Also, regarding the cost of a buyout, you also have to factor in that the instant Universal ends the contract, Disney is going to use Marvel in Orlando and then Universal will have to compete against that Marvel product (that's going to cost Disney a little extra too).

In order to be worth it for Universal to accept a buyout, the $ has to account for ...

1. The licensing cost of an equal or better intellectual property,
2. The cost of building the land,
3. The cost of lost revenue while the land is built,
4. The cost of having to now compete against a Marvel product in the area,
5. The expense of all the free advertising of Marvel you supplied for the last decade (that will now benefit Disney),
6. The lost of all the free advertising Marvel/Disney is about to provide you through the Marvel Studios films (and accompanying media).
Click to expand...

I believe some of those costs are what is going to be needed over marvel island, I just don't see it being more than the mid 200's. Uni is going to keep the 4 existing attractions, they are just going to retheme them.

The problem I see is that they need a suitable set of franchises for that land. I think that they could use some of the franchises from Dark Horse; uni has the film rights to Hellboy and The Umbrella Academy along with first look rights.
 
Wilt Dasney

Wilt Dasney

Well-Known Member
Hasn't all this talk of a buyout and what might replace Marvel become (even more) academic with the Spidey announcement?

Those characters might not be there 20 years from now, but it seems clear Uni isn't even thinking of replacing them anytime soon if they're hyping investments in the land's flagship attraction.
 
flavious27

flavious27

Well-Known Member
Wilt Dasney said:
Hasn't all this talk of a buyout and what might replace Marvel become (even more) academic with the Spidey announcement?

Those characters might not be there 20 years from now, but it seems clear Uni isn't even thinking of replacing them anytime soon if they're hyping investments in the land's flagship attraction.
Click to expand...

Could be, could also be that uni knows it needs to update the tech in that ride so it is set for the foreseeable future.
 
K

Krack

Active Member
Wilt Dasney said:
Hasn't all this talk of a buyout and what might replace Marvel become (even more) academic with the Spidey announcement?

Those characters might not be there 20 years from now, but it seems clear Uni isn't even thinking of replacing them anytime soon if they're hyping investments in the land's flagship attraction.
Click to expand...

For all we know, the announcement is a negotiating tactic. But yes, generally I agree ... it makes it seem likely Universal is doubling down.
 
Skip

Skip

Well-Known Member
flavious27 said:
Could be, could also be that uni knows it needs to update the tech in that ride so it is set for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...

I'm inclined to think this is their statement that Marvel is staying - they wouldn't go to the trouble of reanimating the entire production if it was leaving in the next few years.
 
MarkTwain

MarkTwain

Well-Known Member
Now that Universal has, IMO, made it clear that they'll be holding onto Marvel in Florida for quite some time in the future, I'm starting to wonder if this Marvel purchase was really such a smart expenditure in the first place. :shrug: No use in the WDW parks for the indefinite future, very limited opportunities for application in the California parks, and all the major Marvel franchises have been made into movies in the past few years by studios other than Disney... besides just merchandise sales, what are they gaining from this acquisition?
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom