Jurassic For Viewing...

Well, the upheaval at Universal isn't the only news about the studio today...

If you hadn't heard, the sequel known as "Jurassic Park 4" is no longer known by that title.  It will now be known as "Jurassic World" instead.  Could this be so they can open up an entire theme park or resort (like Disney World, hmmm?) based on the property?  Not likely.  More probable, it follows the scripts narrative, which is co-written be screenwriter Derek Connolly and director Colin Trevorrow.

I've heard that the screenplay for this sequel departs quite a bit from the original three films.  How far we'll have to wait and see.  It'll be interesting if they can revive the franchise from the disappointment that was the last film.  I don't blame Joe Johnston so much as the producers accepting a subpar script to meet an opening release date.  If the original film was sixty-five million years in the making, that film could have used another year or two to get the script in shape.

The long delay in this film coming to the screen could be a good sign...

Delaying Dinosaurs Means Monster Year...

So Universal Studios put the breaks on their fourth Dino film...

"Jurassic Park 4" has been put on hold by the Uni suits.  And that's a good thing, because the release date was going to be extremely difficult to meet.  It's exactly one year away and the filming schedule, as welll as FX calender would have been insane.  The earliest we'll see the film now would be Christmas 2014.  But depending on when they come closer to a realization of what Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) wants to do means the release date could slip into the following year:

2015.

That year is going to be gargantuan.  Can you imagine a year when so many film releases came to a head?  It makes you wonder if there are enough dates and theaters to show all these films.  Personally, it's a good thing not to rush this film into production before it's fully ready.

Here is the official statement released by Universal:

In coordination with filmmakers, Universal has decided to release Jurassic Park 4 at a later date giving the studio and filmmakers adequate time to bring audiences the best possible version of the fourth installment in Universal’s beloved franchise.  We could not be more excited about the vision that Colin Trevorrow has created for this film, and we look forward to watching as he and the producers create another great chapter in this franchise’s storied history.

I'm sure Calvin and Hobbes will be waiting to see this just as I will whenever it's released.  There's something genetic in people, particularly males that loves the idea of seeing a T-Rex running around demolishing things.  Although I love the original film, the second one had what every young boy dreams of: a Tyrannosaurus Rex smashing up a city.  Unfortunately, it also has a kid gymnast that unnecessarily weighed down the story.  The third one was a mess all the way around (sorry Joe Johnston).

Lets cross our fingers that the fourth will be much better than that...

Hat Tip to /Film.

Blue Sky Buzz: Pixar's Place In Disney's World...

I got time...

Let me tell you a story...

Two actually.  A tale really.  The tale of two, possible future worlds.  One is what the vision of Suits have for this world, and the other is what Creatives want for this world.  You see the see the Suits see only profit and opportunity.  The Creatives see ideas as the real treasure.  The trick is finding somewhere in the middle.  In a balanced world, the Creatives will find a way to prove to the Suits that their vision is what is needed, and creating something just for the sake of dollar signs isn't actually good for the bottom line in the end, as it diminishes what the Founder successfully created that made his company so profitable.

Translation is, originality and thinking outside the box to give the guest what they didn't know they wanted was how Walt Disney blazed his path to create a company that is now the pinnacle of, and largest deliverer of entertainment in the world.

This tale is of the Disney World part of that world.

There is a lot going on in that Florida haven right now.  Construction of the Fantasyland Expansion, the continued work on expansion of Disney's Animal Kingdom with the fantasy animal park coming to fruition with the "Avatar" land, and most importantly, the addition and bringing new life into Disney's Hollywood Studios that will happen in the next few years.

This park has been waining over the past decade+.  It has lost focus on what it is and where it is going.  It's in the process of trying to find what it is trying to entertain guests with, to tell who it is really.  It's beginning to shake off the narrative that it is the Mouse's alternative to Universal Studios and now trying to figure out what film experience it wants to tell to everyone entering it's gate.  While DAK is expanding to a full day park with the myth element (albeit, a sci-fi mythical creatures design, not a fantasy mythical creature design) of the park, DHS is now planning on moving away from being a movie "tour" park, and being a movie "experience" park.

I have great hope for Walt Disney World.  With the hiring of George Kalogridis, the languishing quality of WDW will finally be addressed.  The lower standards that are accepted there as the norm will hopefully, slowly be replaced by what we expect in a Disney Experience.  Kalogridis is a nuts and bolts guy, so we should expect operations, and quality to be made a much more prominent focus over the next few years.  If you're unhappy with what you get there, please make sure you let guest relations know so that it reaches Team Disney Orlando.  It has a much better chance of getting addressed with George now in charge.

Now, back to that vision thing.  Here's what the dilemma is.  Right now, actually the last few months of last year and into the new year, the company has been working with the decision of what path to move forward with on the expansion of Hollywood Studios.  You see everyone loves success since it's so elusive in business.  In a world where profit is king, you want to replicate what works.  In Burbank's case, this means clone it.  Duplicate it.  Copy it and hope lightning strikes twice, or even three times.  Such is the case with Cars Land, which is the single most profitable creation for the parks in twenty years.   The easy answer for the Suits is to clone it, the more difficult answer from the Creatives is to recreate what made it successful.

I'm sure you've read all the rumors floating around the Internet about cloning Cars Land down in Florida.  How it's going to go where the old Hollywood Backlot Area is and expand the Pixar Place area of the park.  This is partially true.  The Pixar Place area is where Imagineers expect to create the expansion of the park that I refer to, mainly at least.  But therein lies the fight.

One path is that one.  To clone Cars Land and expand the Pixar Place and give it a much grander imprint in the Hollywood Studios park.  The shadow of the Lamp will fall heavily on this gate if that choice is the direction they head.  It'll be destined to be a hit just like out here in California.  There will be no shortage of demands if the land is announced, with its immersive theming and escapist fun that literally draws you into an animated world.  This would make the Studio Backlot an inviting plot of real estate to put this WDI creation.  Instant hit: just add three years of construction, hundreds of millions of dollars, and in 2015 you'll have a swarm of people descend on the Florida resort for the experience we have out here.

Then there is the alternative.

Expand the Pixar Place, but not with a clone.  Imagine that?  Now what would/could it consist of?  Well, the area as pitched would have several other Pixar character creations.  This lists rings like a laundry list of the last decades hits for Disney animation via Emeryville.  Nemo ideas, lots of Toy Story ideas thrown around (including several attractions out of the "Toy Story Land" areas in Paris and Hong Kong), even talk of a Ratatouille clone like the one being built at Walt Disney Studios Paris (not likely, though, but not impossible).  But the new E-Ticket surrounding all of these minor C and D Ticket attractions would be something better.  Something incredible even.

Yes, that pun was intentional.  The proposal, which wasn't a done deal when I talked to my Bothans near the beginning of the year, would involve the Brad Bird creation.  If the Mouse decides to go the non-clone route, the largest part of the expansion would be an attraction based on "The Incredibles" film.

It's not the same one that was going to go into DCA when they were scrambling for something to stop the bleeding and the laughter, but it is a project that is designed to take you into the idealized world that Bird created where Supers were very real.  This one would feature cutting edge technology, with animatronics and possible 3D/4D effects that rival anything done with Cars or the new Ratatouille ride.

It's part of what Lasseter wanted with each park having its own original creations.  Attractions to make you want to travel to different parks for different reasons.  Imagine that?  The plan was to have two or three C-Tickets, budget permitting of course, and a large E-Ticket based on this film to define the entire area as a fully immersive experience of Pixar's imaginative stories.  A Pixar land so to speak.  Will that happen?  It's a matter of numbers, time and justification of money that comes down to a battle of Suits and Creatives trying to figure what will be best.  Cloning?  Or creativity?  So which side will win?

We'll likely find out what the answer is to that question sometime later this year...

Transformations...

Designacons...





Hopefully you remember that article Blue Sky wrote about the new Harry Potter attraction at IOA...

Well, starting later this year in Singapore and next year in Hollywood, a continuation of that experience might be happening. I like competition and Universal Creative has been giving WDI a run for its money. Especially with "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey." Which is a fantastic experience as a mini-park/attraction. It's the perfect example of how someone other than Disney can create a Disney type of experience. And it succeeded beyond Universal's dreams. It's a Disney attraction that's not a Disney attraction. The quality of the rides, shops and merchandise, well, everything really, is phenomenal. And as I said in that old article, if they keep it up then the Mouse had better start to move quicker because they've got serious competition.





The next test of that will happen when "Transformers: The Ride" opens at Universal Studios Singapore in 2011 and Universal Studios Hollywood in 2012. If that attraction winds up being of the same quality as the Potter attraction then you can bet that Imagineers will be looking in the rear-view mirror. Not that I feel that it's a bad thing. Having WDI have to bring their best game is a good thing for them and us. We will both benefit from the challenges they each face trying to pry those dollars from our hands.





Well, recently some artwork for the queue/loading area was leaked and it shows a great deal of attention to design. Universal has already mentioned that thirty minutes of story is built into the queue, so guest will be immersed in the world of the Autobots and Decepticons for a good part of the wait. Details like this will create an experience that could rival the Harry Potter ride.

And make sure Imagineers don't rest on their laurels...

Hat Tip to /Film via Theme Park Insider.

Theme Parked...

Spider-Mouse, Spider-Mouse, does whatever it can to get out of agreements...








Something interesting happened in the world of theme parks this week...

Something that is not about Disney, but all about it. At least when it comes to inserting the Marvel characters into the many parks that the Mouse owns or co-owns.

Universal Studios owns Universal Hollywood outright, but the other Universal Studios theme parks that it owns are co-ventures; even Universal Studios Orlando. That theme park is co-owned by the Blackstone Group. They own a fifty percent equity in the two theme park resort and are now looking to sell their share. With the success of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," the group looks to capitalize on its investment and get a premium for the shares that it has.

One of the interesting things about the agreement between Uni and Warner Bros. is that a change in ownership will trigger a clause in the rights to that franchise, which could mean they could lose it or have to renegotiate the original agreement for a much higher fee. Now, realistically, Universal is coming off their best year ever with attendance and spending, so there is no way the Uni Suits are going to plan on giving away what has helped turn their parks into destinations that is usually only reserved for Walt Disney World. They will do what they need to do to keep them inside the park, which means a renegotiation if necessary.

That said, it makes one wonder what the agreement that Universal Orlando has with Marvel is like. Is it similar? Because if it is, this could be the out that Disney would look for to wrestle control back of properties that it would love to exploit at its own parks; particularly those just a little ways down the road from IOA. You can bet that the Mouse's lawyers will be looking at every line of the agreement for wiggle room, and unlike TWWOHP, there would be no reason to settle. Any renegotiation by Disney would be set at a level meant to make such a renegotiation prohibitively expensive. That way, the Walt Disney Company could walk away with the rights to the properties it bought in 2009 and be able to start planning attractions or even parks without fear of some form of litigation nightmare.

Universal would have to come up with a way to retheme the attractions to other characters that it owns or someone else would be willing to license to them. If I was Warner Bros., I'd consider this a great opportunity to offer the DC Comics properties instead. It'd be a major upgrade from Six Flags and branded characters that would fit into the theme parks need for highly visible franchises. Couldn't you see that Spider-Man attraction being retooled for Batman or Superman? Maybe retheme that Hulk coaster to the Green Lantern?

So, depending on how good Marvel's lawyers were, we may be seeing men wearing their underwear on the outside of their clothes sooner than we thought.

Developing...

The Man Who Directed Too Much...

Lights, camera, what's next...






Wow, the economy is bad, but some people never run out of job opportunities...

Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Guillermo del Toro has been offered the directing gig of "Pacific Rim," the giant monster film written by Travis Beacham. This after having difficulty getting the green light for his adaptation of "At The Mountains of Madness." With James Cameron producing, Guillermo directing and Tom Cruise starring and they can't get the Universal Suits to pull the trigger? Man, this town is seriously risk averse big time. Movies such as "Apocalypse Now" could have never been made today. It's sad that this has happened.

Of course, from what I hear, Pacific Rim is right up the director's alley, and something where he would be in his element. But his heart is in this project and although he has have a dozen other films in preparation, the H.P. Lovecraft novella is the dream that he wants to wake up to. If he does decide to make the film, it'll be with the intent of showing Universal that he can make a big budget commercial film so that they'll let him make Madness.

He wouldn't be the first to do this, remember that Brad Bird took the reigns of "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" so as to prove to Warner Suits that he was capable of directing a big, live-action film and therefore be allowed to make "1906" a reality.

If Guillermo del Toro does take Rim, to make ATMOM, then that will likely be the death nail for any chance of him directing the "Haunted Mansion" remake. He already said that he was producing the script with he wrote with Matthew Robbins and that directing would be decided later and time permitting. Well, this would certainly kill the "time permitting" part. He would have to just produce/co-write it and start hunting for another director for the project. All this doesn't even address the many film projects which his name is attached to, or the "Incredible Hulk" series that he's shepherding with an eye in directing the pilot. And then he has an untitled series for cable that he's been developing for a couple years. Not to mention his entry in the video game business with "inSane." And on and on and on. The man is seriously busy and waiting for something to yell: "Action!" on.

We just don't know what will be the first one out the gate..

A Paramount Ending...

Make mine Marvel...



Interesting, but not too surprising news...

The Walt Disney Studios has bought out the remaining pictures that Paramount Pictures were supposed to distribute after 2011. Mighty Marvel will be in the free and clear come 2012, at least in terms of the characters that were or will be launched under the original agreement. Translation: "Thor" and "Captain America" will be Paramount's last films and "Avengers" in 2012 and "Iron Man 3" in 2013 will be under the Marvel Studios banner and distributed and marketed by the Mouse.

It's not likely that the deals with Fox or Columbia will be affected, as those would be far more expensive to resolve. That said, this makes you wonder if the theme park deals with Universal Studios could come to a similar resolution? Maybe Iger will make a deal to pay for the retheming/design of the Spider-Man attraction? Slowly, as the years pass most if not all the agreements and deals will expire or be bought out. By the end of this decade most outside sources of Marvel entertainment will disappear and by the beginning of the next decade nearly everything done with these underwear clad money makers will be done under Disney.

And the growing lads and testosterone filled tots will never know a time when Spider-Man, Hulk and the rest of the Super-Heroes/Villains were not Disney characters...

More Del Toro Madness...

Yesterday, while I was out in the real world some exciting and geeky news broke...

Michael Fleming over at Deadline Hollywood broke that Guillermo del Toro next project was going to be his long desired, dream project, H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" before del Toro could announce it. It was expected that Guillermo would announce his next directing project right after Comic-Con (he said so, after all). But before he could, Fleming let the cat out of the bag. I'd wondered if he would announce this long in development hell project, not having any inside information on it, I just speculated if he was finally going to get his chance. There are other films that the man is lined up to either direct or produce over the next few years and I wondered which would come first. It looks like his dream project will be it.

The Film Maker is having a serious bounce back from his having to leave "The Hobbit" when you consider that this film has long been talked about as his holy grail and getting to write and produce the "Haunted Mansion" project is also a dream come true for the man. I know there are those out there that were disappointed to hear he was making the film, but he's a huge fan of the attraction. If he had the time, he's said that he'd direct it himself, but with his prior commitments, he'll simply have to guide it forward. I'm willing to settle for the writing/producing credit because I know he'll find the right person to interpret his story. But over the next couple years, we will get to see some serious film-love from this man, who I'm sure right now is just giddy.

A maddening time for sure...

Forbidden Competition...

Difficult times lie ahead, Bob...



You just have to face a choice between what it right, and what is easy...
It's good to be back in sunny, Southern California...

Remember when I said I was "Gone Phishing" last week? Well, I kinda was. I was in Florida and I've been very busy. I was spent some time at Walt Disney World with friends, spending a day at each park (and still enjoying Disney's Animal Kingdom most of all). But the main thing we all wanted to do was go to the competition. We enjoyed a nice day at Universal Studios, but then the next day we went to our actual destination and reason for going in the first place: Islands of Adventure. You know where this is going?

The Wizarding World of Harry.

To be specific, we wanted to see "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey." And that we did. First off I want to say that IOA is probably my favorite non-Disney theme park. It's probably the closest thing to a Disney Park in terms of details and theming, but it still falls short. But with the addition of "Forbidden Journey," they've made a huge leap toward parity. All of the park is very well laid out with nice touches and good details, but were the rest of the park to have to quality of the Harry Potter section then this would truly be a rival to the Mouse. It is a very detailed area, rivaling Animal Kingdom in the layering on of things that you have to pay attention to to notice. And the E-Ticket, if you could call it that, the main attraction, Forbidden Journey, is of a quality not seen lately by WDI in the states. It rivals Tokyo DisneySEA in terms of craftsmanship and standards, it's that good.

I want to thank Universal Creative (Universal Studios version Walt Disney Imagineering) for achieving this, it's truly a step up from anything that they've done before and if the future of their rides/attractions is like this then Disney is going to have to step up their game. The heat is on. And that's a really good thing. We should all thank these people and this attraction because without them and this marvelous ride, there wouldn't be all the construction going on in the back of Fantasyland. That 300 million dollar expansion of WDW was started specifically because the Suits were uneasy with the new opening at Universal. Competition is good. We all benefit from it. And if more people go see this and reward Universal, Disney starts to get even more worried and we might even see more TLC for Disney World. Again, a very good thing. The better these parks get, the more the Mouse will have to respond with the incredible details that enhance a guest's experience there.

Now, as to what they'll do? We'll have to wait and see how the response to this new experience unfolds. Don't expect anything relating to that four billion dollar purchase last year, though. Nothing is/will be planned in Florida for most likely the coming decade because of Universal's preexisting conditions with Disney's new adopted child. But there are plenty of things in the files of WDI over in Glendale that the Imagineers can pull out to use. If only they have the will to do so. A decade ago I wouldn't have any faith in the management at the time to have that vision or willingness to spend the bucks. At least now I know there is a chance and that we might see something like this come about. All you have to do is dream and have the desire to see those dreams through.

And we may have a teenage wizard to thank for it...

The Wonderful Wizarding World Of Competition...

Universal Studios has came out with some interesting artwork and video for their Harry Potter theme park within a theme park...

If you'd like to see what Universal Orlando has up their sleeve, then check out the video here that highlights what Universal Creative (Universal's equivalent to Imagineers) has designed. The primary attraction, "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey" will be interesting to experience when the attraction opens in spring 2010. Although there's not a lot of information about that ride on the site yet. Go over to the official website and look at a lot of the concept art. Also, Brooks Barnes has a nice article over at the New York Times about the announcement.

Some people worry that this will steal guest away from WDW, while some think it'll have no affect on Disney whatsoever. I tend to play it in the middle. Islands of Adventure is a great, fun theme park with many detailed areas, but it didn't do the damage that Eisner and Co. worried it would do to the Florida resort, because if it had there would've been a couple nice additions to the park to compensate. Never panned out. I hope it does gangbusters, because competition is good. If they do something that draws more people into their park, the Mouse will have to counter and that's good for everyone. After all, why do you think that Fantasyland expansion got the go-ahead? Universal was one reason, Lasseter and others pushing the expansion was the other. But that's what happens when challenges are put upon you... you strive to do better and the results of that benefit us all. Difficult times lie ahead.

So let's have at those obstacles...

Brand Confusion/Collusion...

When Bob Iger decided to buy Marvel, he did so with a long view of the company's characters, but that doesn't mean the Mouse isn't going to have opportunities to hurry up the process...

There are a lot of agreements that Marvel has made over the last decade that Disney is going to have to deal with. Some of those decisions were good and others were made during a period of bankruptcy when the company needed cash; resulting in agreements that Mighty Marvel would later regret.

The Spider-Man agreement is one of those that I'm sure Marvel, and now Disney would rather have not been made. There was even a legal dispute a while back with Marvel suing Sony for the compensation that it felt it was owed from the huge blockbuster the first movie became. Sony Pictures and Sam Raimi deserve a great deal of respect for what they did in the first and second film... but the Suits got greedy with part 3. I'm sure Spidey is the Holy Grail of this acquisition and Iger and his lawyers are going to watching Sony very closely. And Sony knows this, so I think they're going to be very cautious dealing with this property. With the recent announcements of a planning for a "Spider-Man 5" and "Spider-Man 6," it's going to be a while before the Spider goes to his new home in Burbank. If each movie takes about 3 to four years to make, expect the first chance at the character to be a decade away.

The same could be said for "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four" and "Daredevil" could be as well, but I can tell you there are going to be lawyers upon lawyers looking over this for the next decade. And I will bet you there will be a lawsuit over at least one of these properties withing the next four or five years. Disney will be looking for any wiggle room inside those contracts. Before this deal was signed, I'm sure Disney had knowledge that some of these contracts wouldn't last till the expiration date.

But this is dealing with the film rights to these characters. The television rights to those characters aren't included. So you think the company won't be planning on television series based on Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, Reed Richards and Wolvie? I bet ABC has some form of a show on within two years. Maybe it'll be something to dampen Fox's "X-Men: First Class." Perhaps a "New Mutants" television show following a new class of Professor Xavier's students. Maybe a show following Daredevil? That right there might dilute the competitions desire for a sequel if characters they're planning on investing millions of dollars in are seen weekly on television. Who knows? I'm sure over the next year or so, the Suits at Disney and Marvel will go over all these characters to determine what will be the first property to get a television show or movie.

The deal that Marvel has with Paramount will end around 2012/2013 as that will be when the fifth and final film is to be delivered. I'm sure Paramount would love for it to continue afterwards, but to think that Disney would extend this agreement is highly unlikely. Why not have the next films have your logo on the front of them? Disney will want to create a brand awareness that Marvel is now Disney and it won't help keeping the Paramount logo in front of it. As of right now, the agreement for distribution includes the films: "Iron Man 2," "Thor," "Captain America," "The Avengers," and one last film, possibly "Iron Man 3." But after that, any sequel to Captain America or Thor will have Cinderella's castle in front of it... got to start getting those young males caught up in the Disney mindshare. Cause this is what that 4 billion is after... the young boy audience. Disney practically owns the girls, they've just never been able to pull in most of the opposite side of adolescence. This is the attempt to get those boys buying Disney products, seeing Disney films and visiting Disney theme parks.

Theme parks? Yes, eventually. Again, it's complicated, but there is opportunity here. Now, I know some Disney fans are groaning at the thought of Snow White posing for pictures with the Incredible Hulk. I too would find that situation unpalatable. I don't see Marvel characters in Disneyland because Fantasyland is the closest thing to being able to display them, and men in tights don't really work there. But they would work great at "Disney's Hollywood Studios," "Walt Disney Studios" or even "Disney's California Adventure." I mean, there are like at least two stages are dormant over in the Hollywood Back Lot area. When it becomes Hollywoodland in a couple year, who knows? Maybe the Muppets building that was to house a Narnia attraction will instead be filled with an Iron Man attraction? Or maybe Disney will hold off on that here in California and wait for those contracts to expire, because by then the Second Gate will be fixed (hopefully). A Third Gate could be in the planning. I know I've always thought a Disney Villain theme park (Dark Kingdom/Shadowlands) would be best, and my choice, but all these Marvel characters could be put into their own park over in the former strawberry field.

But this doesn't include the agreement Marvel has with Disney's only true theme park rival, Universal Studios. There are agreements with Universal Studios Florida and Universal Studios Japan that have to be addressed with this merger. Universal Studios Hollywood ended there relationship with Marvel a while ago, so there's no problem there. As for any other place overseas, Universal has no other agreements for Marvel characters. One interesting thing is Marvel was planning a theme park in Dubai that was to be part of Dubailand. Will the Mouse try and get out of this agreement or will they use this as Disney's first beachhead in the Middle East? Much to be sorted out over the next few years. But as for Universal's deal, the Spider-Man Ride will stay for a while, but Disney will stay on them to the letter and make it very difficult for USF to do anything beyond what they've already done. A decade from now, the wear and tear of all those guest and the advancement in technology may make the attraction appear as dated as Star Tours. That would buy Disney an out. Another option is a straight buy out. Perhaps Uni would be willing for the Mouse to pay for the cost of the ride? That might give them the incentive to take the technology already there and retheme it, simply taking away the Spider-Man theming and using Disney's buy out money to change the ride. I can tell you the first thing to go will be the walk-around characters. Maybe not this year, but slowly they'll be fazed out. The eateries and such in the Florida theme park will probably go next. Eventually, all that could be left five or six years from now would be Spidey ride and the Hulk attraction. And that one could easily be rethemed in a small amount of time. My guess would be a decade from now as the Web-Slinger ride slowly fades from the park, Disney will be announcing a fabulous new addition to Walt Disney World's DHS. But that's speculation for now. We've got a long time to speculate over this.

But no matter what, a decade from now the Super-Hero/Theme Park/Disney Pictures typography will have changed greatly, just not completely. The idea of buying a Jack Sparrow figure or a Spider-Man action figure will bring to mind an image of Mickey Mouse to kids being born today. You and I will remember a time when that didn't exist. Those kids will live in a time when all of that is not only possible, but actual. Now, if we can just get the Mouse to work on a strategy for owning all those Darth Vader and Indiana Jones action figures. Oh wait, most kids at the parks already view them as a part of Disney.

Now, if only Iger would complete the circle on that one and finish the job with one more merger...

Where Will Spielberg's Theming Be Parked?

From the creative minds of Disney and Steven Spielberg...

2010 could open up a "World" of possibilities...

Over at the Hollywood Reporter, they've got a small article about Steven Spielberg's contract with Universal Studios coming up for renewal next year.

When it comes up for renewal in 2010, there is a provision in Steven Spielberg's contract with Universal Studios which states he can be bought out. If he chooses to be bought out, a lump sum will be given to him and he will be free to provide services to whoever he wants. It's known that the Movie Mogul/Wunderkind is unhappy that Universal has wanted to renegotiate his 2% fee on theme park receipts. The trades say that Spielberg is in talks with with the conglomerate over an extension or end of the very lucrative deal.

Now, I'm not saying that it's a done deal, but many also thought that the deal with Universal was a done deal. And now the DreamWorks distribution deal is with Disney. So the question isn't will he renew the deal he's had with Universal for over twenty years. The question we should be thinking about is will Disney land Spielberg to work with the Imagineers on future theme park attractions? And if not them, whom?

Interesting...

Despicable Trailer...

"Despicable Me," Universal's foray into animation features, has released it's first trailer...

I don't know if it's what Illumination Entertainment (the Globe's new CG animation division) intended, but the scenes king of remind me of the Peter Sellers "Pink Panther" films tone-wise. That's not a bad thing. Steve Carell stars.

Give it a look...

Kong Returns...

No Man in Suit.


I know this is a blog that focuses primarily on Disney and all things surrounding the Mouse, but on occasion we give time to the competition and other entertainment in general...

Here is a case where I whole heartily applaud Universal Studios for doing something that is pitch perfect and totally cool. This is the kind of thing that would give Mickey competition and I like competition... it makes everone the better for it.

The Suits over at the Big U announced the other day something that many a fan had wished for but didn't expect. King Kong returns to Universal Studios Hollywood. After the fire destroyed the set which guest would see when they rode the tram, it was announced that new attractions would take it's place. Well, it looks like the new attraction is based on the old. Well actually it's based on Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of "King Kong" which is set in the 1930's. I love that they're doing this. I loved that film. Not that it's in its own place from the original which I love as well. The 1976 version I've never liked. I love the fact that it's going to be set in the 30's and I expect if these Suits are smart they'll have Jackson involved heavily with the creation of this new attraction. Here's the press release:

“The Eighth Wonder of the World” Rises From Ashes to Astound Studio Tour Guests:

King Kong Re-Emerges In A Fierce New 4-D Attraction in 2010 at Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A.

Los Angeles, California, May 19-2009--King Kong, among the screen’s most powerful and enduring icons, will re-emerge on the famed and newly upgraded Universal Studios Hollywood Studio Tour in summer, 2010 as a thrilling and ground-breaking 4-D multi-sensory marvel, a new signature attraction for Universal Studios Hollywood.

The new King Kong attraction, based on the Oscar®-winning 2005 Universal Pictures film, will combine thrilling visceral effects with the world’s largest Surround Digital projection system to create a next-generation theme park experience.

Larry Kurzweil, President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal Studios Hollywood, said: “King Kong has been an integral part of Universal Studios Hollywood for decades and, after last year’s fire, we knew he had to be resurrected for our Studio Tour guests. We’re very excited to announce that not only are we re-introducing King Kong, but we’ve completely re-imagined the experience and will incorporate this legendary icon into a truly innovative Studio Tour attraction.”

In the new attraction, guests will don special glasses as they enter a darkened soundstage aboard the Studio Tour trams and will be transported— via the magic of Surround Digital 3D projection —deep into the dark heart of the world of Skull Island. They’ll survive a close encounter with a swarm of monstrous bats, only to be confronted by the terrifying presence of Kong himself. Suddenly, an enormous, ravenous 35' tall dinosaur will challenge Kong and guests will feel their trams jolt, roll and shudder as they find themselves caught in the middle of a ferocious showdown between the great ape and the giant lizard. The action will immerse guests in the battle between the two colossal predators.

A previous King Kong attraction was introduced at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1986 and remained a much-admired part of the Studio Tour until it was destroyed last year.

King Kong, known as “the eighth wonder of the world,” has been called “the experience for which movies were invented.” Since first appearing on the screen in the 1933 original classic, “King Kong” has been re-made twice, each time on a tremendous scale, earning a total of seven Oscar and three Golden Globe® nominations.

Most recently, the 2005 version took the best elements of the original “King Kong” story and adrenalized them with up-to-the-minute effects magic and the alchemic talents of a superlative group of filmmakers, cast and crew. Released to critical acclaim in late 2005, “King Kong” was a worldwide box office hit and, with DVD sales, earned well over $700 million, becoming the fourth-highest grossing movie in Universal Pictures history.

The arrival of the new King Kong experience will follow major enhancements to the Studio Tour. Universal Studios Hollywood will introduce an upgraded Studio Tour experience this summer, transforming its trams into "mobile movie theaters" with state-of-the-art flat-screen high-definition monitors and digital playback systems. The new high-definition monitors will feature commentary from filmmakers, including Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Stephen Sommers, along with insight from such personalities as Al Roker, Nancy O’Dell, Billy Bush and Whoopi Goldberg. Clips from numerous movie and television productions, corresponding to sites visited along the Tour route, will add a new dimension to the tour of backlot attractions, sets and facades, capturing how they were transformed for various productions.

Famed film locations on the Universal back lot include the “War of the Worlds” set, Western Streets, European Street, Mexican Street, the Psycho House-Bates Motel, and sets from ABC’s hit series “Desperate Housewives” on Wisteria Lane. Back lot attractions include "Earthquake," "Jaws," "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift" and "The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb."

Also this summer, Universal Studios welcomes the "The Tonight Show Starring Conan O'Brien" to a newly constructed soundstage at the studio and will celebrate the re-opening of most of the iconic sets damaged in last year's fire. Studio tours and film production will resume at the world- famous Courthouse Square, Brownstone Street and an enhanced New York Street. Additionally, new film locations will be introduced to meet contemporary film production needs, including a modern urban cityscape, with glass and steel façade structures that will provide film and TV crews with the opportunity to replicate a modern city street scene in a controlled studio environment. The new contemporary cityscape will be the largest modern urban backlot shooting location in Los Angeles.

Universal Studios Hollywood (www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com) is a unit of Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience."

I had hoped that those meetings Peter Jackson had on the lot a while back would result in him coming on board as a consultant on a Lord of the Rings attraction at say, Disney's Hollywood Studios or even an entire land based on that property, but so far it's not materialized. Then again, there is hope. Next year they start filming "The Hobbit" so if the Mouse plays its cards right you never know what could magically appear. And that would also possibly involve Guillermo del Toro as well. Perhaps he could start working on that "The Chronicles of Prydain" project that he's been talking about...

What's All The "Hulu"bub, Bub?

The Mouse is taking an equity stake in the internet site started by NBC Universal, News Corp. and Providence Equity Partners...

Hulu will have access to the titles from The Walt Disney Studios library of films and full-length episodes of television shows produced by the company.

I wonder how this will affect their relationship with Apple and Disney's biggest shareholder?

Several member of the Mouse, including CEO Bog Iger will join the Hulu board.

Developing...

Johnny With His Tommy...

Yup, I knew it would be out soon...

I figured by tomorrow night on the web, but they've released it already in awesome, mind-numbing Quicktime... Don't you just love Apple's trailer site? I do.

Click to see why Mann is the man and Depp is a god...

Ztudios Behind ZillionTV...

The Hollywood studios and the networks are getting behind something new...

Everything moves so quick in life, sometimes when a technology finally achieves critical mass it suddenly becomes obsolete. Enter ZillionTV, a new company and technology that's being supported and partially funded by the entertainment industry. It's going to be a way for them to stream content directly to the consumer, avoiding broadcast TV and have an exciting feature like commercials? Wait, commercials that can't be forwarded through? Yes, I know what you're thinking.

Entertainment is a business and I understand where they're coming from... believe it or not I also follow that model which says nothing in life is free. Everything comes with a cost. But give the Hollywood Reporter article a read and then later this year, those that are experimental can give it a chance. Those that are not can keep finding those bootleg copies out there on the Web. Not that I'm promoting or advocating any of that kind of activity. Remember, nothing of value is free and nothing free is valuable. Yada, yada, yada.

Developing...

Is Lincoln Really Dead?

Kim Masters over at Slate's "The Big Money" has a great article about Spielberg trying to get his movie about the sixteenth president, "Lincoln" made...

It's a sordid path that the project has followed. It appears that Paramount has passed on the film and it's up to someone else like Disney or Universal to step up and say they'll do it. Or Lincoln will be no more...

It's strange, but if Universal decides to do it do you think they'll have displays and celebrations at Universal Studios in Hollywood and Orlando advertising "their" Lincoln attraction? Hmmm...

Hat Tip to George 'El Guapo' Roush/Latino Review.

If You Build It, He Will Come...

Holy crap!

Just when you think the chance Disney had to snag Spielberg and company(literally) was gone the way of the Dodo Bird... boom!

It looks like the deal for Universal to distribute Dreamworks films has fallen through and the Mouse is the one to benefit from it, according to Nikki Finke. I wonder how Jeffrey Katzenberg feels about this. I mean, I know he has a grudge against Disney, but that's really a grudge against Eisner. Yes, I know Dreamworks is two different companies between live-action and animation, yada, yada, yada.

Expect a formal announcement by Monday...

The Competitors Transformed...

"'Transformers' will be a jewel in our collection of world-class rides based on great movies. - Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO, Universal Parks & Resorts

Competition is good...

It creates a situation where you have to rise above what you know are your limits and work to achieve something you didn't think you were capable of. Athletes deal with this all the time. Businesses deal with it on a daily basis. Disney deals with it too, although much more so now than a decade or two before... at least from the theme parks perspective. I'm not referring to the film division of the company here.

I'm talking about attractions. You've seen in "The Competitors" article that was posted a while ago that the Mouse has some serious competition around the world. Walt Disney has always been the standard bearer, the pinnacle for others to reach for. In theme park design, WDI has always been the big guy that you were competing against. Up until the late 80's/early 90's there wasn't a comparison between other design groups and WED/WDI. I'm not saying there wasn't any competition, I'm simply saying it wasn't competition that was a threat to Disney.

Not anymore...

Universal Studios will be adding some competition over the next few years according to IESB. Shortly, well get that new land based on "Harry Potter" and then later, 2011 to be exact, they'll be opening up a new attraction based on the "Transformers" movie. First it'll come to Universal Studios Singapore and then Universal Studios Hollywood. I'm sure I'll be cloned(Hehe... sorry, couldn't help that) to the other parks in Dubai, Japan and Florida as well once a little time has passed.

It's going to be interesting to see what they come up with. I've seen and rode "The Simpsons" ride and it's a very good example of design work, but it's not on the scale as something like Harry Potter or Transformers... expect a much more, bigger experience. Please don't think of this as a negative for the Mouse. I want better designed attractions at Universal and every other park. It only increases the pressure on them(Disney Theme Parks/WDI/TWDC) to do better. And they will.

This is great news.

If you want to express yourself then be proactive. Send an e-mail to them(Disney). Buy some stock, even a small share and show up at the annual meetings to voice your opinion. Go to the parks and complain, respectfully of course, that you want more/better attractions. Don't be passive, but don't expect Disney to be either.

Competition is good. Very good.

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UPDATE: More detail available in an article over at Dark Horizons.

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