Epic Universe Expansion Speculation

[Clive]

I'm not saying we won't see direct references to some of the tertiary Universal Monster properties, but let's not pretend The Mole People are going to be getting a full attraction. That could change if a remake actually happens and becomes a runaway success, of course, but there's some uncomfortable baggage associated with the original film that would need to be reworked/amended.

The most obvious choice is Creature, who is pretty inarguably the most popular Monster alongside Frankenstein, the Bride, Dracula, Wolfman, and the Mummy. How they incorporate that aesthetic into the existing execution of the Dark Universe, I'm not sure, but I'd love to see them give it a go.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

How they incorporate that aesthetic into the existing execution of the Dark Universe, I'm not sure, but I'd love to see them give it a go.

"a swamp near Darkmoor" is all I can think of

 

[Jake S]

"a swamp near Darkmoor" is all I can think of

"in neighboring Swampmoor,,,,"

 

[rageofthegods]

I'm not saying we won't see direct references to some of the tertiary Universal Monster properties, but let's not pretend The Mole People are going to be getting a full attraction. That could change if a remake actually happens and becomes a runaway success, of course, but there's some uncomfortable baggage associated with the original film that would need to be reworked/amended.

The most obvious choice is Creature, who is pretty inarguably the most popular Monster alongside Frankenstein, the Bride, Dracula, Wolfman, and the Mummy. How they incorporate that aesthetic into the existing execution of the Dark Universe, I'm not sure, but I'd love to see them give it a go.

I believe Mole People was referenced in a podcast as a possible character. It'd be fun to have a simple animatronic on a Creature ride that features them e.g. ducking under or darting past foliage.

As for how to get there, I'm sure they can get away with just making a cliff face with a tunnel to a swamp in Brazil. Like, it's fine. There's a land that takes place in the 20s and the 90s/00s at the same time. France technically shares a land border with Brazil

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Hear me out: do a parody of Monsters Unchained but it’s all the loser monsters from the bad movies. Lean into the camp.

 

[IndyRs]

I'm sure it's been said before. But IF they don't fit a new land between Nintendo and Dark Universe, then perhaps they just expand both into each other. Luigi's Mansion would fit nicely on the edge to dark Universe and maybe a Bowser themed ride too?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I'm sure it's been said before. But IF they don't fit a new land between Nintendo and Dark Universe, then perhaps they just expand both into each other. Luigi's Mansion would fit nicely on the edge to dark Universe and maybe a Bowser themed ride too?

I would prefer this for sure. You could have a scenario where a Celestial Park-themed experience (flat ride or mini-expansion) is placed between Pizza Moon & Oak Star, with a connection between DU & SNW.

DU needs more space.

 

[Clive]

I'm sure it's been said before. But IF they don't fit a new land between Nintendo and Dark Universe, then perhaps they just expand both into each other. Luigi's Mansion would fit nicely on the edge to dark Universe and maybe a Bowser themed ride too?

A Bowser flat could be really fun, even if it's just something like a Koopa Shell spinner with some extra bells and whistles.

 

[Alicia]

Hear me out: do a parody of Monsters Unchained but it’s all the loser monsters from the bad movies. Lean into the camp.

Only if it stars Abbott & Costello

(And Unchained is *already* very camp)

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Only if it stars Abbott & Costello

(And Unchained is *already* very camp)

Ok ok I like this, they think they're going to Frankenstein's castle but it's another castle to the left when the took the wrong turn.

 

[Clive]

Ok ok I like this, they think they're going to Frankenstein's castle but it's another castle to the left when the took the wrong turn.

Honestly, an Abbott and Costello show (or a show featuring similar characters in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge kind of way) featuring some of the more niche monsters could be a really entertaining successor to the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue.

EDIT: The trouble with these kinds of shows is they inevitably become *too* campy or niche for general audiences to stomach or engage with. They don't "get" it, so they get bored or reject it outright. Beetlejuice got away with a lot because 1) it had Beetlejuice, an inherently entertaining character that permitted substantial improv and 2) it had live performances of popular songs.

It just occurred to me that while Monster on the Campus, the Mole People, or the Metaluna Mutant probably couldn't anchor a show... The Invisible Man probably could.

 

[Mike S]

Honestly, an Abbott and Costello show (or a show featuring similar characters in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge kind of way) featuring some of the more niche monsters could be a really entertaining successor to the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue.

EDIT: The trouble with these kinds of shows is they inevitably become *too* campy or niche for general audiences to stomach or engage with. They don't "get" it, so they get bored or reject it outright. Beetlejuice got away with a lot because 1) it had Beetlejuice, an inherently entertaining character that permitted substantial improv and 2) it had live performances of popular songs.

It just occurred to me that while Monster on the Campus, the Mole People, or the Metaluna Mutant probably couldn't anchor a show... The Invisible Man probably could.

Abbot & Costello meet Beetlejuice

 

[belloq87]

(And Unchained is *already* very camp)

How they incorporate that aesthetic into the existing execution of the Dark Universe, I'm not sure, but I'd love to see them give it a go.

As for how to get there, I'm sure they can get away with just making a cliff face with a tunnel to a swamp in Brazil. Like, it's fine. There's a land that takes place in the 20s and the 90s/00s at the same time. France technically shares a land border with Brazil

Yeah, as I said on the previous page, there are already thematic leaps within existing lands that don't seem to bother anybody.

Just make Creature's area discrete from Darkmoor with a transition of some kind.

 

[DrStarlander]

Yeah, as I said on the previous page, there are already thematic leaps within existing lands that don't seem to bother anybody.

Very true. Setting aside Celestial Park, because that land is unique (non-IP, serves as hub and spoke and "meta" theme for the park...), of the four other lands, two have internal, IP-specific "portals" (of sorts) from one part of the IP to another part. That is, Donkey Kong is reached via a SNW-specific transition/portal within that land, and the 1990s London Ministry of Magic is reached from 1920s Wizarding Paris through a Wizarding World-specific transition/portal within that land.

So, 50% of the regular lands already have this...a Universal Monsters-specific portal to a Black lagoon area at the back of Dark Universe would just be one more, and not at all unusual for the park.

(On this topic, incidentally, when I first heard about the London/Paris 1990s/1920s thing going on in MoM, my heart sank a bit at the messiness, yet when two or three lands have these "going from one part of the IP to another within the land" features, it cleans up the MoM issue for me entirely and makes it just part of the Epic Universe "creative approach."

 

[Legacy]

Honestly, an Abbott and Costello show (or a show featuring similar characters in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge kind of way) featuring some of the more niche monsters could be a really entertaining successor to the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue.

EDIT: The trouble with these kinds of shows is they inevitably become *too* campy or niche for general audiences to stomach or engage with. They don't "get" it, so they get bored or reject it outright. Beetlejuice got away with a lot because 1) it had Beetlejuice, an inherently entertaining character that permitted substantial improv and 2) it had live performances of popular songs.

It just occurred to me that while Monster on the Campus, the Mole People, or the Metaluna Mutant probably couldn't anchor a show... The Invisible Man probably could.

I remember a survey a few years ago that included Beetlejuice as a “classic monster,” so there’s an outside chance Universal would look at adding him to Dark Universe.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Honestly, an Abbott and Costello show (or a show featuring similar characters in a wink-wink, nudge-nudge kind of way) featuring some of the more niche monsters could be a really entertaining successor to the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue.

EDIT: The trouble with these kinds of shows is they inevitably become *too* campy or niche for general audiences to stomach or engage with. They don't "get" it, so they get bored or reject it outright. Beetlejuice got away with a lot because 1) it had Beetlejuice, an inherently entertaining character that permitted substantial improv and 2) it had live performances of popular songs.

It just occurred to me that while Monster on the Campus, the Mole People, or the Metaluna Mutant probably couldn't anchor a show... The Invisible Man probably could.

My initial idea was sort of how The Great Movie Ride and the Muppet Movie Ride were a ying and yang, so would Monsters Unchained and this theoretical attraction. Not a mockery or farce, but instead a ride in the setting with some levity.

I remember a survey a few years ago that included Beetlejuice as a “classic monster,” so there’s an outside chance Universal would look at adding him to Dark Universe.

So far the land has been described as "The legendary Universal Classic Monsters come to life like never before at Dark Universe, one of five amazing worlds at Universal Epic Universe." Beetlejuice might be a classic monster, but is he a Universal classic monster? Would this require more IP payments for a park already paying out two huge franchises?

 

[LPCaptainDeath]

I'm not saying we won't see direct references to some of the tertiary Universal Monster properties, but let's not pretend The Mole People are going to be getting a full attraction. That could change if a remake actually happens and becomes a runaway success, of course, but there's some uncomfortable baggage associated with the original film that would need to be reworked/amended.

The most obvious choice is Creature, who is pretty inarguably the most popular Monster alongside Frankenstein, the Bride, Dracula, Wolfman, and the Mummy. How they incorporate that aesthetic into the existing execution of the Dark Universe, I'm not sure, but I'd love to see them give it a go.

I was thinking of Metaluna and Mole to exist as tertiary as they come. The attraction is headlined to Gil but features Mole and Metaluna as small moments. King Kong ride has bats and bugs and dinosaurs. This ride can have other weird monsters pop in that didn't make sense for Unchained was all i was thinking; You have your indoor monsters ride with those more humanized monsters, you have your outdoor ride with the creatures. Not vying for them to headline anything in any way. It gives something for Gil to fight/react to/team up with against the audience. For every 3 Gils, we get 1 other guy(be it Wolfman or anyone else).

I guess i'm of the opinion that anything considered "universal monsters" is up for grabs, but at the same time i don't think we'll be getting She-Wolf and Jungle Woman, right? lol Bringing attention to anything that's been sitting on the shelf collecting dust and finally give all these properties a "moment." If Hunchback and Phantom can get single moments in Unchained, we can get an alien and a weird monster popping out of the ground in a Creature from the Black Lagoon boat-ride. lol

I just don't want "JAWS but Gillman," like everyone else is saying they're imagining. I moreso want Spooky Jungle Cruise with different things to look at from time to time and not just "SHARK!" After the second or third Gil popping out of the water, i'd be like "okay, what else is going on here?" or simply look at the setting as a missed opportunity for what could have easily been another smorgasbord of weird and interesting monsters. The swamp could easily work for the 4 creatures mentioned here imo and that's not discounting a change in scenery if we were to have our boat swing by a dock and get an Invisible man or Mr. Hyde moment. I'm not trying to leave anyone out as long as it makes sense to the scenery and story it can tell!

EDIT: as far as a title for the ride would go, i'd hope for something like Legends of the Lagoon or something nondescript that lets them do more with the concept; The Lost Voyage of Darkmoor.

 

[Clive]

I was thinking of Metaluna and Mole to exist as tertiary as they come. The attraction is headlined to Gil but features Mole and Metaluna as small moments. King Kong ride has bats and bugs and dinosaurs. This ride can have other weird monsters pop in that didn't make sense for Unchained was all i was thinking; You have your indoor monsters ride with those more humanized monsters, you have your outdoor ride with the creatures. Not vying for them to headline anything in any way. It gives something for Gil to fight/react to/team up with against the audience. For every 3 Gils, we get 1 other guy(be it Wolfman or anyone else).

I guess i'm of the opinion that anything considered "universal monsters" is up for grabs, but at the same time i don't think we'll be getting She-Wolf and Jungle Woman, right? lol Bringing attention to anything that's been sitting on the shelf collecting dust and finally give all these properties a "moment." If Hunchback and Phantom can get single moments in Unchained, we can get an alien and a weird monster popping out of the ground in a Creature from the Black Lagoon boat-ride. lol

I just don't want "JAWS but Gillman," like everyone else is saying they're imagining. I moreso want Spooky Jungle Cruise with different things to look at from time to time and not just "SHARK!" After the second or third Gil popping out of the water, i'd be like "okay, what else is going on here?" or simply look at the setting as a missed opportunity for what could have easily been another smorgasbord of weird and interesting monsters. The swamp could easily work for the 4 creatures mentioned here imo and that's not discounting a change in scenery if we were to have our boat swing by a dock and get an Invisible man or Mr. Hyde moment. I'm not trying to leave anyone out as long as it makes sense to the scenery and story it can tell!

EDIT: as far as a title for the ride would go, i'd hope for something like Legends of the Lagoon or something nondescript that lets them do more with the concept; The Lost Voyage of Darkmoor.

I like this pitch a lot. I've been trying to figure out how a Creature boat ride would even structurally work (Jaws but with Creature doesn't -- the Creature is too physically small and complex in anatomy to do the same kinds of shock and awe moments as the shark), and this is a solid pitch that could read to a wide audience.

 

[nikem3]

Hear me out: do a parody of Monsters Unchained but it’s all the loser monsters from the bad movies. Lean into the camp.

I would legit love a campy creature from the black lagoon ride. Lean heavily into old school movie vibe.

 

[saint.piss]

A Beetlejuice dark ride in DU would be amazing