Dark Universe (Epic Universe)

[Tobias]

Boy I never knew Van Helsing had so many fans

The film is a guilty pleasure of mine, the soundtrack slaps, it's got nice set designs, it's campy as hell and for me this still has the best CGI werewolves out of anything. Yes, they don't resemble the traditional wolf man design, but admittedly for me I'm not the biggest fan of the wolf man design, I prefer werewolves with elongated snout/muzzles which these ones have and dear lord these are the quintessential big friggin' werewolves! (And for reference, my favorite practical werewolf is the one in Cabin in the Woods.)

And to be quite honest, if you're doing a ride which is very much an action-adventure kind of thing, Van Helsing works for that since that what it was!

 

[Brian G.]

The modern twist behind the Werewolf transformation was pretty awesome. There are a lot of fun bits in that film despite it being pretty mid.

Crazy the "could've been" for Universal...

 

[DodgsonHere]

Some rumors for a Creature ride back in the day were it could be indoors, so it’s always nighttime, with tech similar to Pirates Shanghai.

A simulated sinking boat patent was expected to be involved, where it looks like you’ve sprung a leak and are listing on one side.

And the best rumor, was that at one point, the Creature boards your boat. Right when the boat’s power shuts down.

And its pitch black dark.

I love how sensory effects heavy Monsters Unchained and this sound.

Lights going out followed by a violent boat rock and then a heavy wet *thud* on the deck right in front of riders sounds absolutely terrifying and I love it.

 

[HHN Maddux]

Some rumors for a Creature ride back in the day were it could be indoors, so it’s always nighttime, with tech similar to Pirates Shanghai.

A simulated sinking boat patent was expected to be involved, where it looks like you’ve sprung a leak and are listing on one side.

And the best rumor, was that at one point, the Creature boards your boat. Right when the boat’s power shuts down.

And its pitch black dark.

Do you know what the ride vehicle itself would be like? Jaws boat, Pirates boat? AE/SGE-style restraints?

Or is it way too early to call?

 

[Disneyhead]

Do you know what the ride vehicle itself would be like? Jaws boat, Pirates boat? AE/SGE-style restraints?

Or is it way too early to call?

A boat ride with over the shoulder restraints is a no for me.

 

[Lucky Planet]

It's sort of the older gen Z equivalent of those bad 80s kids movies that got grandfathered into being classics because so many people saw it on cable.

The film is a guilty pleasure of mine, the soundtrack slaps, it's got nice set designs, it's campy as hell and for me this still has the best CGI werewolves out of anything. Yes, they don't resemble the traditional wolf man design, but admittedly for me I'm not the biggest fan of the wolf man design, I prefer werewolves with elongated snout/m uzzles which these ones have and dear lord these are the quintessential big friggin' werewolves! (And for reference, my favorite practical werewolf is the one in Cabin in the Woods.)

And to be quite honest, if you're doing a ride which is very much an action-adventure kind of thing, Van Helsing works for that since that what it was!

van helsing is kinda like a marvel movie in a lot of ways, its like it was marvel before marvel. the quips, the one liners, the weapon technology, the action, maybe it came out too soon, it would have been a bigger hit in 2010 maybe

 

[Thorin Groth]

The boat ride sounds absolutely insane, how come the rumors for it have slowed down?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

A boat ride with over the shoulder restraints is a no for me.

Yeah, reminds me of Shoot the Rapids. No thanks.

The boat ride sounds absolutely insane, how come the rumors for it have slowed down?

Keep in mind blue sky ideas always sound amazing lol

 

[GAcoaster]

The boat ride sounds absolutely insane, how come the rumors for it have slowed down?

Other priorities. Yes, in concept it may be an amazing attraction, but costs versus ROI may make it a lower priority than something like Nintendo or Potter which are licenses to print money. There wouldn't be nearly as much demand for CFBL merchandise and food as Nintendo, Potter, Minions, etc.

 

[mainejeff]

It will definitely be interesting to see if they come up with something other than a Creature boat ride for the expansion plot. I don't expect Dark Universe to be a priority for expansion plans.....but you never know.

 

[GAcoaster]

It will definitely be interesting to see if they come up with something other than a Creature boat ride for the expansion plot. I don't expect Dark Universe to be a priority for expansion plans.....but you never know.

I was actually thinking it may become a priority-- right now it's an untested quantity until it opens and they see how much it makes for them. Yes, the concept is popular, but will it make $$$ like Potter and Nintendo? If it does, and since they own the IP and don't pay licensing it may turn into the same kind of cash cow that the others are and it may become priority. Right now they know for sure that the other IPs will make big bucks on food and merch, but Monsters could be just as popular but not make the money the others do since there may not be the demand for the merch and food like the others. If it does make the bucks it could move ahead in their priorities for expansion.

 

[Paulio]

You're forgetting the size/scale of the shark & how much horse power was required to operate those sharks. Also, the ride used an excessive amount of gasoline every 5mins for Bridewell's Gas Dock explosion/wall of flames. Also the ride is rumored to be indoor rather than outdoor. The only similarities this rumored ride has with JAWS is most likely- boat ride vehicle & wetness.

Although if they pump Gillman with steroids he can grow huge like a Super Sentai/Power Rangers monster & swallow our boat!

I'm not sure there's anything special about it when outside in the films (that take place day and night) is no different than Jaws. What would they have an indoor ride for COTBL for? Protection of heat or that UC wants the CLTBL to be all dark for story purposes?

I don't think this will be anything like Jaws. It will be closer to the more modern boat rides at Disney. No gas, no driver, etc. So it won't see the same issues.

I admit, I never paid attention to modern boat rides at Disney, but it's really good to hear. If it's set in modern times, it makes sense to have no drivers other than driven ones.

 

[SeventyOne]

van helsing is kinda like a marvel movie in a lot of ways, its like it was marvel before marvel. the quips, the one liners, the weapon technology, the action, maybe it came out too soon, it would have been a bigger hit in 2010 maybe

Steampunk movies (and their cousins, candle punk, diesel punk, etc.) always seem to underperform. Only exception I can think of is Capt. America, but that was seen as a Marvel movie directly leading into Avengers. Things that have a dedicated following online and in small events like cons don't necessarily translate to four-quadrant blockbusters.

And yes, this post is more on-topic than I originally thought it would be.

 

[Lucky Planet]

Other priorities. Yes, in concept it may be an amazing attraction, but costs versus ROI may make it a lower priority than something like Nintendo or Potter which are licenses to print money. There wouldn't be nearly as much demand for CFBL merchandise and food as Nintendo, Potter, Minions, etc.

that boat ride could be made for Nintendo or how to train your dragon or something and would sell more stuff. Mario underwater level. donkey Kong water level. I hate to say it but a water ride featuring both Mario and donkey Kong could be amazing.

I was actually thinking it may become a priority-- right now it's an untested quantity until it opens and they see how much it makes for them. Yes, the concept is popular, but will it make $$$ like Potter and Nintendo? If it does, and since they own the IP and don't pay licensing it may turn into the same kind of cash cow that the others are and it may become priority. Right now they know for sure that the other IPs will make big bucks on food and merch, but Monsters could be just as popular but not make the money the others do since there may not be the demand for the merch and food like the others. If it does make the bucks it could move ahead in their priorities for expansion.

on Instagram and Twitter I was seeing a few people saying " why is this a land?" or saying "is there a new monster movie coming out?" or " is this based on something recent?" " are we getting a new monsters movie?" is the dark universe coming back? etc and similar stuff like that

it wasn't even negative or bad comments, some people were literally asking or wondering if there was a new van helsing type movie coming out or a videogame or something. which means that people always expects theme park rides to be something promoting a recent property. or at least a specific property. these rides and this land are more of an overall tribute to the monsters. which is a love letter to the monster universe in general. but I did see people wondering already.

 

[Brian G.]

on Instagram and Twitter I was seeing a few people saying " why is this a land?" or saying "is there a new monster movie coming out?" or " is this based on something recent?" " are we getting a new monsters movie?" is the dark universe coming back? etc and similar stuff like that

it wasn't even negative or bad comments, some people were literally asking or wondering if there was a new van helsing type movie coming out or a videogame or something. which means that people always expects theme park rides to be something promoting a recent property. or at least a specific property. these rides and this land are more of an overall tribute to the monsters. which is a love letter to the monster universe in general. but I did see people wondering already.

This is called anecdotal evidence.

 

[DodgsonHere]

Female Mummy? Or is this one of Drac’s brides?

 

[Brian G.]

View attachment 22327Female Mummy? Or is this one of Drac’s brides?

Based on the key art on the merch - it does look like the Mummy is a female.

 

[Suchomimus]

Based on the key art on the merch - it does look like the Mummy is a female.

View attachment 22328

Interesting, considering that the film series' titular mummy was a princess, though it appears they're going with a different design.

 

[Clive]

Interesting, considering that the film series' titular mummy was a princess, though it appears they're going with a different design.

I think making the Unchained Mummy female makes a lot of sense for a few reasons. One, it’s supported in the canon - a female Mummy was a feature of the later sequels in the original run. A female Mummy appears in the Fraser run, and of course the titular character is female in the most recent entry. (For everything wrong with that film, I think most didn’t have an issue with Sofia’s performance.)

Two, it helps balance out and diversify the monster roster. Aside from the Bride, all the core monsters are male. I assume this is also why we have Victoria instead of a male descendent.

Three, and perhaps most importantly, we already have a Mummy ride featuring the male Imhotep over at the Studios. A female Mummy in Epic differentiates the takes and characters in a way most guests can easily understand.

 

[Jake S]

Three, and perhaps most importantly, we already have a Mummy ride featuring the male Imhotep over at the Studios. A female Mummy in Epic differentiates the takes and characters in a way most guests can easily understand.

I didn't think about this but it makes a tremendous amount of sense.