Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[WaterToWade]

Oooooo, i didn’t even consider the mausoleum. Maybe another grindelwald rally could be held there?

I hope queenie’s strudel is sold somewhere, it’s one of the most iconic wizarding world foods

Hell, gigglewater could be FB’s butterbeer, but i feel like it has to be alcoholic so idk

 

[JungleSkip]

This remains the least interesting land by a very wide margin

 

[WaterToWade]

This remains the least interesting land by a very wide margin

I’d have to firmly disagree, but to each their own

 

[Nick]

It reminds me of Pandora as far as theme park lands go. Probably be pretty to look at and a fun ride, but absolutely no emotional attachment.

I just don't know who is asking for a Fantastic Beasts land. I know it's Potter, but even then, a good portion of Potter fans hate the movies. I'm sure it'll be pretty and all that, WB/JK have proven that they demand high quality over and over. This just feels like them jumping the shark when it comes to Potter content in the parks to me.

 

[JungleSkip]

It reminds me of Pandora as far as theme park lands go. Probably be pretty to look at and a fun ride, but absolutely no emotional attachment.

I just don't know who is asking for a Fantastic Beasts land. I know it's Potter, but even then, a good portion of Potter fans hate the movies. I'm sure it'll be pretty and all that, WB/JK have proven that they demand high quality over and over. This just feels like them jumping the shark when it comes to Potter content in the parks to me.

This. It's Pandora to a tee. It will be a pretty and expensive land built around something people don't really care about.

 

[WaterToWade]

It reminds me of Pandora as far as theme park lands go. Probably be pretty to look at and a fun ride, but absolutely no emotional attachment.

I just don't know who is asking for a Fantastic Beasts land. I know it's Potter, but even then, a good portion of Potter fans hate the movies. I'm sure it'll be pretty and all that, WB/JK have proven that they demand high quality over and over. This just feels like them jumping the shark when it comes to Potter content in the parks to me.

As a potter fan who hates crimes of grindelwald, personally, if i see newt or queenie on a ride i’ll still be super happy. the characters are loved by the community, just not the storylines. it’s difficult to find a potterhead who doesn’t love newt, and he’s for sure one of the most cosplayed wizarding world characters.

 

[Alicia]

As a potter fan who hates crimes of grindelwald, personally, if i see newt or queenie on a ride i’ll still be super happy. the characters are loved by the community, just not the storylines.

That’s pretty much where I am.

Big fan of the world building, the creatures and like half the characters... It’s just unfortunate that that films fall flat and are kinda boring. Personally I think the sequels could use new directors, to instill new life into the franchis, (and, dare I say it, a screenwriter to take a second pass on Rowling’s scripts).

 

[WaterToWade]

That’s pretty much where I am.

Big fan of the world building, the creatures and like half the characters... It’s just unfortunate that that films fall flat and are kinda boring. Personally I think the sequels could use new directors, to instill new life into the franchis, (and, dare I say it, a screenwriter to take a second pass on Rowling’s scripts).

Rowling does have a second screenwriter for FB3 (and an extra year to work on the script, she basically fell off the face of the earth that year working on the script with no social media presence and less appearances), so i’m staying optimistic.

Regardless, i’m curious if the land will be set in post FB2 (Evil queenie, freedom to integrate characters like that become important in FB3 that weren’t in paris in FB2) or stays strict to the film timeline. i Hope it’s option 1, and by the escaped creatures ride story, i think that’s the option that’ll happen.

 

[Alicia]

Rowling does have a second screenwriter for FB3 (and an extra year to work on the script, she basically fell off the face of the earth that year working on the script with no social media presence and less appearances), so i’m staying optimistic.

Regardless, i’m curious if the land will be set in post FB2 (Evil queenie, freedom to integrate characters like that become important in FB3 that weren’t in paris in FB2) or stays strict to the film timeline. i Hope it’s option 1, and by the escaped creatures ride story, i think that’s the option that’ll happen.

I wonder if the film series comes back to Paris for the climax, and that is somehow partly behind the decision for the land as well.

 

[Magic-Man]

It's definitely another Pandora, except this one will have better rides.

 

[WaterToWade]

I wonder if the film series comes back to Paris for the climax, and that is somehow partly behind the decision for the land as well.

I think the choice of Paris works well because it stays consistent with the other wizarding world lands, featuring a wizard exclusive area (like how Hogsmede is the only muggle-less town in the UK and diagon doesn’t have muggles present either), something the Place Cachee is and something FB1 didn’t have. The ministry and the circus tie as the most recognizable structures in the FB films too, and are visually appealing even if one hasn’t seen the movie. I could totally see the circus having awesome looking merch.

And for what it’s worth, Place Cachee set visitors said they felt the same wonder and detail that one feels in the universal Wizarding World lands.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Ya I see this one having great rides. I mean they’ve delivered on Gringotts, FJ, and Hagrid’s so far so I don’t see why that trend wouldn’t continue here. The world building of these films is what matters most and it’s good, and that’s what we’re going to be stepping into. Idk I see this being great.

 

[JungleSkip]

Ya I see this one having great rides. I mean they’ve delivered on Gringotts, FJ, and Hagrid’s so far so I don’t see why that trend wouldn’t continue here. The world building of these films is what matters most and it’s good, and that’s what we’re going to be stepping into. Idk I see this being great.

But worldbuilding and stepping into that doesn't matter if people don't *connect* with it, and the vast majority definitely seemed to have not connected with it, considering the film's reputation.

I just think basing such a large portion of your brand new park on a lame duck franchise is a mistake.

 

[ReelJustice]

But worldbuilding and stepping into that doesn't matter if people don't *connect* with it, and the vast majority definitely seemed to have not connected with it, considering the film's reputation.

I just think basing such a large portion of your brand new park on a lame duck franchise is a mistake.

I was today years old when I heard any of the names in Alicia’s article. Place Cachee? I don’t know her...

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I was today years old when I heard any of the names in Alicia’s article. Place Cachee? I don’t know her...

Same.

 

[ReelJustice]

Same.

Takes me back to the lead up to the first film and all the world-building and hype for the American wizarding world.

Ultimately, it was deemed problematic, etc, but they didn’t even bother with FB2. I think guests/fans would respond positively to Ilvermorny merch, etc. Beauxbatons? Eh...film depiction made it into an all-girls school.

The Paris ministry is bland. Very little world-building was actually done in the film. Do Parisians drink Butterbeer? Is there anything special about the French Wizarding world? Does anyone care? Sad.

Oooooo, i didn’t even consider the mausoleum. Maybe another grindelwald rally could be held there?

Woof!

 

[Alicia]

Problem is, Stuart Craig did an amazing job creating Place Cachee, only for the filmmakers to barely highlight it. The clips I used in my video from a behind the scenes interview for HBO Asia showed off the streets and shops better than the film did. Relegating these creations to the background of scenes, with a drab beige color grade certainly did the set design no favors.

I really feel like the preproduction has been great for FB so far, but it's not coming through in the final product. It lacks the magic and wonder of the HP series, and yea, therefore the emotional connection is completely missing.

From what I have seen it seems like the theme park land for Epic Universe was being designed in conjunction with FB2. In an interview with Craig he full-on admits that Rowling told him to create Place Cachee just like a Parisian Diagon Alley. I sometimes wonder if they've decided to re-think the concept for this land. Sure, it was designed to be one thing, but that was a couple years ago, and things could have changed between then and now. :shrug:

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Takes me back to the lead up to the first film and all the world-building and hype for the American wizarding world.

Ultimately, it was deemed problematic, etc, but they didn’t even bother with FB2. I think guests/fans would respond positively to Ilvermorny merch, etc. Beauxbatons? Eh...film depiction made it into an all-girls school.

They didn't even use anything of Ilvermorny in FB. Like, nothing. What was the point of even introducing it?

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Well as someone who loved these films I’ll be there lol. I think the Beasts throughout the land could be really fun and I find them all fun and cute in the movies.

 

[soilsigh]

I wouldn't underestimate the attraction of wizards and magic. If this land includes wand interaction with impressive, large animatronics that may be all it needs. My last visit to Universal was with a friend who knew nothing about Harry Potter. He had never seen a movie, or read a book. He had heard of the name Harry and maybe Voldemort, but had never heard of Diagon Alley or Hogwarts. We ended up spending the whole day in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and I never got my wand back that I had bought on a previous trip. He wanted to do every wand window display. I had to explain everything to him, and to be honest, it was probably my best trip to the Wizarding World. He has now watched every movie and read all the books.

Also on this last trip to Orlando, I visited Avatar for the first time, and even though I saw the movie only once, I was amazed with the land and felt a deep connection. Plus, one can have a connection with a land that is not even based on an IP. I think it is way too early to judge the possibilities of this land.