Universal Great Britain - Speculation & Rumors

[TheUniC6]

DreamWorks in some form

I thought it was mentioned earlier in this thread Dreamworks was off limits to use in the UK, kinda like the current Marvel Universal contract prevents most of Marvel being used at WDW. But like the contract, maybe they are some loopholes Universal can take advantage of to bring something DW to UGB.

If it could be done, I would love to see some sort of fully fledged Shrek land that draws inspiration from a rebooted Shrek franchise if Shrek 5 comes out between now and when UGB opens.

 

[Steeb]

I thought it was mentioned earlier in this thread Dreamworks was off limits to use in the UK, kinda like the current Marvel Universal contract prevents most of Marvel being used at WDW. But like the contract, maybe they are some loopholes Universal can take advantage of to bring something DW to UGB.

If it could be done, I would love to see some sort of fully fledged Shrek land that draws inspiration from a rebooted Shrek franchise if Shrek comes out between now and when UGB opens.

Ah I was sure I read it was still on the table somewhere, but I may well have misread that or something!

 

[OrlLover]

If Universal can get the rights for a Wizarding World land in the UK I think they'd be mad not to build it, with rides unique to this version of a Universal park. As much as I love Lord of the Rings it does not have the demographic reach that Harry Potter does. JK Rowling's books will continue to be introduced to new generations, the movies continue to be popular and there's the massive TV series which is due to debut in 2026 or 2027 and will delve even more deeply in to the Potterverse than the movies could. It is, of course, a distinctly British IP, exported across the world with astonishing success. We took our two nieces to Orlando when they were young teens and then late-teens and they loved the Wizarding World land(s) more than anything else. No way that are similarly invested in Lord of the Rings, they definitely haven't read the books and I'm not sure they've seen any of the movies. I'd guess they are typical of kids their age, and I don't think the Middle-Earth TV series on Amazon is going to gain much traction with that age range.

I'm pretty sure that a Wizarding World land would be the No.1 draw in any UK theme park. The HP Studio Tour just down the road gets 2 million visitors a year just by itself, that's almost one quarter of the targeted attendance that Universal has said they would like. Perhaps for that reason Universal won't get the rights, so any speculation about whether Universal should include Potter could well be pointless

There are various reasons why I feel Universal might not want open a can of worms with another HP land.

Yea it’s British IP but I’m sure they can find another to represent in the park.

 

[Steeb]

There are various reasons why I feel Universal might not want open a can of worms with another HP land.

Yea it’s British IP but I’m sure they can find another to represent in the park.

 

[rob@rar]

There are various reasons why I feel Universal might not want open a can of worms with another HP land.

Yea it’s British IP but I’m sure they can find another to represent in the park.

What would be the problems in that can of worms? The only downside I can see is the cost of the IP rights, which I'm sure are wildly expensive as Potter isn't a British IP, currently its the British IP.

 

[Altonsky]

What would be the problems in that can of worms? The only downside I can see is the cost of the IP rights, which I'm sure are wildly expensive as Potter isn't a British IP, currently its the British IP.

I assume they mean JK but tbh that doesn’t float with me. The parks are still busy, Hogwarts Legacy was the biggest selling game of 2023.

She has a stranglehold of the IP and honestly I’m glad, she should, it’s hers. I don’t agree with her opinions but the IP is bigger than her but it’s ultimately still hers and its popularity hasn’t decreased.

Tbh the vast majority of the public probably wouldn’t know anything about JK or her personal opinions.

 

[OrlLover]

What would be the problems in that can of worms? The only downside I can see is the cost of the IP rights, which I'm sure are wildly expensive as Potter isn't a British IP, currently its the British IP.

She is a very controversial figure who at this point has lost some support.

While I think HP can definitely stand on its own right I feel Universal might distance themselves from any projects involving her work in the future.

Tbh the vast majority of the public probably wouldn’t know anything about JK or her personal opinions.

I find that hard to believe when some of the cast has spoken out against her.

 

[Steeb]

What would be the problems in that can of worms? The only downside I can see is the cost of the IP rights, which I'm sure are wildly expensive as Potter isn't a British IP, currently its the British IP.

I suppose the question we should all be trying to answer is 'if the rumour is true, why are Universal hesitant to do Potter at UGB?'. This discussion hasn't spiraled out of someone's gut feeling, it's come out as rumour from trusted sources.

 

[Alicia]

Universal isn’t allowed to use Potter there due to WB tour having exclusive rights within the immediate area. That’s the original rumor, and is the simplest explanation.

It’s also why Lord of the Rings is rumored for this park, as it needs something big, fantasy, and original to fill the void.

 

[Altonsky]

She is a very controversial figure who at this point has lost some support.

While I think HP can definitely stand on its own right I feel Universal might distance themselves from any projects involving her work in the future.


I find that hard to believe when some of the cast has spoken out against her.

How much support has she lost in reality?

Harry Potter prints money and HL made billions last year.

Most people don’t know or don’t care. I know those who are online whether here or twitter or anywhere else like to think otherwise but it’s not the case.

I don’t agree with her, but her opinions haven’t had any detrimental impact on the brand.

 

[Altonsky]

Universal isn’t allowed to use Potter there due to WB tour having exclusive rights within the immediate area. That’s the original rumor, and is the simplest explanation.

It’s also why Lord of the Rings is rumored for this park, as it needs something big, fantasy, and original to fill the void.

I’ve no issue with LOTR being the big fantasy area but I don’t think it’s has the same family appeal or brand impact as HP does.

The new series is a bit of a failure.

The films are too old/age rated for younger audiences.

 

[rob@rar]

She is a very controversial figure who at this point has lost some support.

While I think HP can definitely stand on its own right I feel Universal might distance themselves from any projects involving her work in the future.


I find that hard to believe when some of the cast has spoken out against her.

I think that’s been massively over-played in the media, certainly here in the UK. The vast majority won’t care about her views, or the apparent difference of opinion with Radcliffe & Watson. If pushed to take an opinion, I’d guess the majority would have views closer to Rowling’s. But really most people don’t care at all about Rowling’s position on this, certainly not to the level of boycotting anything.

 

[Steeb]

I’ve no issue with LOTR being the big fantasy area but I don’t think it’s has the same family appeal or brand impact as HP does.

The new series is a bit of a failure.

The films are too old/age rated for younger audiences.

All LOTR movies were PG-13, and Rings of Power had 25 Million people streaming according to Amazon.

Regardless of all the above, it doesn't change the fact that Universal don't have the UK HP rights.

 

[Steeb]

I think that’s been massively over-played in the media, certainly here in the UK. The vast majority won’t care about her views, or the apparent difference of opinion with Radcliffe & Watson. If pushed to take an opinion, I’d guess the majority would have views closer to Rowling’s. But really most people don’t care at all about Rowling’s position on this, certainly not to the level of boycotting anything.

I would agree that JKRs views wouldn't be a factor in this. It hasn't stopped the land being made in Epic.

As Alicia said, the answer is way simpler than that.

 

[Altonsky]

All LOTR movies were PG-13, and Rings of Power had 25 Million people streaming according to Amazon.

Regardless of all the above, it doesn't change the fact that Universal don't have the UK HP rights.

It’s a film series that’s over 20 years old and the current series has failed to gain any praise from viewers or critics alike.

If they got it on the cheap fair enough but it’s not exactly mainstream with a young audience is it?

 

[Alicia]

If pushed to take an opinion, I’d guess the majority would have views closer to Rowling’s.

I think we need to move on from this discussion, if possible, thank you.

 

[Brian G.]

I think we need to move on from this discussion, if possible, thank you.

Agreed

 

[Altonsky]

I think we need to move on from this discussion, if possible, thank you.

Probably for the best.

It’s a polarising subject. I think in this circumstance we need to separate the author from the IP no matter what people think.

The IP is popular and that’s that.

 

[Steeb]

It’s a film series that’s over 20 years old and the current series has failed to gain any praise from viewers or critics alike.

If they got it on the cheap fair enough but it’s not exactly mainstream with a young audience is it?

I'm not sure how else to tell you this, but that doesn't change a thing about the viability of HP at UGB. Not even a little bit.

If you would prefer me to tell you "You're right! HP will definitely be at UGB!" Then read this sentence instead and let's move on.

 

[rob@rar]

I think we need to move on from this discussion, if possible, thank you.

Happy to.