Outside IPs at Future HHNs?

[wutisgood]

We have no outside IP after having Netflix and WB last year. We also have a somewhat stretch of a Collab with the weeknd (seems to be decent at least) who is himself a universal label artist. Do you think other media companies are more set on reserving their own IP for their own future experiences and events and unwilling to work with universal as much anymore. How would this affect future HHN?

 

[Clive]

Halloween and Weeknd are both outside IP.

 

[wutisgood]

Halloween and Weeknd are both outside IP.

I mean sure technically but the Weeknd is a universal label artist with some extra priveledge and the Halloween franchise is owned by people who basically have no leverage outside their universal partnership whose films are distributed by universal anyways. They aren't Netflix.

 

[Brian G.]

Cool. Already moving goal posts. Lol

 

[wutisgood]

Cool. Already moving goal posts. Lol

Great contribution! Thanks for your input!

 

[Ridesandstuff]

Im not sure about no IP at all but I do think they are nearing a point where they have used a good portion of the iconic horror properties and may need to do more cult-y things or think outside the box a bit. That being said there are some iconic properties that Im surprised haven't been used yet and don't have any rights issues (to my knowledge).

 

[Brian G.]

Great contribution! Thanks for your input!

I mean, your reply to Clive did just that after he answered your questions.

And your assumptions about those 2 properties are also wrong. We had outside IP last year. We have outside IP this year. The only thing that’s off the table is Disney-owned. There’s nothing to suggest any trouble is coming.

 

[wutisgood]

I'm not sure about no IP at all but I do think they are nearing a point where they have used a good portion of the iconic horror properties and may need to do more cult-y things or think outside the box a bit. That being said there are some iconic properties that I'm surprised haven't been used yet and don't have any rights issues (to my knowledge).

If you look at the streaming landscape studios are holding on to rights increasingly closely. Less major outside IP could be a sign of shifting priority. I would wonder if we could see something like a Luigi's Mansion house (among other video game based houses) if the Nintendo partnership allowed it. If you believe the lord of the rings deal I think universal has been progressive long term.

 

[Clive]

I mean sure technically but the Weeknd is a universal label artist with some extra priveledge and the Halloween franchise is owned by people who basically have no leverage outside their universal partnership whose films are distributed by universal anyways. They aren't Netflix.

I mean this as respectfully as possible, but you do not have a clear understanding of how these deals are negotiated and made.

Universal Music Group is a separate entity from Comcast. It is the equivalent of dealing with another studio. The music industry also operates completely differently from the film/tv industry in terms of artist control.

Halloween rights are extremely complex. You really think they wanted to use Halloween 4 instead of just doing Halloween 1 in 2018? They only just managed to get the rights to use the OG again this year. The rights holders absolutely have leverage, or we’d have Halloween Ends at the event this year.

There’s an argument to be made about how the changing media landscape and vertical integration could affect the future of HHN. Your argument here is not sound.

 

[JS610]

To piggyback off Clive...

Weeknd is Universal Music Group, but UMG is not actually owned by NBCU or Comcast. That's a remnant of the corporate shenanigans of the 90's and 00's that led to Universal having 5 owners in 20 years.

Halloween franchise is also complicated, and is basically a de facto Universal property. But the 1978 film was independently produced.

As many insiders indicated on other threads, Netflix and WB not being involved this year was for more mundane reasons than corporate drama.

 

[tielo]

From what I read in reviews the original houses get generally high marks.
An ip should be beneficial for the rights holder and Universal. That said, I hope next year a The Last of Us will see the light of day.

 

[Legacy]

From what I read in reviews the original houses get generally high marks.
An ip should be beneficial for the rights holder and Universal. That said, I hope next year a The Last of Us will see the light of day.

Typically, the benefit for the rights holder is the money they’re paid.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

If the crowds from this past week continue, they really only need 3 IPs at most to market the event. (I don't count the monsters)

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Heck if we want to get technical, WB is involved on this year, just in a limited form with Wizarding World in Hollywood getting Death Eaters. Clive and JS's points are really good too.

 

[rageofthegods]

Yeah Evil Dead Rise didn't come because WBD didn't know what they wanted to do with the movie, it has nothing to do with WB's relationship with Uni.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Heck, we haven't gotten any form of a chance to see what would happen with Miramax Post-Paramount Global Acquisition.

Just because one group is out of the room, doesn't mean others can't come in to fill that void. Especially as horror shifts and changes how it is represented at HHN. As it stands, we have this in a sense.

- Amazon (Through MGM and the representation of Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Candyman 2021)
- Netflix (As alluded elsewhere here)
- WBD (Death Eaters in USH, despite EDR being pulled; shows that things are good if Potter can join the HHN roster)
- Blumhouse (Through The Purge last year at USH and Horrors of Blumhouse this year)

We're even seeing it expand into music labels with UMG/XO via The Weeknd. Universal hasn't really lost anything. Not really.

 

[shiekra38]

I think we'll see them lean more into their own IPs

We've already seen it with Blumhouse and Monsters

As far as "outside IP" I think it really comes down to cost and benefit

The bottom line: people are coming to HHN regardless, and I think the next "era" will be utilizing the event to promote IP rather than using IP to promote the event

Of course, you may always have outliers like Walking Dead and Stranger Things

The only problem with this model is...well...they need better IP to push.

 

[pumpkinbot343]

Yeah Evil Dead Rise didn't come because WBD didn't know what they wanted to do with the movie, it has nothing to do with WB's relationship with Uni.

Does that mean Freddy and Jason might return to HHN sometime?

 

[GA-MBIT]

Yeah, I've made the UMG mistake before. UMG is a misnomer. Despite being the Universal Music Group, it's really got no tangible connections at all to Comcast, and by extension the Universal parks. Billie and the Weeknd are not in-house properties.

If we're laying it all out, even Monsters isn't guaranteed use for Universal Parks. There is footage of a main house designer given a description of Legends Collide and saying something to the effect of "We have been very gracious that we've been allowed to tell some original stories with these characters". Because as much as a lot of people love to lump Frank and Wolfman in the Original House category, they are 100% IP. There are negotiations that have to be made to make even a house like Brides happen at all.

Does that mean Freddy and Jason might return to HHN sometime?

Freddy, maaaaaaaybe, but Jason is a whole seperate legal spaghetti monster right now. I wouldn't expect him for a very long time.

 

[Clive]

If we're laying it all out, even Monsters isn't guaranteed use for Universal Parks. There is footage of a main house designer given a description of Legends Collide and saying something to the effect of "We have been very gracious that we've been allowed to tell some original stories with these characters". Because as much as a lot of people love to lump Frank and Wolfman in the Original House category, they are 100% IP. There are negotiations that have to be made to make even a house like Brides happen at all.

Yep. This was especially true when they were preparing to launch the Dark Universe - HHN Hollywood's relaunch was intended to coincide with that (and was originally to be titled "Dark Universe"). Even though that project fell apart, the Universal Monsters have become a relevant brand again in the eyes of the company. It's why you see so many new partnerships, merchandise lines, and high-end releases. They care about how the Monsters are presented in the Universal parks (and whether it may conflict with how they intend to approach/position a character for a forthcoming movie).