So while we wait for official word from Universal of the show that is almost certainly Jason Bourne I thought I'd share the quick idea I had last year for a Terminator replacement show.
When choosing an IP to get an attraction there are many factors to consider; Will most of our guests have heard of it? Will this move merchandise? Does this property have cross generational appeal? Will it still be relevant in 15 years?
What if I told you that there was a property that has been continually made for a quarter of a century, a property that has been done across nearly every story telling medium, that exists off the success of its merch? And what if I told you that this property's owner has a working relationship with Universal Studios Orlando?
That property is Power Rangers!
Recently Power Rangers was acquired by Hasbro, the owners of Transformers, and this makes me think an appearance at Universal Parks is not out of the question. But is a show as ever-changing as Power Rangers even feasible for the slow-changing world of theme parks, is it really possible to do more than the occasional parade appearance that Disney came up with during the decade plus they owned the brand? Yes! And the answer rests in Terminator 3D.
In this attraction guests would enter The Angel Grove Power Rangers Museum, a walk-through history of each team with replica props and costumes with big buttons that activate clips, at the end is the curator of the museum Alpha-10 the latest in a line of robots dedicated to helping The Power Rangers! As Alpha gives his comedic speech about the history of the rangers it is interrupted by sirens, Alpha informs us that this is very exciting, this means the latest team of Power Rangers are about to have an adventure, quickly to the viewing chamber!
As guests quickly move into the main theater and take their seats, we see on the big screen the current cast of Power Rangers walking through a park talking to each other, when their communicators beep and their mentor tells them that he has just received word of a monster attack in the area. Suddenly a fully costumed monster and squad of the current foot soldiers appears on the stage in front of us, you know what that means, It's Morphin' Time! One by one a ranger actor performs their morph on the screen and their ranger from appears in a puff of smoke on stage, once the whole team has morphed it's time to fight, we get a nicely choreographed fight with tons of practical effects with a specially composed rock score to make it more exciting, but just when it looks like the Power Rangers might not be able to pull if off help arrives on the two ends of the stage in the form of the original Mighty Morphin Green Ranger and The Red Ranger of the previous season. With a quick Alpha told us you could use some help, the veteran Rangers help turn the tide and the monster is defeated.
But of course this is Power Rangers which means this battle isn't over just yet as the monster now appears giant on the screen above the stage. The Rangers now form their Megazord as the screen expands, engulfing the theater. As the two giants battle over the city and us sparks fly, and our seats rattle and shake. Eventually of course the rangers deal the finishing blow, the monster explodes in a blinding flash of light and our team of Power Rangers plus the two veterans return to the stage to celebrate, give a big cry of Power Rangers! and leave the stage, the lights come on and Alpha tells us that was amazing and instructs us in how to leave. We then exit into a gift shop filled with Power Rangers merchandise for all ages and celebrating all eras of the show.
Nowadays Power Rangers teams last for two years so you would need to update it fairly regularly but the formula really doesn't, so you really wouldn't have to change much, every two years the new casts films their little bit and records some voice-over, and when the new era starts you close the show for a few weeks to add to the pre-show museum and get the stunt-team comfortable in the new costumes, and then reopen as a 'New' Attraction.
This will never happen of course but I do think it's wouldn't be a terrible idea and would probably move more merch and get more attention that a Jason Bourne show.