Universal's Epic Universe Wish List & Speculation

[Magic-Man]

i would argue the story with the Victoria isn't canon which is the biggest issue. So first three monster films took place in Dr Frankenstein Castle main place near Darmstadt. That was destroyed by the town. Ygor and the monster moves to Ludwig Frankenstein home in Visaria which also was destroyed and then in later films in the ruins of the Castle Baroness Elsa Frankenstein after almost being murdered abandons the remaining ruins in Visaria (Frankenstein meets Wolfman). Thus the story of Dr Frankenstein collecting Monsters makes no sense.

I'm not surprised though....this is why Dark Universe didn't work...they don't even understand the canon of their own novels.

If they were smart they should've made it Dr Edelmann's daughter who collected the monsters as he was the last to have Frankenstein monster, Dracula, and Talbot (Wolfman) all in his home in the last non comedic monster film (House of Dracula)

This isn't themed after the movies, it's themed after the Monsters themselves.

 

[rageofthegods]

I don't *love* the tourist trap concept (I think it sounds overthought and hard to communicate to guests - and I want actual vampire hunters running around, not tourist trap workers pretending to be vampire hunters!) but I realize it probably won't affect the experience of the land *that* much. Still a little miffed that we're not getting the show, cuz it sounds rad.

 

[belloq87]

I would have made the (mostly unspoken) story of the land basically the lost sequel that was never made in between HOUSE OF DRACULA and ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN.

This isn't themed after the movies, it's themed after the Monsters themselves.

The Monsters were in those movies, though. Is there another cinematic IP in a theme park that completely drops the source material as a reference point?

I don't think anybody is looking for hardcore continuity with the movies, or something (because the continuity there was already fairly nebulous), but I do think that doing a wholesale reinvention of the wheel (if that's what they're doing; we don't know that yet) is unnecessary.

 

[DodgsonHere]

The Monsters were in those movies, though. Is there another cinematic IP in a theme park that completely drops the source material as a reference point?

Mummy kinda does and Jaws kinda did? In that both were never set anywhere close to the continuity of their movies, Mummy is on the set of a fictional sequel and Jaws was set in the fictional town that inspired the fictional town from the movie. Either way, the biggest connections to the IP are the antagonists themselves, Imhotep and the shark. Monsters seems to share this connection. But we still don’t really know much at all about how everything will play out.

 

[JoeCamel]

i would argue the story with the Victoria isn't canon which is the biggest issue. So first three monster films took place in Dr Frankenstein Castle main place near Darmstadt. That was destroyed by the town. Ygor and the monster moves to Ludwig Frankenstein home in Visaria which also was destroyed and then in later films in the ruins of the Castle Baroness Elsa Frankenstein after almost being murdered abandons the remaining ruins in Visaria (Frankenstein meets Wolfman). Thus the story of Dr Frankenstein collecting Monsters makes no sense.

I'm not surprised though....this is why Dark Universe didn't work...they don't even understand the canon of their own novels.

If they were smart they should've made it Dr Edelmann's daughter who collected the monsters as he was the last to have Frankenstein monster, Dracula, and Talbot (Wolfman) all in his home in the last non comedic monster film (House of Dracula)

My feelings are that they invented this stuff and can take it in any direction they want as long as they do it well

 

[belloq87]

Mummy kinda does and Jaws kinda did? In that both were never set anywhere close to the continuity of their movies, Mummy is on the set of a fictional sequel and Jaws was set in the fictional town that inspired the fictional town from the movie.

If the level of connectivity is on par with that, I won't be complaining. Both of those attractions still feel/felt entirely informed by the respective movies, even if they play very fast-and-loose with explicit continuity.

 

[Loki]

I'm not too worried about the plot of the land. Universal can always change it at any time with minimal effort (as long as the dark ride is unaffected). I didn't get a chance to read the article but sense that the plot is mostly scripting and dialogue (ignoring the merchandising in any shops)

 

[quinnmac000]

If it’s a good story, I could care less if it’s cannon or not, and I think most others would agree with the classic monsters.

We don’t want another Galaxy’s Edge situation.

Its not that canon is most important, it is more so I think there needs to be a level of reverence here. Universal Monsters is one of the oldest franchises in the world. The monsters didn't get popular back in the day solely because they were scary, they got popular because the stories were being ones that were of outsiders. The monsters weren't monsters for no reason and outside the Invisible Man none of them actually wanted to be monsters. There was a level of humanity there.

I think the rumoured story lacks the reverence to the characters that were created as well as their motivations. What is worrisome is if screamscape article is accurate then the Universal team 100% did not watch the Universal monster films prior to creating the land because they would know first and foremost Frank Whale changed the Dr Frankenstein's first name to Henry Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein isn't even a character in the Universal franchise searches. This also means they are Dark Universing this again and I don't want it to end up like this.

 

[Cup_Of_Coffee]

Whose to say Victoria can’t be incompetent and let lose all the monsters is their truest, most damndest form?

 

[tielo]

Its not that canon is most important, it is more so I think there needs to be a level of reverence here. Universal Monsters is one of the oldest franchises in the world. The monsters didn't get popular back in the day solely because they were scary, they got popular because the stories were being ones that were of outsiders. The monsters weren't monsters for no reason and outside the Invisible Man none of them actually wanted to be monsters. There was a level of humanity there.

I think the rumoured story lacks the reverence to the characters that were created as well as their motivations. What is worrisome is if screamscape article is accurate then the Universal team 100% did not watch the Universal monster films prior to creating the land because they would know first and foremost Frank Whale changed the Dr Frankenstein's first name to Henry Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein isn't even a character in the Universal franchise searches. This also means they are Dark Universing this again and I don't want it to end up like this.

It's clear you have a ton of knowledge regarding the movies and probably the books those movies are based on. How deep the emotional struggles are for the monsters and all of that. I, and most people visiting Epic Universe, have not. We know Frankenstein's monster is made of dead people, Dracula sucks blood, and the Time Warp is done in high heels by Tim Curry etc.
The team at Universal has 5 seconds to convey a "European Village" (whatever that for an American may mean as I have know idea and I'm from The Netherlands). Then they have to tell a 4 minute story in the ride and maybe the attention span of the visitor is enough to shut up during the pre show and add a bit story there. That is a huge task.

Universal build lands for 3 groups (as mentioned in an interview from a few years back for IAPPA), it builds it for the guest who has no idea what the ip is, the guest who is a casual fan and the hardcore fan that knows everything. So don't presume they haven't seen non of the movies (or read any of the books) until you have seen the actual realized end result. Above that this is still a roemer until Universal spills the beans.

 

[Kevin38]

Along the line of HHN does anyone else think the empty plots of land between and around Epic Universe would be perfect to put down some tent pads down and move HHN here or split between two parks that might help the huge crowds

 

[Parkscope Joe]

They should have based the land on Young Frankenstein.

 

[Legacy]

Along the line of HHN does anyone else think the empty plots of land between and around Epic Universe would be perfect to put down some tent pads down and move HHN here or split between two parks that might help the huge crowds

They’re not going to move HHN. They already have all the infrastructure they need in the Studios.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

They’re not going to move HHN. They already have all the infrastructure they need in the Studios.

EU won't need the attendance bump HHN gives, USF will. That's the only reason it moved to IOA.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

I think the rumoured story lacks the reverence to the characters that were created as well as their motivations. What is worrisome is if screamscape article is accurate then the Universal team 100% did not watch the Universal monster films prior to creating the land because they would know first and foremost Frank Whale changed the Dr Frankenstein's first name to Henry Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein isn't even a character in the Universal franchise searches. This also means they are Dark Universing this again and I don't want it to end up like this.

So, I am going to argue on this.

Universal has been establishing on the Event side of the parks with the sake of Universal Monsters at HHN. Even going to the extent of when Murdy first did it, he had Crash McCreary involved in the sake of the design work for that iteration. With us seeing many interpretations of the Universal Monsters in over two decades (Including variations like The Mummy (2019), Dracula Untold, and The Invisible Man (2020) and the HHN Houses (UM 2018, UM2019/Frankenstein vs. Wolfman, The Bride of Frankenstein Lives, and now Legends Collide all having various interpretations).

@tielo hit the nail on the head, but given individuals like Michael Aiello and John Murdy, who have been actively involved within Universal Creative in the past, the fact they chose to actively update and modify the original base plans of Universal Monsters to have something like the Mack-Rides attraction makes me very optimistic that Universal Creative knows what they have been doing.

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I do not think this land will be irreverent. I’ll leave it at that.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

EU won't need the attendance bump HHN gives, USF will. That's the only reason it moved to IOA.

Especially in 2025 when USF is seen as severely outdated compared to the other 2 parks.

 

[belloq87]

I have absolutely no doubt that the people designing the Monsters land are fans and know their stuff (though that "Victoria" Frankenstein tidbit did also make me double-take given the "Henry" Frankenstein of the Universal lore, but it could just be a nod to the original novel... if it's even the actual name they're going with).

They just don't need to overthink it.

They should have based the land on Young Frankenstein.

Technically a Disney film now!

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Technically a Disney film now!

Nooooooo!

 

[tommyhawkins]

Along the line of HHN does anyone else think the empty plots of land between and around Epic Universe would be perfect to put down some tent pads down and move HHN here or split between two parks that might help the huge crowds

Having two parks everyone can go to as opposed to all piling over to Islands is all that was needed to balance the crowds, its also worth noting that most expansion pads are not going to be sitting idle for very long after summer 2025